Scoring in the first half has been a big problem for the Green Bay Packers this season. But it certainly wasn't on Thanksgiving, when the team beat the Detroit Lions 29-22 at Ford Field. Twenty-three of the 29 points were scored in the first half, including 20 first-quarter points.
That was imperative for the Packers win, and starting hot was a priority for the offense.
"It's awesome, that's what you want to do coming into a game. You want to get that advantage, when you're putting up points, making the other offense play from behind, as opposed to us playing from behind," Love said after the game. "It's huge to be able to do that. The defense balled out, they were able to keep getting us the ball back, so we continued to try and put up points. I think there are some plays we left out there that could've made it an ever bigger score than it was, but that's what we want. We want to be able to start fast, put up points early, help the defense out, and go from there."
The Packers scored first, opening the game with an explosive drive and a touchdown from Jayden Reed. The Lions scored too in their first possession, but kicker Riley Patterson missed the extra point. From that point on, the Packers always had the advantage. A touchdown to Tucker Kraft and a fumble returned for a touchdown from Jonathan Owens left the Packers in a comfortable situation.
In the second half, the Packers were more conservative, running the ball frequently to kill the clock. In the end, the Lions closed the gap and scored a touchdown plus a two-point conversion to make it a one-score game, but it didn't feel that close.
"We've been in that situation where we're playing from behind, kinda going in two-minute mode, where you're just trying to get the ball, put up points," Love added. "It limits your playbook, what you can call. Obviously playing with the lead, you can call whatever you want."
Jordan Love finished the game with 268 yards and three touchdowns. It was his third game of the season with at least three touchdowns and no interceptions, a combination he hadn't achieved since week 2. Love had his best passer rating of the season (125.5), and the third game with a passer rating above 100 in the last four weeks.
Chiefs ahead
In ten days, the Packers offense will have an even bigger challenge. If the Detroit Lions defense has been one of the worst in the league over the last month, the Kansas City Chiefs have played at a high level. Two years ago, Love's first NFL start came exactly against the Chiefs, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo dialed up a lot of blitzes. Love is now much more prepared and equipped to handle that, but the Chiefs defense is also much better in terms of personnel.
The Packers won't have tight end Luke Musgrave against the Chiefs, as he has to spend at least three more games on injured reserve. On the other hand, wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks and running back Aaron Jones have a shot at playing after missing the Lions game.
With such a young offense, an in-season improvement was to be expected. And that's exactly what has happened, especially early in games. If Green Bay can keep their ascending line, the playoffs aren’t as absurd of a consideration as it could have looked like a month ago.
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