Remember when the Green Bay Packers' victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 1 was a fluke? Or when Jordan Love was a bad quarterback?
We've had to sit and listen to it all this season, but the Packers silenced just about every doubter with their huge road victory over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. They remain perfect in the NFC North and have swept the Lions for the first time in five years. It's a performance that dramatically impacts the division race, with the Chicago Bears now under intense pressure with a massive game coming up next.
The Lions had the Packers' number for a few years, but Matt LaFleur's squad has come roaring back with a season sweep over the defending NFC North champions. There were so many big-time performances in this one.
Biggest winners and losers for Packers in significant victory over Lions in Week 13
Winner: Jordan Love
Tell us it's Toyotathon without telling us it's Toyotathon.
In reality, Jordan Love has been playing excellent football for a few weeks, even if the box score didn't show it. His production matched the performance on Thursday, with Love lighting up the Lions' defense once again on Thanksgiving, this time to the tune of 234 yards and four touchdowns.
Pro Football Focus credited him with four big-time throws and no turnover-worthy plays. It was a truly magical performance from Love, who kept stepping up at crucial moments, including a game-winning fourth-down completion to Dontayvion Wicks to ice the game.
Winner: Micah Parsons
I wrote last week that we may need a permanent home for Micah Parsons in our weekly winners section. Well, here he is again.
Just as Love dominated the Lions on offense, Parsons delivered an equally game-changing performance on defense. Parsons added 2.5 more sacks to his tally, giving him 12.5 in 12 games.
The sacks stand out, but it's also the relentless pressure Jared Goff faced. The Lions' depleted offensive line had no answer for Parsons.
Winner: Matt LaFleur
Matt LaFleur has, understandably, faced criticism this season for his run-heavy play-calling and for seemingly playing not to lose games rather than trying to win them. Packers fans got their wish on Thanksgiving, as LaFleur rolled the dice repeatedly and played Dan Campbell at his own game.
LaFleur delivered a perfect game plan. His offense remained balanced, kept the Lions honest with a strong effort on the ground, and punished them deep anytime they allowed one-on-one opportunities on the outside.
With the game in the balance, LaFleur could've punted the ball back to the Lions and forced them to drive the length of the field to tie the game without any timeouts. Nope. Not happening. He gambled again, went for it on fourth down, and put the game in his quarterback's hands. Game. Set. Match. Packers.
Winner: Dontayvion Wicks
Any longtime readers will understand this author's love for Dontayvion Wicks. This is the breakout performance we've all waited for. Wicks has so much talent, but through a combination of dropped passes, injuries, and a lack of opportunities, it's never quite happened for him in Green Bay.
But Love needed him on Thursday. With Matthew Golden and Savion Williams out and Jayden Reed still not ready to return, Wicks stepped up and delivered the best performance of his career. He caught six passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
Wicks did brilliantly to get both feet in bounds on a spectacular touchdown catch early in the second quarter. It's debatable whether he had full control when his foot made contact with the ground, but it takes nothing away from his big-time effort.
The third-year receiver made another impressive catch to scoop down low before reaching the ball across the goal line on his second touchdown, and then iced the game with an incredible grab on the fourth-down conversion to end it. This is the performance we knew Wicks could deliver.
Winner: Christian Watson
It's hard to believe Christian Watson tore his ACL at the start of this calendar year. He has looked phenomenal from the moment he returned in Week 8. Jordan Love targeted Watson 10 times in this game, and while he only caught four, that doesn't tell the full story.
Watson had one tough drop, although it's perhaps unfair to call it a drop as he had a defender all over him. He also didn't draw a penalty despite having to attempt a one-handed catch due to blatant interference.
That aside, Watson still delivered an incredible performance. His 51-yard touchdown catch is everything defensive coordinators fear when he's on the field. Watson can outrun any defender, and once he has one-on-one coverage, Love is never afraid to launch it deep.
Watson made two clutch catches on third down, including on the game-sealing drive. He changes everything for this offense, and the Packers need to keep making him the focal point of the passing game.
Loser: Keisean Nixon
Green Bay's pass rush generated plenty of explosive plays, and for the most part, the secondary did its job. But Keisean Nixon didn't enjoy his best game.
Pro Football Focus gave him a 41.6 coverage grade after allowing four catches on five targets for 61 yards. He also had an illegal contact penalty that wiped out a Kingsley Enagbare sack on 3rd-and-15 midway through the fourth quarter. The Lions ended up scoring a field goal on the drive that would've otherwise been a punt deep in their own territory.
Nixon continues to provide too much inconsistency.
Loser: The refs
The Packers, admittedly, benefited the most, but the officials made so many terrible calls in this game. There's still debate over Wicks' first touchdown catch and whether he had control of the football when his first foot hit the ground.
But the second touchdown? No debates here. Before the play, Anthony Belton should've drawn a false-start penalty that likely would've forced a field goal, as it would've pushed the Packers back five yards, too risky for a fourth-down gamble.
Instead, the refs claimed Matt LaFleur had called a timeout before the penalty, something the TV replays seemed to contradict. No flag, and the Packers successfully converted the fourth down with a touchdown to Romeo Doubs.
I mean, we're not complaining about that. But then there was the missed pass-interference call on Christian Watson. One official had a clear view — Watson only had one free arm to attempt a catch due to the interference. It turned a potential first down into a three-and-out and punt.
The Packers were on the right end of some bad calls, but not all of them. The refs saved plenty of errors for both teams, making it a frustrating watch.