Detroit Lions Could Face Harsh Reality from green bay packers in January…

A Green Bay Packers quarterback firing downfield on the first play for a 53-yard gain? Seen that. The Lions scoring right away but missing the extra point? A new wrinkle, but it fits. A fumble by the quarterback returned for a touchdown, and then another fumble right after? A fake punt that fooled nobody and got stuffed at their own 23?

But this was supposed to be a much better Thanksgiving in Detroit. The Lions are actually good. They were 8-2 coming into Thursday, and only one NFL team had a better record. It didn’t look that way Thursday. The Packers dominated the Lions. Jordan Love threw for three touchdowns, an undermanned defense pressured Jared Goff all day and Green Bay easily beat Detroit 29-22. The final score looked a lot better thanks to a Detroit touchdown in the final minute.

Underneath feel-good vibes, the first-place status, the shiny 8-3 record and the winning brand of football the Detroit Lions have proven capable of playing this season lies a team that could face a harsh reality come January, if it continues on its current trajectory. That much was clear, after a 29-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers, and a not-so-happy Thanksgiving. “They were ready, man,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said after the game. “They played really well, and we did not. We didn’t play good enough and we did not complement each other.”