The Detroit Lions were a recurrent bottom-dweller in the NFL for a very long time. In 2023, that’s no longer the case, and Lions quarterback Jared Goff is making sure everyone in the football world knows it following his team’s commanding 34-20 road victory at Lambeau Field over the Green Bay Packers, the longtime leaders of the NFC North.
For the first time since Chad Pennington’s New York Jets defeated Brett Favre’s Packers in 2006, Detroit led Green Bay by 24 or more points at Lambeau Field as it surged out to a 27-3 halftime lead. The Lions’ division winning streak of six straight games, dating back to the 2022 season, is tied for the longest during the Super Bowl era.
Thursday saw Lions running back David Montgomery batter the Packers’ defense into submission with 121 rushing yards as well as three touchdowns on 32 runs while Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw for 210 passing yards, a score, and an interception on 19 of 28 attempts. With three running touchdowns against the Packers, he became the first player from Detroit to have at least 100 yards and those scores.
After his team’s convincing victory over the visiting Packers on Thursday, Goff remarked postgame, “Send us anywhere and we’ll be ready.” And that’s how we were created. “We are confident about that. Please send us somewhere, like I said. If you put us up against anyone, we believe we can dominate them, and that is a fantastic attitude to have. Will it always occur? I’m not sure, but we think we can. We have that faith in each other, in our coaches, and in ourselves. We’re now collaborating quite effectively.
Why otherwise would the Lions think this way? On the first night of the NFL season, they defeated the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs and NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes at Arrowhead Stadium.
This past week, they went into Lambeau Field, punched the Packers in the mouth, and came out on top. The Lions are 3-1 midway through the 2023 season thanks to Detroit’s tough attitude under head coach Dan Campbell and a group that has been thoughtfully assembled.