Wakeup Call at Lambeau: Lions Fall Flat in Season Opener
I don’t even know where to start—this one was painful. Watching the Detroit Lions stumble into Week 1 and get steamrolled 27–13 by the Packers… let’s just say the offense never truly showed up.
From the start, it felt like everything was off. The interior line, in particular, was terrible—highlighted by several bad plays from Graham Glasgow. On one such play, he whiffed on a block that could’ve led to a much-needed breakout run. Overall, Gibbs and David Montgomery were held under 50 rushing yards combined, showing how stifled the run game was all day.
Jordan Love looked calm, collected—and lethal. He connected on 16-of-22 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, stuffing the stat sheet with precision. That seam throw into the end zone for the Packers’ first TD? Pure dime, and a dagger to fan morale.
All game long, the Lions’ defensive backs struggled—wide-open Packers receivers, busted coverages, and no pressure in the pass rush. I was eager to see how Aiden Hutchinson would perform after season-ending surgery on his broken leg. The combined effort of Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport did little to impact this game. On the other hand, adding Micah Parsons to the Green Bay defense didn’t leave much room for Detroit’s offense to breathe. Parsons didn’t need flashy stats, just constant pressure. He helped force a red-zone interception, contributed to a sack, and eventually earned his first with the Packers.
Jared Goff, to his credit, fought hard—31-of-39 with 225 yards, one TD, one INT—but the offensive line gave him little chance. Stunts up the middle and blown protection left him with defenders in his lap far too often. His interception in the red zone was brutal, but you couldn’t blame the QB when you’ve got no time to breathe.
Credit where it’s due: Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta made plays. Rookie Isaac TeSlaa hauled in his first NFL touchdown—great effort, though overshadowed by how badly the rest of the team folded. Still, it was one of the few positives fans could cling to.
And what about the offensive creativity? Zero deep shots until the second half—not a single bomb to stretch the defense early. The game plan leaned on short, safe throws. Jab after jab, but no knockout punch.
There was a flicker of life to start the second half—LaPorta converting a crucial third down, moving the chains. But the drive stalled and ended in a field goal. That could’ve been a huge momentum shift, but it fizzled out. It was around this time that I reverted to a family superstition where I remove my Lions hat, hoping that momentum would change. We’ve had very good success with this tactic. Not so much today.
Defensive injuries didn’t help. Terrion Arnold left with a groin injury and never returned. Alex Anzalone nearly had a game-changing interception, but the drop let Green Bay breathe easy. Brian Branch even came up with an apparent pick that was erased by a defensive holding penalty. Every time Detroit sniffed a momentum shift, it slipped away.
The fourth quarter sealed the coffin: Green Bay converted a critical fourth-and-1 at the Lions’ 9 and Josh Jacobs punched it in for the knockout blow. That sequence—no fight, no pushback—felt like surrender. By then, Detroit had been hit behind the line of scrimmage 15 times, the most in the Dan Campbell era.
You can’t gloss over how well Green Bay controlled this. The Packers owned the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The Lions’ defense couldn’t stop a thing; the offense couldn’t sustain anything. Green Bay built a 17–3 halftime lead, extended it to 24–6 in the fourth, and Detroit didn’t even reach 20 points. That broke their streak of 15 straight games scoring 20+ and 49 straight games with a touchdown.
To some fans, this was a head-shaking moment. One text in our group chat summed it up: “When does hockey season start?” It was dark humor, but it captured the frustration.
Still, Isaac TeSlaa’s touchdown was a bright spot—proof that there’s talent waiting in the wings. The Lions need to figure out how to work him in when it matters.
But 27–13? Not the start anyone expected. The Lions entered as back-to-back NFC North champs, fresh off a franchise-best 15-2 season. This game felt more like a punch to the gut—a cold splash of reality that this team, as talented as it is, isn’t bulletproof.
As painful as the opener was, the rivalry lives on. The Packers still lead the all-time series, now 107–78–7, and this game just added another chapter to that bitter divisional fight.
There’s no need for panic yet—plenty of football left. But this was a shot across the bow: Detroit needs cohesion up front, tighter coverage in the secondary, and more punch on offense. We’ll see how they respond next week at home. And yes—I’m double-checking my superstition: maybe I need to keep the hat off next time.
