Lions @ Packers
Final Score: Packers 27, Lions 13
Writer: Christian Otteman (@COttemanPL on Twitter)
The defending NFC North champs came into Lambeau Field and got their teeth kicked in by the Packers and their superior defense, headlined by new addition Micah Parsons. Formerly one of the team’s greatest strengths, the Lions’ offensive line looked suspect the entire afternoon, no doubt missing recently retired center Frank Ragnow. Jordan Love made multiple clutch throws to create big gains for the Packers, and Josh Jacobs handled a heavy workload and found the end zone as he did so many times last season. The Packers will stay home to host the Commanders in Week 2, while the Lions will host the Bears as they seek their first win of 2025.
Three Up
- Jordan Love — Guarding a big lead most of the day, Love wasn’t asked to do much but was efficient, completing 73% of his passes on the day while adding two scores. He looked comfortable in the pocket and spread the ball around well to his assortment of weapons.
- Jayden Reed — We may have to pump the brakes on Matthew Golden being WR1 in Green Bay. Reed led the team in targets (though it was only five) and caught a touchdown pass to produce a solid day despite the Jones fracture in his foot.
- Sam LaPorta — The third-year tight end led the Lions’ non-RBs in targets with nine (Jahmyr Gibbs had 10) and turned in one of the better tight end days across the league. A good start to the season for 2023’s TE1.
One Down
- (Almost) the entire Lions offense — Truly a game to forget in the first game of the Ben Johnson-less era for Dan Campbell‘s Lions. Much of the issues stemmed from heinous play from Detroit’s interior offensive line, which gave no room for David Montgomery or Gibbsto find space and left Jared Goff a sitting duck in the pocket on many occasions. Lambeau is a tough test for any team in Week 1, but these aren’t the Lions we’ve come to know over the past couple of seasons. Hopefully they can bounce back as the season progresses, but if the OL woes continue, we may need to lower many of their skill position players in our weekly ranks.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff: 31/39, 225 Yards, TD, INT | 1 Carry, -1 Yards
The losses of Frank Ragnow to retirement and Kevin Zeitler to free agency had immediate impacts on Goffand the rest of the Lions’ offense. Goff frequently had very little, if any, time to allow plays to develop in the pocket, forcing him to dink-and-dunk his way to an uninspiring stat line and opening loss. The Packers were able to get blitz-level pressure with four guys most of the game, which is hardly a recipe for success for any NFL QB. Goff’s offensive line doesn’t take all of the blame — his interception was a poor throw in the red zone where he didn’t see Evan Williams crashing in on a target to Amon-Ra St. Brown. Goff’s statuesque play style caps his fantasy upside, but with the weapons at his disposal, there will certainly be better performances ahead. Hopefully the Lions offense can find a way to recalibrate under new OC John Morton ahead of next week’s game against the Chicago Bears … and former OC Ben Johnson. The headlines sometimes write themselves.
Running Back
David Montgomery: 11 Carries, 25 Yards | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 18 Yards
“Knuckles” displayed his trademark toughness on a few runs, grinding out an extra yard or two when there was almost nothing to be found, but much like most Lions players, Monty was a victim of the Packers’ defense all game. It’s encouraging to see Monty getting some work in the passing game and splitting carries with Gibbs, but he’ll likely be in flex territory as opposed to RB2 range if the poor OL play continues.
Jahmyr Gibbs: 9 Carries, 19 Yards | 10 Targets, 10 Receptions, 31 Yards
Gibbs got the first carries of the day for the Lions, a departure from the team’s MO of using Montgomery to break down opponents before letting “Sonic” run wild. Gibbs was a prime beneficiary of the Packers’ impressive pass rush, catcing a whopping 10 passes from Goff on numerous checkdowns. This salvaged his game if you’re in a PPR league, but it was otherwise an uneventful game. Better days are ahead for Gibbs and the rest of the Lions. Hopefully the jersey switch to No. 0 doesn’t bring bad vibes all season.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Sam LaPorta: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 79 Yards
LaPorta was the security blanket for Goff when he wasn’t checking the ball down and was frequently open in the middle of the field. He showed off some quality after-the-catch abilities in this contest and is poised for a bounce-back season after (relatively) disappointing in his sophomore campaign.
Jah picks up the blitz and LaPorta picks up 32 yards on the reception.#DETvsGB 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/doGkqDxPIk
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 7, 2025
Amon-Ra St. Brown: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 45 Yards
Not the kind of opening game you were expecting from your first-round pick. I hate to sound like a broken record, but the Sun God’s lackluster stat line is largely a product of the Lions getting little time for plays to develop on offense. He had a few trademark chain-movers on crisp routes and looks to be mostly the same great player. He’ll bounce back along with the rest of this offense.
