Three takeaways from Packers’ win vs. Lions in Week 6

2. Run defense steps up

The Packers’ run defense has been a concern throughout the season so far, but they were much improved against the Lions. While the Packers did only give up 62 yards rushing to Ezekiel Elliott a week ago, a lot of that was to do with the game situation. With Green Bay taking a big lead early on, Elliott only had 12 carries, and he was efficient with an average of 5.2 yards per carry.

But this game was different. Detroit had the lead for almost the entire game. Surprisingly, Kerryon Johnson only had 13 carries, one more than Elliott last week, but the Packers’ defense played the run very well.

Johnson’s longest run was only eight yards, and he finished with just 34 yards from his 13 carries. Johnson did score a touchdown, although it was a close call and it initially looked like the Packers had made a stop on the goal-line.

The Packers are going to face some strong ground games later in the season, including matchups with the 49ers and Vikings, so they’ll need to be able to stop the run.

Monday night’s performance was a good sign. Their commitment to stopping the run did lead to a couple of big passing plays early on, but the defense adjusted. And this defensive performance against the run is something to build on.