263 days ago, the Detroit Lions emphatically ended the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay.
On Thursday night, Dan Campbell's team handed Rodgers' successor Jordan Love a loss in his first prime-time start in a convincing 34-20 victory for the visiting team.
Lions Continue Climbing to the Top
After giving up an early field goal, the Lions steamrolled the Packers for the remainder of the first half and led 27-3 at intermission.
Love, four days after leading Green Bay to a come-from-behind win over the Saints in Week 3, helped the Packers cut their deficit to 10 points after starting the second half with back-to-back scoring drives.
But the Lions responded with a drive that sealed the game, improving their record to 3-1 and standing alone in first place in the NFC North. NFC North. It was the Lions' fourth straight win over the Packers, who fell to a 2-2 season record.
The Lions enjoyed strong play from quarterback Jared Goff, who shook off an early interception by throwing a touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown midway through the first quarter.
Running back David Montgomery rushed for over 121 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries, while defensive wing Aidan Hutchinson led the Lions defense with 1.5 tackles.
It was a historically bad night for the Packers, whose halftime deficit was the third highest in Lambeau Field history and the largest since 2006.
Green Bay was outgained 284-20 in the first half and had 12 fewer first downs than Detroit in the first 30 minutes. It was an especially tough night for Love, who threw two interceptions and was caught five times.
Detroit Lions beat Green Bay Packers 34-20 on the road in Week 4 opener. Detroit puts its record at 3 wins with one loss pic.twitter.com/ewDQ6uWzRy
- Ponce Salcedo (@PonceSalcedo1) September 29, 2023
The Minute by Minute of La Victoria
Detroit dominated the first half and never allowed the Packers to get within two touchdowns in the second half.
The Lions built their lead largely on the strength of their pass and carry, an overwhelming ground attack and several third-down completions by Goff, who has an 11-3 record in his last 14 games.
The Lions withstood the Packers' best effort in the second half and ended any hopes of a comeback by orchestrating a 14-play, 75-yard series that consumed nearly nine minutes of clock time. The series culminated with Montgomery's third touchdown of the night.
While the Lions played complementary soccer, the Packers did just the opposite. Green Bay's out-of-shape offensive line allowed four catches in the first half, putting Love in tough situations.
In addition, Love received no support from a ground game that gained only 27 yards on 12 carries. On the other hand, the Packers defense allowed 211 yards on 43 carries.
Green Bay's defense also allowed several third-and-goal conversions that proved very important in the first half. Several of those conversions were key plays that culminated in Lions points.
For example, Detroit's first touchdown came one play after Goff connected with tight end Sam LaPorta for 35 yards on a third-and-5.
Down 27-17, the Packers had forced the Lions to settle for a field goal after Detroit advanced to Green Bay's 12-yard line midway through the fourth period.
But the Lions gained a first down when Packers linebacker Quay Walker was penalized during Riley Patterson's field goal attempt.
Detroit made the game score 34-17 four plays later with Montgomery's third touchdown on the night. The penalty overshadowed the performance of Walker, who recorded 19 tackles, including 10 solo.
