Packers: Three takeaways from Week 5 loss to Lions

2. Yet another slow start for the Packers

Another week, another slow start.

The Packers were down by 24 points at the half, giving them just about no chance of making a comeback. The team is never completely out of the game when Aaron Rodgers is on the field, as the Lions learned in 2015, but they needed more than a “Miracle in Motown” this time.

What’s most concerning is that this is becoming a trend for Green Bay.

The team made a slow start in Week 1 against the Bears, going into halftime down 17-0. It took a near-perfect second-half performance by Rodgers and the defense to give the Packers a miracle victory.

Two weeks ago, the Packers were down 28-10 at Washington entering the third quarter. This followed a first half filled with mistakes.

Again on Sunday at Detroit, a nightmare start left the Packers needing to climb a 24-point mountain in the second half. And they had to do so without two of their top wide receivers, Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison.

On the Lions’ first drive, Mike Pettine’s defense stepped up and made a stop. But the resulting punt hit Kevin King, which allowed Detroit to recover and regain possession on the Packers’ one-yard line.

It was an unfortunate play and some bad luck for the Packers, but the team failed to recover after going down 7-0.

Mason Crosby’s missed field goals clearly didn’t help, but those mistakes could have been avoided if the Packers had scored touchdowns early in the game.