Detroit Lions Break Road Losing Streak to Packers, Win 18-16
By Zac Snyder
It takes a combination of bad teams, bad play and bad luck for an NFL team to drop 24 straight road games to one opponent. It has been a bit of everything between December of 1991 when the Detroit Lions last beat the Green Bay Packers on the road and now, but that streak is over.
Final. 16. 49. 18. 50
The Lions limited the Packers’ big plays and came up with a few of their own to seize control of the game. After a 3-3 first half, Ameer Abdullah took a kickoff 104 yards to the Packers one yard line. The Lions capitalized on the big return with a third down touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Brandon Pettigrew.
Matt Prater missed the extra point but later made it a two score game at 12-3 with a 51-yard field goal.
The Packers closed the gap when Aaron Rodgers found Richard Rodgers for a 4 yard touchdown pass with just under six minutes remaining.
But the Lions offense came right back with a drive that should have put the game away. Golden Tate had a big 44-yard catch and run to get the Lions down to the Packers five and Stafford hit Lance Moore in the end zone. But again Prater missed the extra point to keep the game within reach for the Packers at 18-10.
Sure enough, the Packers went down the field and scored with 32 seconds remaining. But while they got the touchdown they needed in an attempt to tie the game, they couldn’t come up with the necessary two point conversion when the newly signed Crezdon Butler knocked away the pass from Randall Cobb.
But 24-game losing streaks don’t end that easily.
Calvin Johnson went up to catch the Packers’ onside kick attempt but couldn’t corral the football. Damarious Randall came up with the ball to give the Packers new life at the Lions’ 49 and half a minute to work with.
The Packers completed a couple passes in the time remaining but couldn’t push deep into Lions territory, setting up a 52-yard field goal to determine the game. The kick never had a chance as it didn’t come off Mason Crosby‘s foot cleanly, sealing the Lions win.
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The Lions are back home next week for a 1 p.m. game against the Oakland Raiders.