Packers outclass Lions with dominant second-half performance

Led by Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones, the Packers outclassed the Lions to get victory number one.

Exactly what the Green Bay Packers needed.

A week after a 38-3 defeat to the New Orleans Saints, the Packers got back on track in primetime against the division-rival Detroit Lions.

The Lions came to play in the first half, taking a three-point lead into the third quarter, but that’s where any possibility of an upset ended.

Aaron Rodgers, on the money all night long, threw for 255 yards and four touchdowns, three of which were caught by Aaron Jones, who also ran in a fourth.

With 21 unanswered points in the second half, the Packers pulled ahead with the defense shutting out the Lions’ offense in the final two quarters.

Offense dominates, but questions remain for Packers defense

This offense showed us enough on Monday night. They are still every bit the dominant unit they were a year ago. The offensive line is a work in progress, as to be expected with two rookies starting and David Bakhtiari out with injury, but it was a solid performance up front.

Rodgers and Jones were at their very best. The fact Davante Adams played a complementary role with eight catches for 121 yards showed just how impressive the offense was.

While Joe Barry’s defense did improve in the second half, there are still some question marks on this side of the ball.

Lions QB Jared Goff had all day to throw in the opening two quarters, and he made the most of it with two touchdown passes.

The Packers did respond in the second half, finally ending their long wait for a sack, while also getting two turnovers. Rookie Eric Stokes impressed in limited action with two pass defenses.

Was the second-half performance a sign of encouragement for the defense, or simply the result of a Lions team struggling to keep up with Rodgers?

We’ll learn a lot more about this unit next Sunday night against Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers.