Lions Report 10/25/26

The Lions beat the Green Bay Packers in a game where there was a lot to like, and also a lot not to like. Let's play Me Likey, Me Not Likey.

Me Not Likey - Riverboat Dan Campbell is back, and he should have cost us the game.

Dan apparently decided that winning a football game the conventional way was for lesser coaches. Late in the third quarter, he bypassed a field goal on fourth-and-5 at the Green Bay 6. Then, with less than five minutes remaining in a tied game, he went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Lions' own 22-yard line. The second gamble failed, handing Green Bay a golden opportunity to take the lead. Thankfully, the Packers couldn't capitalize, and Detroit survived. Campbell was out there coaching like a gorilla playing an Xbox game, randomly mashing buttons and hoping something good happened. He got away with it this time, but somebody needs to remind him that aggressive and reckless are not necessarily synonyms for smart.

Me Likey - Green Bay's kicking game deserves a special place in the Packers' misery museum.

Rookie kicker Trey Smack had a rough afternoon, missing a 52-yard field goal before having a 35-yard attempt blocked late in the fourth quarter. Technically, that's one miss and one block, rather than two missed kicks, but let's not allow facts to ruin a perfectly good opportunity to torment Green Bay. The blocked kick was especially egregious because it came after Campbell's fourth-down adventure gave the Packers excellent field position. And honestly, with a name like Trey Smack, the guy was practically begging for a lifetime supply of jokes. Green Bay left points on the field, and Detroit happily accepted the gift.

Me Not Likey - The Lions' turnover problem showed up right when we needed it least.

After spending much of the season protecting the football, Detroit coughed it up twice against Green Bay. Jahmyr Gibbs' first-half fumble was particularly painful, killing a scoring drive at the Packers' 8-yard line just before halftime. Then Jared Goff fumbled two plays into the second half, giving Green Bay another opportunity to capitalize. The Packers turned that second mistake into a touchdown and seized momentum. These were two enormous opportunities to put the game away, and the Lions managed to turn both into self-inflicted wounds. You can't keep handing division rivals free possessions and expect everything to work out. Well, apparently you can, but it's not a strategy I'd recommend.

Me Likey - For once in my lifetime, the referees seemed to have it out for Green Bay.

I spent much of the afternoon wondering whether I'd accidentally been transported into an alternate universe where NFL officials had suddenly developed a deep, abiding hatred of the Green Bay Packers. Questionable calls and penalties seemed to break Detroit's way, including some costly flags against the visitors. Normally, watching a Lions-Packers game means bracing yourself for a suspiciously timed flag, a questionable spot, or some other officiating adventure that leaves Detroit fans questioning the fundamental fairness of the universe. This time, the Packers got to experience some of that frustration themselves. Was every call correct? Probably not. Did I enjoy watching Green Bay get the short end of the whistle for a change? Absolutely.

Me Not Likey - The second-half offensive game plan left me scratching my head.

Jared Goff was looking downfield in the first half, and the results were awesome. Amon-Ra St. Brown was making plays all over the field, while Jameson Williams turned opportunities into touchdowns. Goff finished with 303 passing yards and two touchdown passes, both to Williams, who caught five passes for 91 yards. So why did the offense seem to move away from those downfield opportunities as the game progressed? Play-caller Drew Petzing appeared to get more conservative, even though Detroit had demonstrated it could exploit Green Bay's coverage. Maybe there was a reason, but from the couch, it looked like the Lions had found something that worked and then decided they'd had enough of it. When the passing game is clicking, there's no need to put it away in mothballs.

Me Likey - Brian Branch is back, baby! Welcome back, BB.

After missing time following an Achilles injury, Branch returned to the lineup and delivered exactly the sort of playmaking Detroit desperately needed. His fourth-quarter interception of Jordan Love was a massive moment in a game where neither team seemed capable of putting the other away. Branch brings an attitude and physical presence to the secondary that is difficult to replace, and his return gives the defense another legitimate playmaker. One interception doesn't solve every problem, but it was a reminder of what this defense can look like when its key pieces are available. Welcome back, Brian. We've missed you, and Sunday's performance was a pretty good argument for why.

Me Not Likey - The secondary still looks like a patchwork quilt.

Detroit's defense made some enormous plays, but let's not pretend every problem has magically disappeared. The defensive line has been doing its job, generating pressure and making life uncomfortable for opposing quarterbacks. The secondary, however, still has that makeshift feel, with injuries and lineup changes forcing the Lions to piece things together. Green Bay finished with 274 passing yards and two touchdown passes, so there was plenty of evidence that the Packers could move the football through the air. The Lions got the victory, and that's what matters most, but the defense will need to be more consistent against better offenses. Brian Branch's return helps considerably; it doesn't turn the entire secondary into the 1985 Bears overnight.

Me Likey - Jared Goff keeps the interception streak alive.

Six games into the season, Goff still hasn't thrown an interception. That's a pretty impressive accomplishment, especially for a quarterback who threw for 303 yards against a division rival while delivering two touchdown passes. He also connected with St. Brown for nine catches and 153 yards, while continuing to find Williams for explosive plays. The fumbles remain a concern, particularly the botched exchange early in the second half, but protecting the football through the air has been a major strength. Goff doesn't need to be spectacular on every snap. He needs to make good decisions, distribute the ball to his playmakers, and avoid giving the opposition easy interceptions. So far, he's doing that part very well.

Me Not Likey - Detroit made a close game much closer than it needed to be.

The Lions outgained Green Bay, 415 yards to 324, and held a substantial advantage in first downs, 26 to 17. They also held the Packers to just 60 rushing yards. Yet Detroit needed a last-second field goal to win because it couldn't consistently turn its opportunities into points. The two lost fumbles, the failed fourth-down attempts, and the stretches of conservative offense all contributed to an unnecessarily stressful afternoon. Credit Green Bay for hanging around, but the Lions had enough opportunities to create some breathing room. Instead, fans spent the final minutes wondering which team would find a new and inventive way to blow it. As usual, Detroit made sure the cardiac Lions experience remained available to the public.

Me Likey - Jake Bates delivers the knockout punch, and the Lions take the division fight.

When everything else was done—the turnovers, the questionable coaching decisions, the officiating surprises, and the defensive heroics—Jake Bates stepped up and drilled a 22-yard field goal as time expired. Lions 20, Packers 17. That's the only number that ultimately matters. Goff led Detroit on a 71-yard drive in the final minutes, the offense did enough to get into range, and Bates finished the job. The victory improved Detroit to 4-2 and snapped Green Bay's three-game winning streak. It wasn't pretty, and it certainly wasn't relaxing, but beating the Packers at Ford Field is always worth celebrating. The Lions have plenty to clean up before the next game, but they can work on those things while enjoying the best possible result: another Green Bay loss, another Detroit win, and a walk-off field goal that sent the home crowd happy.

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