Lions Beat Packers at Fourth ... er, Ford Field

 By Eric Goska

Quay Walker (left) and Isaiah McDuffie teamed up to throw
Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs for a loss on the one
fourth down the Packers didn't allow Detroit to convert.
(photos by Eric Goska)

The Lions are a fourth to be reckoned with.

Detroit converted four fourth downs Thursday night at Ford Field. Two resulted in touchdowns as the Lions edged Green Bay 34-31.

Detroit rolled the dice five times on fourth down against the Packers. Just once did Green Bay come away with a stop.

For the Lions, the decision to let it ride is not so much about gambling, but more about a new way of life. Going for it has become part of the team’s identity.

Under head coach Dan Campbell, Detroit has attempted 140 fourth-down conversions. That’s the most by any team since 2021, or seven more than the second-place Browns.

Those 140 tries break down this way: 41 times in 2021, 37 in 2022 and 40 in 2023. The team is on pace for 29 attempts this season.

Just three times in the 37 seasons prior to Campbell’s arrival did Detroit try more than 20. And those three clubs – 2009 (26), 2006 (22) and 2001 (25) – combined for all of seven wins.

Back then, the Lions often approached fourth down in dire straights. Now the skirmish after three has become a character test. Who wants it more?

Quarterback Jared Goff and the Lions waited until their last offensive play of the second quarter before switching into four-down mode. Detroit did not punt in the second half.

• 2nd quarter, fourth-and-two from the Green Bay 2—Goff tosses to running back Jahmyr Gibbs for a touchdown as Detroit takes a 17-7 lead into the break.
• 3rd quarter, fourth-and-one from the Detroit 49—Goff sneaks for one, first down. Seven plays and 47 yards later, the Lions again bump up against fourth down.
• 3rd quarter, fourth-and-three from the Green Bay 3—Goff flips to wide receiver Tim Patrick in the end zone as the Lions go up 24-21.
• 3rd quarter, fourth-and-one from the Detroit 31—Linebackers Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie throw Gibbs for a 1-yard loss. Green Bay uses this turnover on downs to mount a 4-play, 30-yard touchdown drive capped by Josh Jacobs as it goes out front 28-24.
• 4th quarter, fourth-and-one from the Green Bay 21—David Montgomery pounds out 7 before linebacker Brenton Cox brings him down. After Goff loses 3, Jake Bates nails a walk-off 35-yard field goal out of the hold of punter Jack Fox.

Thursday was just the fourth time the Lions have attempted five or more fourth-down conversions against the Packers in a single regular-season contest going back to 1948. Detroit lost two of those games – in 2008 and 2023 – winning only when it converted 4-of-5 times in a 24-14 victory in 1957.

Detroit's latest comes on the heels of a 2-for-2 performance in its 24-14 win at rainy Lambeau Field. Both conversions brought touchdowns: Amon-Ra St. Brown on a 3-yard pass from Goff and Gibbs on a 15-yard burst.

That’s four touchdowns on fourth down by the Lions against the Packers in 2024. Who does that?

Certainly not any Packers opponent since at least 1952. Six teams reached the end zone twice in one season: the 1957 Lions, 1960 49ers, 1961 Colts, 1996 Bears, 2014 Falcons and the 2020 Lions.

Detroit’s tendency to go for it should serve as a reminder that fourth down is no longer reserved for punting and field goal attempts. On Thanksgiving, the Dolphins went 3-for-5 in their 30-17 loss at Lambeau Field. At Ford Field, Detroit went one better.

Could Seattle, with 18 attempts to its name, be next?

This column is dedicated to my brother, Scott Goska. Scott battled leukemia for more than seven years before succumbing to this terrible disease on Dec. 1.
I could not have asked for a better sibling and friend.