Jameson Williams: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 23 Yards | 1 Carry, 3 Yards
Fresh off a new contract extension, Williamsfailed to make an impact in this game for the same reason as most of his teammates. Remember that Jamo is a prototypical boom-bust player, and receiving five targets in this kind of blowout is a good sign that the Lions intend to use him — hopefully creatively — as the season goes on.
Kalif Raymond: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards
Isaac TeSlaa: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 13 Yards, TD
After a long day in Lambeau Field, rookie TeSlaa gave Lions fans a positive finish to the game: a gorgeous one-handed grab for the team’s only touchdown.
Isaac Teslaa’s first NFL touchdown: pic.twitter.com/BManUMSNlD
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 7, 2025
Green Bay Packers
Quarterback
Jordan Love: 16/22, 188 Yards, 2 TD | 3 Carries, 4 Yards
Love looked like a poised veteran, completing 73% of his passes for an easy Week 1 W for the home team. Love wasn’t necessarily asked to do much, but what he did do was make plenty of great reads throughout his progressions and found open receivers all over the field. His touchdown pass to Tucker Kraft and deep ball to Romeo Doubs were two of his best highlights on the day. With a great run game behind him and several talented receivers to throw the ball to, Love could flirt with top-10 numbers this season. If only he’d use his legs more.
Running Back
Josh Jacobs: 19 Carries, 65 Yards, TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
They say no news is good news, and that’s exactly what we have to report with Jacobs, as it was more of the same for the Packers’ lead RB. While the overall line isn’t anything too impressive, he dominated the backfield carries and found the end zone once again against Aidan Hutchinson and the rest of Detroit’s defensive line. His high volume on a powerful offense should continue to be a boon for fantasy managers all season long, especially when matchups against softer defenses present themselves.
Emanuel Wilson: 1 Carry, 4 Yards
A handcuff that still isn’t worth rostering in most leagues.
Chris Brooks: 1 Carry, 1 Yard | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Romeo Doubs: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 68 Yards
Doubs led the Packers in receiving yards with two big grabs — a 20-yard pickup on the first drive and a 48-yard bomb in the second quarter. Aside from that, Doubs was kept out of the box score on a day the Packers nursed a healthy lead for most of the game. Like many Packers receivers, Doubs should have a few spike weeks on the season, but predicting when they happen will be difficult.
Jordan Love going DEEP to Romeo Doubs 🎯
DETvsGB on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/3rl3BJGCL8
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
Jayden Reed: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 45 Yards, TD
News of a Jones fracture understandably had many cooled on Reed in this Week 1 matchup, but the former Michigan State Spartan got behind the Lions’ secondary for a quick score in the second quarter and also led the team in targets. It’s hard to forget the goose eggs from last season’s up-and-down campaign, but Reed’s athleticism and upside are unquestioned in this offense. He looked healthy and quick on his scoring route and will be a low-floor, high-ceiling option in what could be a high-scoring affair against the Commanders in Week 2.
JAYDEN. REED.
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/xpxiwOAtZV
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 7, 2025
Dontayvion Wicks: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 30 Yards
A couple of chunk grabs in this game don’t give us enough to consider Wicks as a reliable option in fantasy football. Unless there’s an injury or two ahead of him on the depth chart, Wicks will be difficult to trust in both volume and production in this crowded receiving room.
Tucker Kraft: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards, TD | 1 Carry, 3 Yards
Kraft looks to be picking up right where he left off as one of Green Bay’s top red-zone threats. His TD catch came on a lovely bullet over the middle from Love that Kraft was able to leap and extend both of his hands to reel in the ball. While he likely won’t lead the Packers in receiving yardage often, he’s one of the team’s biggest scoring threats, which is incredibly valuable for a tight end in fantasy. Both his floor and ceiling remain high in this offense.
Jordan Love to Tucker Kraft
Opening drive TD for the @Packers!
DETvsGB on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/Qx8GXLyFqm
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
Matthew Golden: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards
Not many looks for rookie Golden in this one, but it’s clear he has the trust of his quarterback, as Love went to him on a crucial third down on the Packers’ first drive to keep the chains moving. The underwhelming line is due to a combination of Green Bay’s tendency to spread the ball around, a low passing volume overall, and it being the rookie’s first game of his career. Better fantasy days will be ahead for Golden, but he might be a tough start in your lineups out of the gate.
Luke Musgrave: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
An afterthought behind team TE1 Kraft.
John FitzPatrick: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
Savion Williams: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 1 Yard
An uber-deep Dynasty stash and nothing more.