31. Packers 24, Lions 20 (2012)

Green Bay was coming off a bye and was looking to regain momentum. The Packers had won four consecutive games before the bye week, but had looked less than spectacular in the last three. The last two games, Green Bay had won ugly at home against some really poor teams, Arizona and Jacksonville. The Packers hoped the bye would help get them back on track. Well, Detroit was not a very good team and Green Bay needed a late touchdown to Randall Cobb to escape with the win. Another close win against an inferior opponent, but hey, a win is a win, right?

Detroit was able to get on the board first on a Jason Hanson field goal. The big play of the drive came on a pass from Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson of 53 yards down to the Packers 18. The Lions would drive down to the 3 before a sack pushed them back and they had to settle for the Hanson field goal.

Green Bay then took the kickoff and traveled 81 yards to take the lead. Early in the second quarter, Aaron Rodgers found Jermichael Finley for 20 yards for the score to give the Packers the lead for the first time in the game. However, Detroit would answer on a run by former Illinois standout Mikel Leshoure. Johnson had 35 yards receiving on the scoring drive and 143 yards on the game. The Motor City Kitties were able to take that 10-7 lead into halftime.

With the lead in the third quarter and the ball, Stafford and Co. were looking to put the Lions up by two scores. However, on a third down across midfield, Stafford threw over the middle intended for tight end Tony Scheffler, but the ball was thrown behind him and bounced off his hands and into the hands of Green Bay’s MD Jennings (ya know, the guy who intercepted the guy at the end of the game in Seattle earlier that year?). He ran down the sideline and eluded the tackle attempt by a Lions offensive lineman near the midfield stripe and ran down the right sideline, staying in bounds all the way, and scoring the touchdown for Green Bay to re-take the lead.

Just like McKayla Maroney, though, the Lions were unimpressed. Detroit went down the field, and was able to score on a Stafford pass to......surprise, surprise.....Calvin Johnson. His 25-yard grab put the Lions back on top 17-14. The Kitties would add to the lead on another Hanson field goal late in the game to put Detroit on top 20-14.

You knew that Detroit settling for a field goal would cost Detroit. Green Bay was able to blow down the field and take the lead. On a 2nd-and-10, Rodgers would connect with Finley for 40 yards down to the Lions 31. Three plays later, the Packers were facing a third and short. That is when Rodgers called Randall Cobb’s number. Rodgers threw a risky pass to Cobb, in between two defenders, and Cobb somehow hauled it in to tie the game up at 20. The extra point gave Green Bay the 21-20 advantage with less than two minutes remaining.

Detroit did not pick up one first down in turning the ball over on downs. Green Bay was able to tack on a field goal after it took over. With less than 20 seconds left, Stafford threw two incompletions and a pass to Johnson, who tried to lateral it to a teammate, but it was fumbled and the Packers fell on it to end the game.

The win gave the Packers a five game winning streak, but it would come crashing down a week later when the Green and Gold were blasted 38-10 against the Giants.