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Detroit Lions dominate early, come through late in 34-20 win at Green Bay Packers
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- Detroit Lions dominate early, come through late in 34-20 win at Green Bay Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. – There's something about playing in primetime games – and at Lambeau Field – that brings out the best in the Detroit Lions .
David Montgomery ran for three touchdowns in his return from a thigh bruise and the Lions took advantage of a late Green Bay penalty to beat the Packers , 34-20, and take sole possession of first place in the NFC North.
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The Lions (3-1) have won four straight against the Packers dating back to 2021, including in the final game of the regular season last year, when they spoiled Green Bay's playoff hopes on Sunday Night Football.
On Thursday, the Lions played their most dominant first half of the season and survived a sloppy third quarter to win their second primetime game of the season. They also beat the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL season opener at Arrowhead Stadium.
Montgomery ran for a season-high 121 yards on 32 carries and scored his final touchdown with 6 minutes to play, after Packers linebacker Quay Walker was called for an obscure leaping penalty on a Lions field goal try.
The Packers, who trailed 27-3 at halftime, pulled within 10 points on a Jordan Love touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, set up by a long pass on the final play of the third quarter when the Packers appeared to snap the ball after the game clock expired.
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Jared Goff drove the Lions into field goal range on the ensuing possession, and the Lions sent Riley Patterson on for a short kick after Jahmyr Gibbs was stopped short of a first down on third-and-9. Patterson made a 30-yard field goal and both teams trotted out for a kickoff when officials threw a late flag on Walker for taking a running start to leap over the line on a block attempt.
The Lions accepted the penalty, and Montgomery scored four plays later on a 1-yard run.
Montgomery had his best rushing day since running for 122 yards in a Chicago Bears loss to the Green Bay Packers last September, and Jared Goff completed 19 of 28 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown for the Lions.
Goff threw his third interception in as many weeks on the game's opening possession, gifting the Packers (2-2) an early 3-0 lead. But the Lions dominated play the rest of the half.
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Goff had a 24-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Montgomery scored on a 3-yard run on the Lions' next two possessions, and Montgomery added a 2-yard scoring run and Patterson had two field goals in the second quarter.
The Lions outgained the Packers 284 yards to 21 in the first half and held Green Bay to three first downs in the first two quarters – two of them coming on Lions penalties.
Love led a 12-play, 86-yard touchdown drive on the opening possession of the third quarter, then scored on a 9-yard run on a quarterback draw play on the second play of the fourth quarter.
The Packers missed the ensuing two-point attempt with a chance to pull within one score, and the Lions followed with a 15-play drive culminating in Montgomery's touchdown.
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Love finished 22 of 36 passing for 246 yards for the Packers.
Jerry Jacobs had two interceptions for the Lions, who followed up their seven-sack performance in last week's win over the Atlanta Falcons with five more sacks Sunday.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions dominate early, come through late in 34-20 win at Packers
