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| Allen Lazard scored on a 28-yard, fourth-quarter TD pass in Detroit. (screenshot from NFL Game Pass) |
For a second time this season, Green Bay
fell behind Detroit .
For a second time this season, the Green and Gold prevailed.
Sunday at Ford Field, the Packers battled back from 14 down
to defeat the Lions 23-20. In October, they rallied from 13 back to knock off
the Michiganders 23-22 at Lambeau Field.
Mason Crosby capped both comebacks with walk-off field
goals. He hit a 23-yarder as time expired in the first, and he booted a
33-yarder on the final play in the second.
Downing a team twice in one season is tough enough. Doing so
when forced to overcome double-digit deficits in both games is almost unheard
of, at least in Packerland.
The Packers have tripped up 25 different teams twice in one
season. The Milwaukee Badgers were the first as Green Bay bounced them 12-0 and 10-7 in 1923.
Since, the Green and Gold has double dipped another 140
times including Sunday. They’ve notched two-fers most often against the Bears
(30) and Lions (30).
Only once previously had the team overcome double-digit
deficits in two separate games to sweep an opponent. In 1942, Green Bay twice rose up from 10 short to
dispatch the Chicago Cardinals 17-13 and 55-24.
Yes, the Packers have swept the Lions before after having trailed
in both games. Just not by 10 or more points in both outings.
In 1939, Detroit
led by seven in the first meeting and four in the rematch before falling 26-7
and 12-7. In 2012, the Lions jumped in front by six and 14, but Green Bay
roared back to win 24-20 and 27-20.
This year, the Packers not only faced a pair of double-digit
deficits, they also were behind heading into the fourth quarters of both games.
It’s the first time in team history they’ve swept an opponent under those
circumstances.
In October, they trailed 19-13 after three quarters. Sunday,
they were on the wrong end of a 17-10 count.
In both games, the fourth quarter belonged to Green Bay . So effective
was the team that it established new highs for the rivalry.
Sunday, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ offense amassed 143
yards in the final 15 minutes. Add to that the 195 it piled up in October and
the 338 combined fourth-quarter yards is an all-time best for the team against
the Lions in one season. It broke by eight the previous high (330) set in 2015.
Meanwhile, the Lions generated all of 60 yards. The
difference between the teams’ outputs (278) is the most by which the Green Bay has outgained Detroit . The previous high had been 235 set
in 1937.
Allen Lazard made an all-important touchdown catch each time
out. He snagged a 35-yarder at Lambeau Field and snared a 28-yarder at Ford
Field.
The Packers started their game-winning drives from roughly
the same spot – their own 18- and 17-yard lines. Green Bay was awarded a first down by penalty
on each of those advances: defensive end Trey Flowers was flagged for illegal
use of hands in October and safety Tavon Wilson was called for unnecessary
roughness Sunday.
Taken all together, the comeback Pack outscored the Lions by
the slimmest of margins in 2019. The 4-point difference was the smallest in sweeping
an opponent, breaking the previous low of six in 2004 when the club edged the
Vikings by identical scores of 34-31.
Extra Point
In 1962, the Packers set a team record by defeating five
different opponents twice: the Vikings, Bears, 49ers, Colts and Rams.
Sweeping Away Deficits
Most points overcome to defeat an opponent twice in the same
season.
Points (G1, G2) Year Opponent Final
Scores
27 (13, 14) 2019 Lions 23-22
& 23-20
20 (10, 10) 1942 Cardinals 17-13
& 55-24
20 (6, 14) 1959 49ers 21-20
& 36-14
20 (6, 14) 2012 Lions 24-20
& 27-20
19 (6, 13) 1954 Colts 7-6
& 24-13
17 (6, 11) 1962 49ers 31-13
& 31-21
17 (17, 0) 1972 Lions 24-23
& 33-7
17 (3, 14) 1985 Lions 43-10
& 26-23
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