DETROIT -- A few thoughts on the Green Bay Packers' 19-7 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Ford Field:
What it means: The Packers finally got some big plays from their defense -- a pair of interceptions and a strip-sack/fumble recovery that perhaps cost the Lions a touchdown -- but it did not matter because the Lions and their patched-up secondary rendered the Packers' offense almost completely ineffective. Aaron Rodgers completed just 16 of 27 passes for 162 yards. Without much of a running game to supplement the offense, the Packers ran just 51 plays and totaled 223 yards. It was the lowest-scoring output by the Packers in a game that Rodgers started and finished since he became the starter in 2008. The previous low came in a 9-0 win over the Jets in 2010.
Stock watch: When Ha Ha Clinton-Dix picked off a Matthew Stafford pass that was tipped in the first quarter, it ended a streak of 25 games (including playoffs) without an interception by a Packers safety dating to Dec. 2, 2012, when Morgan Burnett had a pair of interceptions against the Vikings. On the flip side, another streak ended, and it wasn't good. Running back Eddie Lacy fumbled on his second carry of the game, and it was his first fumble since Week 1 of the 2013 season. He had gone 325 carries without a fumble, including the playoffs last season.
Off the hook: Coach Mike McCarthy should thank Lions kicker Nate Freese for missing a 41-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. It let McCarthy off the hook for an ill-advised timeout with 17 seconds left in the second quarter with the Lions facing third-and-7 from their own 25. Before the timeout, the Lions showed no urgency and might have been content to run out the clock and take a 12-7 lead into halftime. After the timeout, Stafford took a shot deep and hit receiver Corey Fuller for a 52-yard gain to set up the field goal try.
Injury report: Given how much the Packers' defense was on the field, it perhaps wasn't surprising that it sustained some fatigue injuries. Linebacker Clay Matthews dropped out with a groin injury late in the game, and although his return was listed as questionable and he remained on the sideline, he never came back in the game. Also, linebacker Jamari Lattimore and cornerback Davon House (who had the Packers' other interception) went to the locker room to receive treatment for cramps and then returned.
Game ball: The Packers gave Julius Peppers a $7.5 million signing bonus to make game-changing plays. After a relatively quiet first two games, Peppers kept the Packers in the game with a strip sack of Stafford and a fumble recovery after the Lions had the ball and a 12-7 lead at the Packers' 7-yard line and were poised to score in the third quarter. It was Peppers' first sack of the season after he had a half-sack wiped out by a penalty in the season opener.
What’s next: The Packers play the second of three straight NFC North games on Sunday at the Chicago Bears.
