Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ season finale loss to Lions

The Green Bay Packers had nothing to gain and ended the regular season with a whimper, losing 37-30 to the Detroit Lions in the season finale after giving up 10 straight points in the fourth quarter.

Matt LaFleur’s team finished at 13-4 but will be the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, with these four teams as potential opponents in two weeks.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly:

The Good

(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Offensive line returns: Both David Bakhtiari and Josh Myers returned from significant injuries and started the game along the Packers offensive line. They played a bunch of snaps with Aaron Rodgers in the first half and looked sharp. If the Packers can get back Billy Turner for the start of the postseason, the offensive line will have four of its five preferred starters available. And the depth now looks great, both at tackle and inside.

Rodgers’ MVP case: The Packers quarterback tossed a pair of touchdown passes – both to Allen Lazard – and finished with no interceptions and a passer rating of 135.8. This was Rodgers’ fifth-straight game completing over 70 percent of his passes and throwing multiple touchdown passes and zero interceptions. He’s a strong bet to be the MVP.

Lazard’s ascension: He caught two more touchdown passes, giving him eight on the season and five in his final five games. He finished his season with career-highs in catches (40), receiving yards (513) and touchdowns despite going through a rough stretch midseason. At the very least, he’s established himself as a reliable secondary target in the passing game and a touchdown-creator down in the red zone.

No big injuries: It’s worth monitoring the injuries to Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Chandon Sullivan, but the Packers exited the game without a significant injury to a key player. This team actually looks like it’s getting healthy entering the postseason. Bakhtiari is back, Jaire Alexander should be back and Za’Darius Smith could even be back.

Josiah Deguara’s big play: The Packers’ third-round in 2020 flashed some legitimate playmaking ability in the fourth quarter when he caught a tight end screen, made a man miss in the open field and sprinted into the end zone for a 62-yard score. The offense will need production from the tight end position in the postseason, and now Deguara is going into the season’s next phase with a ton of confidence. This is a play we could see again later this month.

Patrick Taylor: The young running back found the end zone for the first time in his career and finished with 56 total yards. Taylor looks like a capable NFL running back who could compete for a roster spot and role next season. He has good feet and patience and surprising elusiveness, and the Packers trust him in the passing game.

The Bad

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Amari Rodgers struggles: He dropped at least two passes, including one in the end zone and another resulting in an interception on a deflected pass at the line of scrimmage. He also attempted to return the final kickoff, costing the Packers seven precious seconds in the process. He’s making so many physical and mental errors whenever he’s on the field in a meaningful role. The Packers probably need to keep him on the sidelines during a win-or-go-home playoff tournament.

Teammates letting Jordan Love down: Love tossed a pair of interceptions, and his lone touchdown pass was mostly a great play by Josiah Deguara on a screen pass. But teammates let down the second-year quarterback. Rodgers dropped what could have been a touchdown. Tyler Davis dropped a beautifully lofted pass into the end zone. Rodgers created the first interception with a drop. Yosh Nijman’s missed block prevented a possible deep touchdown pass to Equanimeous St. Brown. And Royce Newman’s miss on a stunt directly caused the final interception. Love didn’t necessarily play well individually, but he got very little help from the guys on the field with him.

Turnover differential: The Packers were minus-3, tying Week 1’s disaster for the worst performance of the season in the turnover department. The offense had three giveaways, including a Juwann Winfree fumble setting up a quick touchdown, and the defense didn’t get a takeaway for the fourth time in the final seven games. The Packers still finished plus-13 overall, with only 13 total turnovers.

Covering Amon-Ra St. Brown: The Lions rookie receiver tortured the Packers defense, catching eight passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. He consistently found holes in zone coverage and created yards after the catch. You can bet teams will be watching this tape and figuring out similar ways to get receivers open against Joe Barry’s defense.

The Ugly

(AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)

Defending trick plays: The Packers gave up two long touchdowns on gadget plays by the Lions, resulting in over 100 total yards and 14 points. Coach Matt LaFleur wasn’t happy with the discipline of his defense on the plays. And understandably so; the secondary was all out of sorts on both plays. This is a trend worth watching entering the postseason. The Packers haven’t played well in spurts on defense to end the season, and the Lions exposed some lackadaisical moments on Sunday. No, teams probably aren’t going to kill the Packers with relentless trick plays in the postseason, but all it takes is one lapse in a big game to end a season. Getting back De’Vondre Campbell in the middle and All-Pros Jaire Alexander and Za’Darius Smith could be the jolt this defense really needs.

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