Garrison Anderson

It came down to the final seconds, but the Green Bay Packers couldn’t stop the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. Even with Detroit’s heavily injured defensive line, the team was still biting kneecaps. It was a back-and-forth game with multiple lead changes between arguably the two best teams in the NFC. Thanks to some fourth-down insanity from Dan Campbell‘s twisted mind, the Packers fell to their division rival.

Since the game was played in Motown, I had the Four Tops’ classic playing in my head when time ran out on the Green Bay Packers Thursday night. Just another loss to the Detroit Lions, the sixth in the last seven meetings. Mistakes, penalties, and an inability to get a crucial fourth down stop. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. It was all right in front of them. Here was a chance to show they belong among the NFC elite. To go toe to toe against the arrogant, ‘we break all the rules,’ ‘we’ll bite your kneecaps’ Lions.

When healthy, the Detroit Lions have the most complete roster in the NFL. When healthy. They are not close to that right now, and that’s why the Green Bay Packers will beat them at Ford Field on Thursday night and keep their slim hopes of an NFC North title alive. Look, I get it. Even a banged-up Lions team can beat just about every team in the league – and it’s not like the Packers are the picture of health. They will still be without Jaire Alexander, Romeo Doubs, and Edgerrin Cooper.