The Seahawks are headed to the postseason, and they owe the Lions for that.
Detroit upset Green Bay 20-16, knocking the Packers out of the playoffs. The Seahawks earlier eliminated the Lions.
Jamaal Williams had two touchdown runs, his 16th and 17th of the season, and Kerby Joseph had his third interception of Aaron Rodgers this season as the Lions swept the Packers. Detroit finishes its season 9-8, one game better than the Packers, and with its first winning record since 2017.
The Lions talked all week about wanting to earn the respect of Rodgers and the Packers, no matter what happened earlier in the day in Seattle. They did that and won the appreciation of the Seahawks.
Joseph, a rookie safety, made three of his four interceptions this season against Rodgers. He had another overturned by a hands to the face penalty on teammate John Cominsky in the third quarter.
His 23-yard interception return to the Green Bay 45 on a deep pass intended for Christian Watson came with 3:27 remaining.
The Packers never saw the ball again.
The aggressiveness of Dan Campbell and play calling of Ben Johnson ran out the clock. Lions tight end James Mitchell‘s holding penalty with 2:12 left looked like it might get Rodgers another chance.
But on second-and-17 from the Green Bay 31, Jared Goff threw a short pass to Amon-Ra St. Brownwho lateraled to D’Andre Swift. It went for 14 yards. The Lions came up a yard short of the first down on a third down run by Williams, but they went for it instead of kicking the field goal to give them a touchdown lead, and Goff hit. DJ Chark for a 9-yard gain and a first down.
Goff went 23-of-34 for 224 yards, and Williams went for 72 yards on 16 carries.
Rodgers was 17-of-27 for 205 yards with a touchdown and an interception and now faces questions about whether he will retire.
