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‘Built-to-win’ Lions in their element in another victory over Lambeau

Vaseline November 4, 2024

Green Bay. Clear — When it rained, they roared.

And when it was over, after the Lions had survived all the elements – the rain, the wind and even the NFL replay officials in New York – the statement they made here rang loud and clear.

They rule the NFC North now, there’s no doubt about that. And when the storm finally passed at Lambeau Field on Sunday night, leaving the stands drenched in Honolulu Blue and the Lions sitting alone atop the conference standings, what was most striking was how predictable it all felt.

The Lions strangled the division rival Packers on their home field Sunday, running away with a rain-soaked 24-14 victory that simply confirmed what Dan Campbell already knew about his Super Bowl-contending team.

“I’m not shocked at all that we came out here and played some pretty good football in the weather,” the Lions head coach said after earning his third straight victory in Green Bay. “We were built for this, man. And just because we’re playing indoors, it doesn’t matter. We can play anywhere. We can play in the snow, play in the rain, play in the mud. That’s just us. We are built to win.”

They’ve also built a commanding lead in their division, actually two games ahead of both the Packers and Minnesota Vikings, after winning their sixth in a row and capping perhaps the toughest stretch in their schedule.

This was the Lions’ first outdoor game of the season, and it will be their only outdoor game until a pair of late-December trips to Chicago and San Francisco. At this rate, they might not have to worry about the weather in the playoffs either. Because at 7-1 overall, the Lions control their own destiny in the race for the No. 1 playoff spot in the NFC and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

But if they proved anything on Sunday, it’s that none of that necessarily matters. Because these Lions control games better than any other team in the league. For the third time in four weeks they went out and showed their mettle in a hostile environment, winning with a mix of confidence and composure, as championship teams do.

Earlier this week, previewing this matchup with the Packers, Campbell had insisted: “This comes down to one critical mistake.” And even though he talked about it in the context of the fourth quarter, his point still stood: “Whoever makes one mistake is going to lose this game.”

Sure enough, it was Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love who made the crucial mistake Sunday by throwing a game-changing interception just before halftime. Lions safety Kerby Joseph took Love’s careless gift and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown. And just like that, a tight 10-3 affair became a two-touchdown lead for the visitors heading into halftime.

Coming out, the Lions simply tightened their grip and watched another opponent unravel. They received the second-half kickoff and marched 71 yards in nine plays to all but put it out of reach. Jahmyr Gibbs’ 15-yard touchdown run — on fourth-and-1, no less — was the grueling play.

But it was another day where every part of this team contributed to victory.

The defense shook off the loss of safety Brian Branch – ejected for an illegal hit on receiver Bo Melton in the first half – and consistently made big plays to get off the field. The Packers finished with 411 yards of total offense, but went just 3-for-12 on third downs and scored just one touchdown in four red zone opportunities.

The Lions’ special teams didn’t play a starring role as they did a week in the loss to Tennessee, but Jake Bates made every kick he attempted on a rain-covered turf, Jack Fox averaged 50 yards per kick, and the Packers’ a late onside kick attempt slid harmlessly out of bounds.

And while Love and the Packers had a miserable day of football, with three fumbled snaps and at least a half-dozen dropped passes, Jared Goff and the Lions didn’t seem bothered at all.

Goff was nearly perfect in the first half, completing his first eleven pass attempts before passing one late in the second quarter to avoid a sack and miss out on a fourth 12-for-12 half this season.

He went on to finish the game 18-for-22 for 145 yards and a touchdown, good for a 109.3 passer rating and another round of “Jar-ed Goff!” chants to close out this game in Lambeau. He’s the first quarterback in franchise history to win three straight games here, and after that his smile said it all.

“We’re supposed to be the umbrella team that can’t play outside,” Goff said. “We have to be the team that can only win one way. And I think we’ve shown a few times that we can win in more ways than one. We are chameleons. And whatever it takes to win, that’s what we’re going to do.”

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@JohnNiyo