Both Aarons (Rodgers and Jones) lead the Pack to victory
The Packers won their first game of the season as they defeated the Detroit Lions 35-17 on Monday Night Football to improve to 1-1.
The Lions got the ball first and drove down the field for a touchdown. The Packers answered with a touchdown on their first drive. After an exchange of punts, both teams once again exchanged touchdowns. The Lions drove down for a field goal right before the half ended and went into their locker room with a 17-14 lead. The Packers got the ball to start the second half and drove down the field for a touchdown. They would add two more before the game ended and kept Detroit scoreless in the second half, forcing two turnovers on defense.
Thoughts about this win:
Aaron Rodgers once again shined on Monday Night Football at home, throwing for 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Three of those TD passes went to Aaron Jones, the other went to Robert Tonyan.
Speaking of Aaron Jones, he had quite a night as well, scoring a TD on the ground as well. It was certainly an emotional night for him as his father passed away during the offseason.
The last time a running back scored 4 total touchdowns on Monday Night Football was in 2000, when Marshall Faulk did it for the St. Louis Rams. The last time a Packer running back had 3 receiving touchdowns in a game was Andy Uram in 1942.
Perhaps the sequence of the game happened in the third quarter. With the Packers leading 21-17 but Detroit facing a fourth-and-1 at the GB25, Jared Goff tried a pass to Quintez Cephus and failed. The Packers drove down the field and scored on a pass to Aaron Jones, his third of the game. What could have been a lead change by Detroit, or at least a 21-20 game, turned into a 28-17 Packer lead instead.
Time will tell if the Packers turned things around. I felt this team was a lot better than what they showed last week vs the Saints, but it’s not like the Lions are a true measuring stick. The Packers still have plenty to work on, but they now get to do it after a victory.
After last week’s disaster of a loss, I tried to find a silver lining wherever I could. Every other team in the division started out 0-1 as well. The Packers are now tied with the Chicago Bears at 1-1, but the Packers are 1-0 in the division, so it means they are now in first place, at least for a week.
It is a nice win but the Packers don’t have a lot of time to celebrate. They have a short week and have to travel West to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. I’m sure the Packers will be underdogs and they won’t be given much of a chance in the national media, but as long as the players and coaches believe they can win, they have a chance.
There is a long way to go and the Packers are not out of the woods yet or even close, but at least they have a sense of direction right now. Enjoy the win Packer fans. We are off to Santa Clara for Week 3.
Go Pack Go!
@DieHardPackrFan #DHPF #GregGoshaw @gg901
