Upon Further Review: Jones, Packers run wild at home

The Green Bay Packers are a good football team.

Shout it from the rooftops.

After annihilating Minnesota’s young defense last week, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers trounced Detroit 42-21 on Sunday to improve to 2-0.

Green Bay started slowly, as Adrian Peterson (yes, he still plays) and the Lions took a 14-3 lead into the second quarter. But then, the Packers woke up. Rodgers completed 9 of 11 passes for 98 yards and two scores in the second quarter, and Aaron Jones tallied a combined 137 yards in the third quarter alone as Green Bay scored 31 unanswered points to put the game away.

Unlike both meetings with Detroit last year, the Packers didn’t need a last-second miracle from Mason Crosby to take home the win.

Here’s a recap of Sunday’s game (STORY | PHOTOS):

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Aaron Jones set a career-best with 236 all-purpose yards on Sunday, highlighted by his 75-yard touchdown scamper to start the second half. So, yeah, it’s safe to say 2019 wasn’t a fluke for Jones. The 25-year-old led the NFL in rushing touchdowns last season with 16. Two weeks into the 2020 campaign, Jones leads the league in rushing yards (234) and is one of four players to have found the end zone four times already. He’s registered 34 carries and 14 targets in two games. That’s production.

WHAT A WAY TO START THE SECOND HALF!

A career-long 75-yard TD run for @Showtyme_33. ?#DETvsGB | #GoPackGo

? FOX
? https://t.co/2UxGSiVlvn pic.twitter.com/WCnlgQTTQC

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 20, 2020

DON’T FORGET ABOUT ME

The 12th overall pick in 2019, Rashan Gary had just two sacks last season while playing 22.2% of the defensive snaps. He nearly reached that number on Sunday. Gary brought down Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford for 1.5 sacks while also tallying four tackles, two quarterback hits and one tackle for loss.

.@RashanAGary gets to Stafford for the SACK! ?#DETvsGB | #GoPackGo

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? https://t.co/2UxGSiVlvn pic.twitter.com/o9NMfKYroZ

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 20, 2020

THAT MOMENT

Lions running back Kerryon Johnson scored the first points of the game on a one-yard plunge to cap off Detroit’s first drive of the day. To celebrate, Johnson jumped into the empty seats for the season’s first official Lambeau Leap. It was hilarious. Mark it down as another “WTF, 2020” moment.

Kerryon Johnson really hit the Lambeau Leap with no fans ? @AyeyoKEJO @Lions pic.twitter.com/iaukwq5yPd

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) September 20, 2020

THIS NUMBER

40 — Green Bay has scored 40+ points in back-to-back games to open a season for the first time since they defeated the Menominee North End A.C. 53-0 and the Marinette Northerners 61-0 in 1919. Wow.

THEY SAID IT

“I definitely miss the fans, the pats on the helmet, the pats on the back, them screaming. But I mean, anytime I get in the end zone, I like the Lambeau Leap. It’s a tradition we have here. Hopefully, I picked up some sponsors.” – running back Aaron Jones

“Today’s a game we expect to win. No, we don’t have the home crowd, but we’ve had such an advantage at home over the years. We were 7-1 (at home) last year, we’ve obviously been good in the division last couple years, haven’t lost, but these are the type of games you have to win.” – quarterback Aaron Rodgers

“Obviously you never want to start that way, but the guys didn’t blink. They didn’t flinch. They stuck together.” — head coach Matt LaFleur

WHAT’S NEXT

Green Bay will take its 2-0 record into New Orleans for a clash with the Saints on Sunday Night Football. The Saints, who beat Tampa Bay 34-23 in their season-opener, will be coming off a short week as they play the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night.