NFC North Round-Up: Packers Lose in Vikings Fashion, Lions Head to NFC Title Game
Josh Frey
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Heading into the weekend, only eight teams remained alive in NFL playoff contention.
Two of those teams resided in the NFC North as both the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers were able to make it past the Wild Card round. Here is a look at how the two teams fared in the Divisional.
Missed Field Goal Is the Difference for Packers
This Divisional matchup against the San Francisco 49ers saw the Green Bay Packers get off to a very similar start to how they did against the Dallas Cowboys last weekend. They took a long, methodical drive down the field, which lasted over seven and a half minutes.
Unfortunately, it would only end in a field goal as Green Bay’s offense faltered near the goal line. This ended up being the story of the night for the Packers. All three of their first half drives would get into the red zone, but they managed only six points with two field goals and a turnover on downs being the result of their drives.
On the other end, a big 32-yard TD connection between Brock Purdy and George Kittle was the lightning strike they needed in order to take over the lead in this game. The third quarter would be equally competitive, and the Packers would actually jump out to a 21-14 lead after Jordan Love led back-to-back flawless touchdown drives.
Things would begin to fall off the rails for the Packers from the closing minutes of the third quarter until the end of the game. Green Bay would not score on any of their final four drives of the game, including a missed 41-yard field goal from Anders Carlson that could have put the Packers up 24-17 late in the game.
Jordan Love also threw a pair of interceptions, and Green Bay would ultimately lose the game 24-21 because of the flawed execution down the stretch. Their surprise playoff run has come to an end.
Lions Head to NFC Championship for Second Time Ever
The Detroit Lions came into this weekend hoping to advance to their first NFC Championship Game since 1991, and they would have to go through the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in order to get there. The first half of this game saw a few mistakes from the Buccaneers to keep Detroit afloat.
Baker Mayfield threw an interception on Tampa Bay’s first possession of the game, which immediately led to a Lions field goal as they were set up on the Buccaneers’ side of the field. Then, with a chance to cut their deficit from 10-3 to 10-6, kicker Chase McLaughlin missed a 50-yard field goal with about two minutes left in the half.
Luckily for Tampa Bay, though, a Lions punt would give them the ball right back with 1:27 left in the first half, and Mayfield was able to lead them down the field for a touchdown to tie the game going into halftime.
The second half was when Detroit truly took over this game, though. After swapping a few punts back and forth to begin the third quarter, the Lions found themselves in a 4th and Goal situation, and Dan Campbell opted to take a chance by going for it with a Craig Reynolds run up the middle. It proved successful, and Detroit regained the lead.
After Tampa Bay responded with a 12-yard TD from Rachaad White, Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs broke out with 58 total yards on Detroit’s next possession, including a 31-yard scamper for a touchdown. The Buccaneers would punt on their following possession, and Detroit went on to make it a two-possession game as Jared Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown for a nine-yard TD, extending the lead to 31-17.
The Buccaneers would get one more touchdown to make things interesting, but with a chance to tie the game following the two-minute warning, Mayfield threw an interception, allowing Detroit to seal the deal.
Now, the Lions head to the NFC title game where they will meet the San Francisco 49ers with a chance to advance to their first ever Super Bowl.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.