Sports

Actions

Lions beat Packers 35-11 to finish up season at 9-7

Posted at 3:58 PM, Dec 31, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-31 15:58:25-05

DETROIT, Mich. – The Detroit Lions scored 27 straight points to upend their longtime rivals, the Green Bay Packers, 35-11 at Ford Field on Sunday afternoon.

The Lions entered the game as 7-point favorites.

This marked the second meeting this season between the two squads. On Nov. 6, Detroit handled Green Bay 30-17 at Lambeau Field.

On Sunday, the game began with a successful onside kick by the Packers’ Mason Crosby and the two teams traded possessions from that point on. Green Bay got on the scoreboard first for a 3-0 advantage thanks to Crosby’s 41-yard field goal with exactly 5:00 showing on the clock in the opener.

The Lions’ Matt Prater responded with a 28-yard field goal of his own to knot the count at 3-3 with 3:03 to go in the first period. That score stood at the initial break.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford then hit rookie Kenny Golladay with a 54-yard scoring strike for a 10-3 Lions lead with 7:27 to go until intermission.

Then, with 3:02 to go in the half, a Detroit punt bounced off a Packer player and the Lions recovered at the 14-yard line. Stafford then connected with Marvin Jones Jr. on a 3-yard TD pass to increase the bulge to 17-3 with 2:20 left until halftime.

Prater tacked on a 30-yard field goal to put Detroit up 20-3 with 32 seconds until intermission — a score that remained in effect at the midway point.

The second half saw more back-and-forth possessions until the Lions increased the gap to 27-3 on a 71-yard scoring strike from Stafford to Golden Tate at the 1:38 juncture of the third.

Nobody scored again until the final frame, when Packer quarterback Brett Hundley hit Randall Cobb for both a fourth-and-5 touchdown followed by a two-point conversion to close the deficit to 27-11 with 11:27 to play.

Detroit regained control 35-11 with 7:16 to go on a 7-yard touchdown run by Ameer Abdullah followed by a surprise two-point conversion pass from Tate to Stafford to set the final margin.

The Lions concluded their season with a record of 9-7 while the Packers wrapped up their campaign with a 7-9 mark.

EARLIER STORIES:

http://fox17online.com/2017/12/31/lions-rally-to-lead-packers-20-3-at-halftime/

http://fox17online.com/2017/12/31/report-lions-expected-to-fire-caldwell-after-season-finale/