The Packers dropped to 13-4 after losing to the Lions at Ford Field 37-30. The loss doesn’t change anything for Green Bay, though, as the Packers had already clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the first-round playoff bye. Now, the Packers will have the opportunity to rest before the Divisional Round where they’ll play either the Rams, Cardinals, 49ers, or Eagles. 

While the Week 18 loss affects nothing for the Packers as far as the playoffs are concerned, it’s still a game Green Bay had every intention of winning. 

“No matter who’s out there, the expectations don’t change. We’re about winning with the Green Bay Packers,” said Head Coach Matt LaFleur post-game, adding that now the team has to bounce back from the loss. 

There weren’t only negatives coming out of Sunday, though. The offense got off to a hot start in the first quarter, scoring a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, something Green Bay struggled with for most of the season. All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari and rookie starting center Josh Myers also returned to the lineup, though both played limited snaps. 

“I like where we’re at offensively up front,” said quarterback Aaron Rodgers. From left to right, the starting offensive line included Bakhtiari, Jon Runyan Jr., Myers, Lucas Patrick, and Dennis Kelly. Patrick took over the right guard job in place of Royce Newman, then slid back to center when Myers left the game in the second half. 

“The most important thing today, for me in my mind, was to get out there with Josh and for him to feel the tempo,” continued Rodgers. “And to get out there with Dave and get him comfortable, feeling good about being able to play the whole game come the Divisional Round.”

Rodgers added another 14 completions for 138 yards and two touchdowns to his Most Valuable Player campaign, giving him 4,115 yards on the season with 37 touchdowns and only four interceptions. 

“I think the biggest thing was for us to go out there and just be able to play in rhythm,” said receiver Allen Lazard. 

Davante Adams also had six receptions for 55 yards, extending his single-season reception record to 123 on the year and setting a new single-season franchise record for receiving yards with 1,553, eclipsing the previous record of 1,519 set by Jordy Nelson in 2014. 

Perhaps the star of the offense against the Lions, though, was Lazard. He tied his season-high for yards with 75, hauling in five catches and two touchdowns for the first time in his career. Lazard’s eight touchdowns this season far-exceed his previous season best of three, with four of those eight scores coming in Green Bay’s final three games. 

When asked if he’s motivated by Adams and chasing those records, Lazard said of course he is. How could he not be? “If I’m half as good as him I know I’ll still be in this league for a very long time.”

Defensively, the Packers gave up 37 points, the second-worst total of the season behind only the 38-3 loss Week 1 to the Saints. While starting middle linebacker De’Vondre Campbell was a healthy scratch for the game being held out as a precaution with an elbow injury (LaFleur indicated he would have played if it was a postseason contest), most of the starters took the field. 

Most frustratingly, the Lions scored twice on trick plays, with two explosive scores coming in chunks of 36 and 75 yards. 

“Football in general comes down to discipline and people owning their roles. When you aren’t disciplined, or you go outside the scheme, bad stuff happens,” said a visibly upset LaFleur post-game. “We cannot have that. We need all 11 doing their damn job.”

This is also the second straight week Green Bay’s defense didn’t force a turnover, while the offense gave up three. Protecting the football and forcing takeaways is something the Packers will need to get back to for the postseason push. 

In the second half of the game, quarterback Jordan Love took over. Though he threw two interceptions, one of those picks came off a deflection from his wide receiver that should have been a catch. Green Bay’s third offensive turnover happened on a fumble by receiver Juwann Winfree. For all the bad moments, there were some impressive glimpses, too. 

“I really enjoy his personality. I enjoy his friendship, and we have a lot of fun together. I’m proud of the way he played today,” Rodgers said of Love after the game. 

To start, Love led a scoring drive that started from Green Bay’s 25-yard line and culminated with running back Patrick Taylor’s first career touchdown. Then, he had a 62-yard score to tight end Josiah Deguara that was capped off by a two-point conversion Love ran in himself. That gave the Packers a short-lived 30-27 lead. 

And maybe that’s why the defense’s performance is so frustrating for LaFleur. However meaningless the game was on paper, it was still winnable down to the very end. 

“There’s always time to reflect and feel good. But the bottom line is, we’re in single elimination play right now and we’re gonna have to put everything into each and every game and take advantage of the opportunity,” said LaFleur. 

That single elimination will run through the Frozen Tundra, and this time with the stadium at full capacity. A packed Lambeau Field, just like the weather, is something the team won’t take for granted. 

“I think it makes a huge difference,” Rodgers said of having a full house, referencing the impact the crowd can have on verbal communication and the cadence. “We’ve played in some tough environments on the road in the playoffs over the years and when the crowd is rocking and yelling and standing up, it’s tough. It makes it really hard on the opposing team’s offense.” 

If you ask the Packers, the colder the better when it comes to the Divisional Round. And while the opponent hasn’t been decided yet, it’s win or go home from now on, and the Packers are two wins away from a Super Bowl berth.