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Could Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions be the next NFC North champions?
That may be the question to be posed after they notched a commanding 34-20 victory against divisional rivals the Green Bay Packers on Thursday. In the first half, the Lions scored 27 points, commenced by this touchdown pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown:
But the biggest highlight of the scoring stretch was this pair of touchdown rushes by running back David Montgomery:
Amid this offensive flurry, NBA forward Kyle Kuzma put out a bold statement:
“Best offense in the league.”
Breaking down the most crucial performers in Lions' win at Packers
David Montgomery was the Detroit Lions' key primary offensive star, amassing 121 yards for three touchdowns on 32 carries, as well as two receptions for 20 yards. Josh Reynolds was the team's top catcher, with 69 yards on three catches, while St. Brown and rookie tight end Sam LaPorta each had 56 yards.
On the other side of the ball, the defense shone very brightly, sacking Jordan Love five times and intercepting him twice (both from Jerry Jacobs).
Another important contributor was kicker Riley Patterson, who connected on two field goals and all his extra points.
What Lions players said after their win at Packers
After Thursday, the Lions and their fanbase may be ecstatic. They have just had one of their best starts in franchise history and taken the lead in the NFC North for the first time in ages. Jared Goff emphasized this at his post-game interview with Mike Garafolo:
"Feels good. Still early, but to come on the road, hostile environment... We’re a really resilient group and I try to lead the charge on that."
He also made a rather bold plea:
“Keep putting us in prime time if you want. We feel good.”
Another player who was overjoyed was Montgomery, who finally defeated the Packers for the first time in his career:
"That’s big for me. I can tell my son that I beat the Packers, so I’m excited to say that and excited to be a part of this team.”
The Lions will have a three-day respite before resuming practice on Oct. 2 ahead of their game against the Carolina Panthers six days later.
