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Week 17 Game Recap: Detroit Lions 13, Green Bay Packers 34
What you need to know
| Detroit Lions |
Jon Kitna struggled in this game as he completed only 46% of his 48 passes for 246 yards and one touchdown. Despite not getting sacked in this contest, Kitna was constantly on the move, which contributed towards his problems with accuracy. His two first half interceptions were his 19th and 20th picks of the year (eight of those interceptions have come in the last three games). The Lions' signal caller did hook up with WR Shaun McDonald on a 30 yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, and his yardage total through the air put Kitna over 4,000 yards on the season.
T. J. Duckett got his first start of the year, but he and fellow running back Aveion Cason had a tough time picking up yards on the ground against the Green Bay run defense. The rushing tandem could only muster 45 yards on 16 carries for an average of 2.8 yards per rush. Duckett and Cason did contribute in the passing game by combining to catch three passes for 43 yards.
Wide receivers Mike Furrey, Calvin Johnson, and Shaun McDonald were targeted a total of 34 times in this game and the pass catching trio hauled in 15 of those passes for a total of 170 yards. Johnson was the most targeted (12), but it was McDonald who had the best day receiving as his five catches went for a team leading 69 yards. His 30 yard scoring grab was the only touchdown of the game for the Lions and the score was his sixth of the year.
| Green Bay Packers |
With Green Bay's playoff seed determined prior to the start of this game, head coach Mike McCarthy decided to keep some of the Packers' first stringers out of this one. Starters Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Donald Lee, Korey Hall, Ryan Pickett, Aaron Kampman, and Charles Woodson were all inactive for this contest. Despite playing with back-ups at key positions, Brett Favre led the offense to touchdowns on their first three series as Green Bay took a 21--10 lead into halftime. Backup quarterback Craig Nall secured the victory by leading the Packers to 13 second half points.
Ryan Grant came into this game needing 101 yards on the ground to reach the 1,000 yard mark for the year and it appeared early on that he might reach the milestone. With just over six minutes remaining in the first quarter Grant had 57 yards, but he left the game after sustaining a stinger on a one yard rushing play. Before leaving, he did run for a 27 yard touchdown which marked the sixth game in a row in which he rushed for a score. Rookie Brandon Jackson filled in nicely for Grant as he averaged over 5.6 yards on 20 attempts and recorded the first 100 yard rushing game of his career.
Koren Robinson took advantage of the playing time available with Donald Driver and Greg Jennings out of this game. Robinson led all Packer pass grabbers with four catches for 47 yards, and he also caught his first touchdown of the year from five yards out in the first quarter.
The victory was Green Bay's 13th on the year which ties a Packers' franchise record.
What you ought to know
| QB Jon Kitna, Pass: 22 - 48 - 246 - 1 TD / 2 INT |
On a chilly day at Lambeau Field, Kitna struggled to complete passes to his receivers. His 46% completion percentage was a season low and this was the sixth game of the year in which he had at least two interceptions. Despite his problems throwing the football, Kitna did lead the Lions on a 94 yard touchdown drive that he capped with a 30 yard scoring toss to WR Shaun McDonald. His numbers could have been better as he had a number of passes fall incomplete that hit their targets in the hands.
| RB T.J. Duckett, Rush: 13 - 29 - 0, Rec: 2 - 32 - 0 (3 targets) |
Duckett averaged a paltry 2.2 yards per attempt on 13 carries and his long run went for a gain of five yards. His biggest contribution on offense came in the passing game as he took his first target for a gain of 22 yards early on in the second quarter. Duckett's second grab of the game came in the third quarter and went for 10 yards.
| RB Aveion Cason, Rush: 3 - 16 - 0, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (3 targets) |
Cason's first rush of the game went for a gain of 12, but his next two runs went for a total of four yards. In addition to periodically spelling T.J. Duckett at running back, he also averaged 25 yards on six kickoff returns.
| WR Mike Furrey, Rec: 6 - 47 - 0 (11 targets) |
Furrey's first catch came late in the second quarter and went for a three yard gain, but he followed that up with a grab on the very next play that went covered 11 yards. His four remaining catches all came in the second half and averaged just over eight yards per reception.
| WR Shaun McDonald, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 5 - 69 - 1 (11 targets) |
McDonald led all Lions' receivers with 69 yards receiving, and he hooked up with Jon Kitna for Detroit's only touchdown of the game near the end of the second quarter. The score covered 30 yards as McDonald was left wide open by the Green Bay secondary. In addition to his pass catching he also had a rush on an end around play, but McDonald was only able to pick up two yards. He was targeted a number of times in the end zone, but he was unable to haul in any of those passes. McDonald was the intended receiver on Kitna's second interception.
| WR Calvin Johnson, Rec: 4 - 54 - 0 (12 targets) |
Despite being targeted a team high 12 times, Johnson was only able to haul in four passes. He dropped his first target of the game on a short, third down pass that would have given Detroit a first down, and his second target was picked off by S Atari Bigby. Johnson's first grab came with just over 12 minutes left in the second quarter and went for a gain of five yards. His next catch came on a third and six play with the Lions operating from their own ten yard line. On the play, Johnson made a nice leaping catch on an under thrown ball that went for a gain of 32 yards. His only other long catch came in the third quarter and went for a gain of 18 yards on a third and 18 play. The rookie wide out was targeted numerous times in the end zone on deep passes, but all of those throws fell incomplete.
| WR Brandon Middleton, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (3 targets) |
Middleton's first catch of the game came with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and went for a gain of 17. His only other reception came later on in that same quarter and covered nine yards.
| TE Sean McHugh, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (3 targets) |
McHugh averaged 3.5 yards on his two receptions.
