The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers delivered a classic on “Thursday Night Football” in Detroit, Michigan, with the Lions securing a 34-31 walk-off victory thanks to a game-winning field goal by Jake Bates as time expired. The win improved the Lions to 12-1 on the season, while the Packers dropped to 9-4. Both teams remain firmly in contention, but the Lions have begun to distance themselves from Green Bay. With this victory, Detroit has officially clinched a postseason spot and will make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since the early 1990s, which is a astonishing statistic. Despite being NFC North rivals, the mutual respect between the teams was evident, particularly during the postgame handshake between Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and Lions head coach Dan Campbell, which garnered attention.
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Respect beyond the scoreboard 🤝#TNFonPrime pic.twitter.com/WKkju8pM8A
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) December 6, 2024
The two coaches didn’t meet for long at midfield and exchanged few, if any, words. However, both coached tremendous games, and after battling for 60 minutes like they did, mutual respect for the opposition is inevitable. While the Packers will look to rebound after the mini-bye, the Lions will aim to extend their win streak to 12, having already set a franchise record with 11 straight victories. The brief break could prove beneficial for Detroit, allowing them to heal up after a string of defensive injuries. Despite the setbacks, head coach Dan Campbell has his team believing in one another, and that unity continues to shine through.
On the other hand, LaFleur will shift his focus to “Sunday Night Football” in Week 15, when his team travels to Seattle for a road matchup against the Seahawks. While the NFC North title now seems out of reach for the Packers, they are still within striking distance of a playoff berth. A few more wins could put them in position to clinch a spot, so despite being 0-2 against Detroit this season, everything is still ahead of Green Bay.