Packers vs. Lions: Full Report Card Grades for Green Bay
With their 31-24 victory over the Detroit Lions Sunday night, the Green Bay Packers locked down the NFC North title, a huge accomplishment in and of itself even though the Packers punched their ticket to the playoffs earlier in the day when Washington lost to the New York Giants.
The win brings the Packers to 10-6 on the season. They head into the playoffs as the No. 4 seed and will host the Giants in the Wild Card Round on January 8.
But back to the win. There was an Aaron Rodgers championship-belt celebration. There were multiple throws by the Packers quarterback that left viewers scratching their heads or jumping up and down. There was a game-sealing interception in the final seconds by Micah Hyde.
Let's take a closer look at how each position group performed in the win and hand out grades for the game.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Aaron Rodgers vaulted himself into the MVP conversation with his performance against the Lions on Sunday, in which he passed for a neat 300 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions to mar his numbers.
The game started off slow for Rodgers and the passing offense; he didn't throw his first completion until the 8:18 mark in the first quarter, and he finished that quarter 1-of-5 for eight yards.
However, the Packers picked things up in the second quarter, when Rodgers connected with fullback Aaron Ripkowski for the latter's first receiving touchdown of the season.
And in the second half, Rodgers added three more touchdowns to his total, including two crucial ones on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter that secured the win for the Packers.
Grade: A+
Running Back
2 of 10
Ty Montgomery has become the Packers' featured running back, but on Sunday night, it was all about fullback Aaron Ripkowski.
The Packers went to Ripkowski early and often against Detroit, while Montgomery (who finished the game with 44 yards on eight carries) didn't get the call until the second half. As a result, Ripkowski was the leading rusher on the night for the Packers, carrying the ball nine times for 61 yards, including a breakaway of 15 yards.
But quarterback Aaron Rodgers was right up there with his teammates in the backfield, with 42 yards, and carried the ball more times than anyone else (10).
The Packers totaled 153 rushing yards against Detroit, their second-highest tally of the season. The success of their run game allowed them to control the clock against the Lions, possessing the ball almost a full 10 minutes longer than their opponents. They didn't have any rushing touchdowns, but they didn't need any.
Grade: A-
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
The Packers were without Randall Cobb for Sunday's clash in Detroit, but their other pass-catchers stepped up and provided plenty of firepower for the passing offense.
Though the passing game got off to a slow start in the first quarter, Aaron Rodgers would go on to connect with eight different pass-catchers for a whopping 300 yards by the conclusion of the matchup.
And it was undrafted rookie Geronimo Allison who emerged as the team's top receiver in terms of yardage on the night, with four receptions for 91 yards, including a 39-yard bomb and a touchdown.
Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson were the most-used receivers in the game, with six receptions each. Nelson ends the regular season leading the league in touchdown receptions, and Adams added two on Sunday to jump into fourth place.
The Packers have to be excited about the group of receivers they can take into the postseason.
Grade: A
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Of all the bright spots in the Packers' victory over the Lions, the play of the offensive line was closer to a disappointment.
Though the unit has been one of the best in the league this season, especially when it comes to pass-blocking, the line suffered from numerous mental mistakes Sunday.
Certainly, the pass-blocking was up to par, as Aaron Rodgers extended plays and just generally did his thing with little trouble; he was sacked just once.
But the line was responsible for multiple costly penalties: Bryan Bulaga's false start on the second drive for five yards; David Bakhtiari's false start to begin the second quarter; T.J. Lang's false start at the beginning of the third (seeing a pattern?) and Lane Taylor's false start in the same quarter.
Then Lang had a more costly illegal block for 10 yards in the fourth quarter.
The line's grade will always be heavily weighted by its excellent pass-blocking, but the mental mistakes could be a killer in the playoffs.
Grade: B-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The Packers would have liked to generate more pressure up front on Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.
None of the team's two sacks of Stafford came from defensive linemen; on the line, Mike Daniels, Letroy Guion, Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry were more instrumental in defending the run than in rushing the passer.
