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Lions stun Packers, break long losing skid in Green Bay

It wasn't easy, but the Detroit Lions have their first taste of victory in Green Bay since 1991 after an 18-16 win on Sunday. Here's what you need to know:

  1. The Lions did everything in their power to let this game get away. Matt Prater missed two extra-point attempts, the second of which came late in the fourth quarter and gave Green Bay new life down 18-10. The Packers scored a TD on the ensuing drive, failed on their two-point conversion attempt, but then recovered the onside kick when Calvin Johnson couldn't secure the ball with 31 seconds to play. The Lions escaped because Packers kicker Mason Crosby badly missed a 52-yard field goal attempt on the game's final play.
  1. The Packers entered the game as the NFL's 25th-ranked offense and they looked every bit of it for most of the afternoon. The Packers scored just three points in the first three quarters and were booed often by the normally supportive Lambeau crowd. Mike McCarthy's offense had no vertical component, Randall Cobb and James Jones had costly drops and Aaron Rodgers displayed poor accuracy on several throws. This is not the time to R-E-L-A-X. Green Bay has major problems on offense.
  1. James Starks didn't make the most of his audition as Green Bay's top running back with Eddie Lacy sidelined by a groin issue. Starks managed just 42 yards on 15 carries, and appeared to leave yards on the field on several runs. He had better success in the passing game, but didn't look like a dynamic option. The Packers need Lacy -- or at least the Lacy of last season.
  1. The Lions talked about getting Ameer Abdullah more involved in the offense, but the quick rookie finished with just five carries for 15 yards and one catch for seven yards. Abdullah did make his presence felt with a 104-yard kickoff return to start the second half, a play that set up Detroit's first touchdown of the day.
  1. The Packers are riding a three-game losing streak. Could McCarthy take back play-calling duties from Tom Clements? It will be a subplot to watch after the Green Bay offense again looked dysfunctional in a shocking loss.
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