Fouls and penalties add up in the Packers’ loss to Lions

It started well enough for Green Bay, although an unnecessary roughness penalty on Keisean Nixon delayed an initial return to the Packers’ 40.

The Packers overcame a false start on Jacobs on a 14-play, 63-yard opening drive that lasted nearly eight minutes, but settled for a 30-yard Brandon McManus field goal.

Detroit responded with a 13-play scoring drive of its own. The Lions faced fourth-and-goal from the Green Bay 5 before defensive lineman TJ Slaton was called for interference.

Two yards closer to the end zone, Detroit quarterback Jared Goff Amon-Ra hit St. Brown for a 3-yard touchdown on a pre-snap move, starting a stretch of 24 straight points.

Jacobs, who had 89 of his 95 rushing yards in the first half, broke off a game-long 37-yard run on the next series, but left guard Sean Rhyan was called for a false start on third-and-3 at the Detroit 32.

The penalty preceded a Jordan Love incompletion on third-and-8 and Green Bay elected to punt.

“We were running the ball the whole game, but I got that penalty that took us from third-and-3 to third-and-eight, so that was a huge mess on my part,” Rhyan said. “I gotta listen better. Just listen to what Jordan says, what Elgton (Jenkins) says and all that, because even if you have someone else it can’t really matter, you just gotta go out there and be able to perform like it’s normal is.”

It was one of four false start penalties for the Packers, including one on Romeo Doubs on the next drive. That time, McManus missed from 46 yards out.

The first half ended with a huge momentum swing – Jake Bates made a 27-yard field goal, Kerby Joseph intercepted Love for a 27-yard touchdown and Detroit scored again coming out of halftime on a 15-yard TD run from Jahmyr Gibbs in fourth place. -and-1.

Green Bay nearly came off the field during the possession, but Nixon was called for a defensive hold on third-and-6 near midfield.

The Lions offense cooled off, but the Packers struggled to close the 24-3 deficit. Green Bay drove to the Detroit 14, but Love fumbled center Elgton Jenkins’ snap on back-to-back shotgun plays.

Jenkins started in place of center Josh Myers, who missed Sunday’s game with a wrist injury.

“I feel like we obviously left a few yards there,” Jenkins said. “Myself, with some of the shots, I feel like some of those runs could have hit. It was good, but we definitely got more. We definitely left things on the field.”

The Packers’ receiving corps also had some issues. Tucker Kraft and Dontayvion Wicks were unable to knock down key third-down passes, and Love and Christian Watson failed to connect on a long pass in the fourth quarter.

Offensively, Green Bay racked up more than 400 yards for the second straight week, but went 3-of-12 on third downs and 1-of-4 in the red zone.