3 shocking stats that reveal why Packers were dominated vs. Lions

3. Packers lost the time of possession battle against the Lions

Some football aficionados will say that time of possession is a meaningless stat. But aside from the turnover differential, time of possession is oftentimes the easiest way to determine who will win and who will lose a football game.

The Green Bay Packers had just over 22 minutes in time of possession on Thursday night against the Detroit Lions. Dan Campbell's squad had the ball for nearly 38 minutes.

It's quite simple. Unless you have a ball-hawking defense or a big-play threat on offense like Tyreek Hill, you're not winning many games if you don't control the clock.

In the two games that the Packers lost the season, they controlled the clock for just over 22 minutes. In the two games that Green Bay won, they possessed the ball for 29 minutes and 17 seconds (Chicago Bears) and 32 minutes and 35 seconds (New Orleans Saints). And don't forget, in the first game of the season, the defense scored a touchdown.

This stat reveals the need for the Green Bay Packers to lean on the running game a bit more, or put Jordan Love in manageable third-down situations. The Packers had four three-and-outs in the first half, an interception, a five-play drive that resulted in a punt, and a four-play drive to end the half.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur has one task this coming week - find a way to keep the offense on the field so you don't overexpose your defensive weaknesses.

More Packers news and analysis