The Packers are a step closer to perfection, and the Lions are a step further away from the playoffs.
Green Bay went to Ford Field and feasted on the Lions this Thanksgiving, winning 27-15 and running the record of the defending Super Bowl champions to 11-0. The Lions fall to 7-4, and although they’re still very much in the wild-card race, if they want to stay there they’d better improve in a hurry: After starting 5-0, the Lions have lost four of their last six.
For Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers is playing so well right now that it almost seems unfair to the rest of the league: He had what was for him a fairly ordinary day but for anyone else would be extraordinary, completing 22 of 32 passes for 307 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and a passer rating of 120.2.
In the early going the Lions seemed poised to give the Packers a tough, competitive game: It was tied 0-0 for most of the first half, and at halftime the Lions had out-gained the Packers by more than 100 yards. But the Lions committed far too many stupid mistakes, with Matthew Stafford interceptions and an Ndamukong Suh ejection, among other mistakes, making it easy on the Packers.
Injuries were also a major problem for the Lions: Running back Kevin Smith, who was emerging as one of Detroit’s most important offensive players, was lost for the game early on with a leg injury. And the Lions’ secondary has suffered so many injuries that receiver Rashied Davis was pressed into emergency duty on defense. Those injuries could slow down the Lions as they attempt to make a run to the playoffs over the final five games of the season.
But it’s hard to see anything slowing down the Packers. The defending Super Bowl champions just keep looking better and better.