From then on, Detroit wouldn’t punt again. The fourth-and-goal from the Green Bay 3 started when Goff hit Tim Patrick for a touchdown to take the lead back to 24-21.

Despite holding that lead, Campbell decided to try again from his own 31 later in the third quarter. This time, Gibbs was tackled on fourth-and-1 and lost a 1-yard gain from Packers linebacker Quay Walker.

The play led to a 4-yard TD run by Jacobs that gave Green Bay a 28-24 lead less than a minute into the fourth quarter.

“Immediately after that, we put two points on the board,” said tight end Tucker Kraft of Nixon’s INT. “This is exactly what we are talking about at the start of the season, goals that we achieve in supplementary football.”

However, the Lions proved their head coach right. With the game tied later in the quarter, Campbell called for another fourth-and-1 run – this time from the Green Bay 21.

Goff almost slipped on the handoff, but got the ball to Montgomery, who slipped past the Packers’ defensive front for a 7-yard gain to set up Bates’ game-winning 35-yard field goal.

Montgomery and Gibbs were held to 94 yards on 29 carries (3.2 yards per carry) but thrived in the screen game, combining for 63 yards on 11 receptions. The Lions went 7 of 15 on third downs and converted four of five fourth downs.

“We just have to be better situationally. We have to make timely stops,” defensive tackle Kenny Clark said. “They took a couple of fourth downs, really screened us to death. We just have to do better in certain situations. Proud of how we fought (but) we just have to be better in the situation.”

Like their 24-14 loss in Green Bay last month, the Packers didn’t leave Detroit feeling outgunned, but they didn’t do enough to get a much-needed win to stay in the fight for the NFC North crown to stay.

Safety Xavier McKinney had no explanation for the defense’s inability to get off the field on third and fourth downs, but said it ultimately came down to urgency.

“We have to find ways to get stops,” McKinney said. “We have to find ways to generate more turnovers to put our offense in a better position. We have to get the stops. If we gotta get the stop, we gotta get the stop. That’s what it’s all about.”