5 Numbers That Explain Green Bay's Win Over the Lions

The Green Bay Packers got their season off to a strong start, beating the Detroit Lions 27-13.

Lambeau Field was electric early with excitement for the start of the season and Micah Parsons' first game with the Packers. This game looked like an early litmus test for two teams that have aspirations of winning the division and contending for a championship.

The Packers started their season with the offense taking the field and driving the ball in that patented Matt LaFleur way. The offensive line was able to protect Jordan Love, who repaid the favor by dissecting the Lions on his way to taking a 7-0 lead.

Green Bay’s defense seemed to feed off the excitement in Lambeau and the energy the offense manufactured by causing a three-and-out and getting the ball back to Love and Co., who made it a 10-0 game before the end of the first quarter.

While the Lions cut the deficit to one score with a field goal, Green Bay’s offense punched Detroit, immediately responding with a touchdown on two plays, making it a 14-point game. From there, the Packers really never looked back as they pressed their foot on Detroit’s neck, never relenting.

Here are five numbers that tell the story of the game.

3/3

Green Bay’s offense started hot, going three of three on third-down conversions on their first drive.

Josh Jacobs started the first drive of the season a little slowly. Still, with Detroit’s defense selling out to stop the run, the passing game looked electric, especially with the offensive line giving Love ample time to do what he does best.

Love hit six different targets on the first drive, including rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. The highlight of the drive was when Love hit Tucker Kraft on a 15-yard pass, fitting the ball right between the linebacker and safety. Love was clinical on third down with time in the pocket, also hitting Golden and Wicks to extend the drive.

While this number might feel like one that praises Love and the pass catchers, credit is equally due to the offensive line that provided Love with all the time in the world to dissect Detroit's defense, which seemed lost in man coverage.

1

There was a lot of excitement from Packers fans to see their newest acquisition, Micah Parsons. However, he only played one snap in the first quarter. That number might be slightly misleading, because Green Bay’s offense had possession of the ball for most of the quarter. Still, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley limited how much they showed of Parsons early.

Parsons' impact was felt on the first snap he played, when he beat Penei Sewell inside and moved Jared Goff off of his spot, forcing Goff to make an incomplete pass to get the offense the ball back.

Hafley stated that he would use Parsons as a chess piece and line him up in different positions, and we saw that early with Green Bay’s new No. 1 lining up over the center and guard on more than one third down.

Parsons was also key to the interception at the end of the half, beating Sewell again and rushing Goff into a throw that was undercut and stopped any momentum the Lions had. He also got his first sack in green and gold late in the fourth quarter, closing in on Jared Goff, who looked to escape.

While we may not have seen Parsons’ full impact, we got a sneak peek at how Hafely plans to use him throughout the season.

16

The Packers took advantage of Detroit’s weakened interior offensive line. They hit the running back in the backfield 16 times, the most in a game under Dan Campbell. Before the game, there was a lot of excitement about the defensive line's ability to rush the passer, but it was their ability against the run that truly set them apart in this game.

It’s easy to think of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and all the trick plays that have become staples of the Lions’ offense under the Dan Campbell era. However, they are built on the backbone of the run game. On Sunday, the Packers shut down that run game.

While this isn’t the same offensive line as last year, they are without Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler; however, they still looked to utilize their run game to both control the clock and get the Packers' offense out of rhythm.

They were unable to do so as Green Bay’s defensive line dominated the battle in the trenches and got their hands on both Gibbs and Montgomery early.

5.6

Jared Goff did his best Charlie Checkdown impersonation all game, with 5.6 yards per attempt. In the last couple of seasons, Goff has been known for his ability to throw the ball down the field. However, he has looked unable to push the ball at all, hitting Gibbs, Montgomery, and Sam LaPorta for most of his dropbacks.

Goff and Detroit's offense sputtered today in both the passing and running game, failing to generate any of their patented explosive plays. Even Gibbs, a player known for his home run hitting ability, didn’t have a play of more than five yards from scrimmage until after the two-minute warning in the fourth.

Hafley's crew deserves a lot of credit. They have been able to dominate at every level, from the trenches to the linebackers who were able to wrap up ball carriers. The secondary that had St. Brown and Williams in clamps all game.

While Goff ended with a stellar 79.5% completion rating, his only highlight was a passing touchdown to rookie Isaac TeSlaa, a play that was more notable for the catch than the throw.

11.8

Green Bay's passing offense was lively, averaging 11.8 yards per completion. Love was dealing early and often, and kept it going throughout the entire game.

Detroit’s defense bottled up Jacobs and the running game early, but Green Bay’s offense relieved the pressure on the running game by generating explosive plays through the air.

While we are yet to see who the wide receiver one on this roster will be, the receiving core and Kraft proved to be too much for Detroit’s secondary.