Now that's still valuable; Daniels held Zach Zenner to two yards on 2nd-and-17 at the end of the first quarter. And certainly the linemen, especially Daniels, got some key plays against the Lions offensive line.
But on the whole, Stafford, who had the potential to be extremely dangerous in this matchup, had time and space to pass for 347 yards, and that's on the front seven as well as the secondary.
Grade: C+
Linebacker
6 of 10
Unfortunately for the Packers linebackers, the group's most memorable play of the night may be the interception that bounced off Clay Matthews' fingertips before halftime that almost certainly would have been a Packers touchdown had he secured it.
And that's too bad, because Nick Perry turned in another great performance, earning his team-leading 11th sack of the season by bringing down Matt Stafford.
Meanwhile, rookie inside 'backer Blake Martinez notched his first career sack off a blitz, one of defensive coordinator Dom Capers' better moments in the win.
Morgan Burnett started the game at inside linebacker but moved to safety after Kentrell Brice blew a coverage on Golden Tate.
Like the defensive line, the linebackers could have done more to get pressure on Stafford and disrupt his timing.
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 10
It's incredible that the play of the Packers secondary hasn't lost the team one of its last six games.
Green Bay has given up more than 1,000 passing yards to NFC North foes in the last three games, including 347 to Matthew Stafford on Sunday.
Young cornerback Damarious Randall has appeared to regress in the last few games, often sitting out plays in favor of lower-string corners. But the Packers won't have the luxury of mixing and matching their personnel moving forward after suffering key injuries in the secondary in Week 17.
As the team confirmed on Twitter, Quinten Rollins left the game with a (serious and scary-looking) neck injury, and Randall suffered a knee injury, as did cornerback Makinton Dorleant.
LaDarius Gunter stepped up in the face of his teammate's injuries, breaking up a pass intended for Marvin Jones on 2nd-and-10 in the fourth quarter. And then there was defensive back Micah Hyde with the game-sealing interception in the final seconds.
The secondary remains a question mark week to week, but the Packers need to figure out how to keep it together for up to four more games.
Grade: D+
Special Teams
8 of 10
Kicker Mason Crosby missed an extra-point attempt, but he also converted a season-long 53-yard field goal, so we'll let that one slide.
Jacob Schum pinned the Lions within their own 20-yard line on three separate occasions, giving them poor field position on two straight drives in the first quarter. He also booted a 53-yarder.
The Packers didn't do much in the way of the return game on Sunday. But when the Lions attempted an onside kick in the final seconds, a situation that will forever make Packers fans hold their breath, tight end Richard Rodgers was able to recover it, which boosts the unit's grade.
Grade: B+
Coaching
9 of 10
It was a tale of two halves for Packers coach Mike McCarthy, who went old-school in the first half by relying on his fullback and his tight end, but got things going in the passing game in the second half.
As other NFL head coaches lost their jobs Sunday, it's easy to see why McCarthy's is secure, even if there was speculation earlier this year that his time in Green Bay may have been waning.
He came into the game against his longtime division rival with an understanding of how to exploit Detroit's defense, even if the Packers ultimately gave up 24 points. He also wasn't afraid to use two of his lesser-known playmakers in wide receiver Geronimo Allison and fullback Aaron Ripkowski.
McCarthy also got creative.
With about six minutes left to go in the third quarter, the Packers faced 3rd-and-1 after Lions coach Jim Caldwell won a challenge contesting their first down on the previous play.
But the Lions weren't expecting the play McCarthy called next: a naked bootleg by Rodgers, who gained 13 yards on the run.
This win is largely attributable to Rodgers, but McCarthy deserves praise for his game plan and execution. Meanwhile, the fact defensive coordinator Dom Capers is somehow able to keep the secondary from completely imploding despite countless injuries is nothing short of a miracle.
Grade: A-
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Quarterback | A+ |
| Running Back | A- |
| Wide Receiver/Tight End | A |
| Offensive Line | B- |
| Defensive Line | C+ |
| Linebacker | B |
| Secondary | D+ |
| Special Teams | B+ |
| Coaching | A- |
| Final Grade | B+ |
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