| TE Casey Fitzsimmons (2 targets) |
Fitzimmons' first target went for a ten yard gain, but the play was wiped out do to an offensive holding penalty. His only other target came near the start of the fourth quarter, but the pass fell incomplete.
| PK Jason Hanson 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points |
Hanson's made his first field goal from 35 yards out in the first quarter and connected again on a 38 yarder in the third quarter. He also made good on his only extra point attempt.
| DET Rush Defense |
The Lions' run defense gave up 218 yards on 37 rushing attempts for an average of 5.9 yards per rush. In addition to Green Bay's gaudy yardage on the ground, Detroit also surrendered a 27 yard touchdown run in the first quarter to RB Ryan Grant.
| DET Pass Defense |
Quarterbacks Brett Favre and Craig Nall combined to complete 16 of 26 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions recorded one sack on the day that was split between Jared Devries and Sean Rodgers.
| QB Craig Nall, Pass: 7 - 15 - 88 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 6 - 0 |
Nall last threw a pass in a regular season game during the 2004 season, but he was effective in filling in for Brett Favre as he helped lead the offense to 13 second half points. His best drive came on the Packers' third series of the second half as he used both his arm and his legs to move the football. On a third and six play with Green Bay operating from their own 35 yard line, Nall rushed for a gain of eight. Pass completions to Koren Robinson and Brandon Jackson kept the drive going and later on in the series, Nall connected with Ruvell Martin on a fourth and two play that went for a 32 yard touchdown. He did fumble the football in the third quarter on the quarterback, center exchange that gave the Lions the ball on the Green Bay 39 yard line.
| QB Brett Favre, Pass: 9 - 11 - 99 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 21 - 0 |
Favre's day lasted just over a quarter, but he looked sharp in leading the offense to touchdowns on Green Bay's first three drives. He finished the day completing over 81% of his passes (nine for 11) and threw touchdown passes to WR Koren Robinson and TE Bubba Franks. In addition to throwing the ball, Favre also had a 21 yard rush on Green Bay's first offensive drive. (The run was his longest of the year). He gave way to backup quarter back Craig Nall in the second quarter.
| RB Brandon Jackson, Rush: 20 - 113 - 0, Rec: 2 - 22 - 0 (4 targets) |
Jackson came into this contest with 154 rushing yards on the year and he came close to matching that total in this game as he averaged over 5.6 yards on 20 carries. His long run of the game came near the start of the third quarter and covered 46 yards. After appearing to be stopped for a shorter gain, Jackson broke some tackles and showed a burst of speed as headed down the sidelines for the big gain. His 113 yards on the day marked his first 100 yard rushing game of his career. Jackson also contributed in the passing game totaling 22 yards on two receptions.
| RB Vernand Morency, Rush: 5 - 15 - 0, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (2 targets) |
Morency's first reception went for a 12 yard gain on a first quarter, third and ten play. His second grab came in the second quarter and went for a gain of eight. His first rush came near the start of the third quarter and he received the majority of his rushing attempts near the end of the game as Green Bay ran out the clock.
| RB Ryan Grant, Rush: 6 - 57 - 1 |
Grant's 27 yard touchdown on the Packers' first series marked his sixth consecutive game with a score. He also had a longer run of 18 yards in this contest as well. Grant was shown grimacing in pain while coming off the field following a run with just under six minutes remaining in the first quarter. It was later reported that Grant had a stinger and he did not return to the game.
| RB John Kuhn, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) |
Kuhn's only reception of the game came on a third and three play that went for a first down.
| WR Koren Robinson, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0, Rec: 4 - 47 - 1 (6 targets) |
Robinson's first reception went for a gain of 21 yards on Green Bay's second series. Later on in that drive, he grabbed a five yard touchdown from Brett Favre on a slant pattern. The scoring catch was Robinson's first of the year. His final two catches came in the third quarter and went for a total of 21 yards. In addition to catching passes, Robinson also took an end around run for a gain of five yards.
| WR James Jones, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (4 targets) |
Jones' first target went for an eight yard gain on Green Bay's first offensive play. His only other reception also came in the first quarter and covered six yards.
| WR Ruvell Martin, Rec: 1 - 32 - 1 (4 targets) |
Martin only grabbed one of the four passes thrown his way, but he made that one catch count. On a fourth and two play, Craig Nall hooked up with Martin on a 32 yard completion that went for a touchdown. The reception was his fourth scoring grab of the year.
| WR Shaun Bodiford, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (1 targets) |
Bodiford hauled in his only target of the game with over 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
| WR Donald Driver |
Driver was inactive for this game.
| WR Greg Jennings |
Jennings was held out of this contest.
| TE Bubba Franks, Rec: 3 - 34 - 1 (4 targets) |
Franks' first catch went for a gain of 24 yards in the first quarter. His second grab came at the start of the second quarter and went for six yards down to the Lions' four yard line. On the next play, Franks caught his third touchdown of the year.
| TE Ryan Krause (1 targets) |
Krause's only catch of the game was negated because of a defensive penalty on Detroit.
| TE Donald Lee |
Lee was inactive for this game.
| PK Mason Crosby 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points |
Crosby connected on a 33 yard field goal early on in the third quarter and followed that up with a 35 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. He also converted all of his extra point attempts.
| GB Rush Defense |
The Green Bay run defense did a good job against the Lions' running attack as they allowed only 47 rushing yards on 17 carries for an average of 2.7 yards per attempt.
| GB Pass Defense |
The Packers' pass defense allowed Jon Kitna to complete 22 passes for 246 yards and one touchdown. Green Bay did not record a sack in this contest but S Atari Bigby and CB Tramon Williams intercepted passes in the first half.
