Matt LaFleur beats Dan Campbell at his own game, earning a Thanksgiving win thanks to fourth-down aggression

The Green Bay Packers head coach heard the questions about his aggression and he answered them by putting a brass set on the table in a 31-24 road win to sweep the Detroit Lions.

The Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving because Matt LaFleur’s team did everything Dan Campbell’s team usually does. The Green Bay running game dominated the Lions on third-and-short, Jordan Love hit a slew of explosive plays, and most importantly, the fourth-down decision ultimately decided the game. Green Bay went 3/3 on fourth down at Ford Field, while the Lions took the collar on two attempts.

Like the Lions last year at Lambeau Field, the Packers scored a pair of touchdowns on fourth down and controlled a game that never quite felt as close as the close final indicated. A slew of lucky bounces when Green Bay’s way, from a close call on fourth down for the first of two Dontayvion Wicks’ touchdowns, to a Romeo Doubs fumble that fell right to Rasheed Walker, and a crucial fourth down Jamison Williams straight dropped.

The final numbers say the game was even everywhere but that one key spot: fourth down, the place where no team has gained more EPA by going for it than the Lions since Campbell took over as head coach.

A fourth-down conversion sealed the win for the Packers, with Love finding Dontayvion Wicks on fourth-and-three for a 16-yard gain.

“I kind of made up my mind prior to that,” LaFleur said after the game.

“I told Jordan, ‘Hey, we’ve got two downs; we’ve gotta get one of the two.”