The Packers entered Monday Night Football at home against the Lions expecting to and six point favorites. Put the non penalties aside, and this game was anything but boring. The Lions came out firing with a “flea flicker” on play number one, and another long yardage pass in series two. The Green Bay crowd was subdued in the middle of the first quarter as the Lions took a 10-0 lead. Meanwhile, the Packers couldn’t get out of their own way. The Packers had been moving the ball throughout the night. Two fumbles and an interception can sink a team most days, but the Lions were giving Rodgers time, packing the secondary and covering the wide-outs. Finally, key players stepped up late in the game, and Mason Crosby made the game-winner as time expired.
Aaron Rodgers seemed to be cool the entire game. The touchdown pass to Allen Lazard will be a career highlight pass, to be sure. Rodgers stayed steady all night long, and found Lazard for four catches and a crucial touchdown. In the huddle and on the sideline, Rodgers lobbied for Lazard to take the game over, and the pair worked in tandem beautifully. Jamal Williams returned to the lineup in great form, becoming a key offensive player on the field tonight. Williams finished the night with a combined 18 touches for 136 yards and a touchdown. After playing the breakout game of his career, the Packers needed another performance like that in this one. Instead, Jones went the other way, with a costly fumble and a dropped touchdown reception.
Who in the world thought Allen Lazard would be the Packers clutch receiver tonight? Brought back to the roster, and sitting in spot number eight on the depth chart, Lazard stepped in tonight to make some big catches and a key touchdown in the fourth quarter. Rodgers mentioned in the post game press conference that Lazard was calling for a chance to run specific routes in the huddle. This came after Aaron was pulling to have Lazard enter the game. The plan worked beautifully. The Packers needed someone, anyone to hang onto the ball tonight, and Mercedes Lewis stepped up to do just that in two key situations. Darrius Shepherd was responsible for the Aaron Rodgers interception and should have called fair catch on a fumbled punt. He’s a small sized player that just needs to settle into the postion of punt returns. The Packers stand atop the NFC North, with a record of 5-1. As Aaron Rodgers said “Bad calls have a way of evening out by the end of the season.” On this night, they went the Packers’ way.
