Lions vs. Packers live score, updates, highlights from NFL ‘Sunday Night Football’ game

By | January 8, 2023
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With their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the Lions and Packers prepare to face off in what could be a “win-and-in” showdown on “Sunday Night Football.”

The Lions could be eliminated from postseason contention before a ball is even kicked in Green Bay. They need the Rams to take down the Seahawks to stay alive in the NFC playoff race. If Los Angeles manages to beat Seattle, then that would turn Sunday night’s game into a winner-take-all. 

Regardless of what happens out West, the mission for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers is simple: Win and punch their ticket to the playoffs.

Green Bay is riding a four-game winning streak that has vaulted the team back into the hunt after a 4-8 start. A victory would complete an improbable comeback for the reigning NFL MVP and his young teammates. 

MORE: Odds, prediction, betting tips for Lions vs. Packers

The Lions have put together a run of their own in the latter half of this season to stay in the postseason hunt. Dan Campbell’s squad started the year 1-6, but wins in seven of its next nine games have sparked dreams of a first postseason berth since 2016 in Detroit. 

One thing is for sure: by the end of the night, we’ll have a complete picture for this year’s NFL playoffs. 

The Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights from Lions vs. Packers in Week 18. Follow along for all the key moments from this year’s NFL regular-season finale.

MORE: Watch Lions vs. Packers live with fuboTV (free trial)

Lions vs. Packers score

   1   2   3   4   F 
Lions 3 3 7 – –
Packers 6 3 7 – –

Lions vs. Packers live updates, highlights from ‘Sunday Night Football’

(All times Eastern.)

Packers 16, Lions 13

10:29 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — It’s Lazard who hauls it in in the back of the end zone! The Packers retake the lead with an explosive drive! This game is starting to get real interesting. 

10:27 p.m. — Oh MY. Rodgers heaves it WAY up into the air, and Christian Watson makes a spectacular catch along the right sideline for a huge gain of 45 yards! The defender was flagged for pass interference, but it didn’t matter! Watson caught it anyway!

10:26 p.m. — After a pair of short gains, Rodgers sneaks it on 3rd and 1 to keep the drive alive. The Packers are moving methodically down the field here. 

10:24 p.m. — A completion to Lazard on 2nd down makes it 3rd and 3. The Packers have struggled on third down tonight, but Rodgers goes right back to Lazard for 6 more yards to move the chains. 

10:21 p.m. — You can just start to feel a little tension creeping into the stands at Lambeau. The Packers trail by 4 in this must-win game. 

Lions 13, Packers 9

10:18 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Lions take the lead! It’s Jamaal Williams punching it in!

10:16 p.m. — HUGE PLAY. Goff unloads one way downfield to Raymond, who makes the grab at the 1-yard line! He really should have scored, but regardless it’s 1st and goal Lions from near the goal line!

10:13 p.m. — The kick is NO GOOD. It hit the crossbar, bounced straight up in the air and went backwards into the end zone! He was inches short. 

10:11 p.m. — Rodgers goes deep down the right sideline for Jones, who is open, but Kirby Joseph comes flying in to break up the pass at the last second. After an incompletion on 3rd down, it’s 4th and 7. Looks like Crosby will come on to attempt a very long field goal. 

10:09 p.m. — After the Packers take over following a punt, Aaron Jones rips off a great run, breaking tackles for a big gain of 17 yards. 

10:04 p.m. — The Lions get the ball to start the half, but they can’t do anything with it. On 3rd and 4, Goff throws short of the sticks to D.J. Chark, who makes the catch but comes up short of the marker. A three-and-out to start the half for Detroit. 

10:02 p.m. — The final half of the 2022 NFL regular season is underway. Will the Packers hang on to clinch their playoff spot, or can the Lions spoil the party in Green Bay?

End of first half: Packers 9, Lions 6

9:49 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Badgely makes the now relatively short kick from 33 yards as the clock expires. Douglas’ penalty made it a much, much easier field goal. A scrappy first half is in the books with the Packers holding a slim 3-point lead. 

9:47 p.m. — A bizarre sequence just took place. As a timeout is called, Rasul Douglas comes in and tries to swat the ball away from the long snapper. He then gets called for a personal foul, which moves Detroit 15 yards further upfield. Weird situation there, but it works to the advantage of the Lions. 

9:46 p.m. — I stand corrected. They managed to complete a short pass to St. Brown and got the timeout off in time to make it a shorter field goal. 

9:44 p.m. — After several short completions, a pass over the middle to Swift picks up 18 yards and moves the ball down to the Green Bay 37. With 5 seconds left and one timeout, the Lions might have to settle for a Hail Mary attempt here. 

9:40 p.m. — On 3rd and 5, Goff zips it out right to St. Brown, who picks up just enough to earn a fresh set of downs. With less than a minute left in the half, the Lions have a 1st and 10 on their own 25-yard line. 

9:36 p.m. FUMBLE — Aaron Jones catches a screen pass out to the left and surges forward, but the ball gets punched out from behind! The Lions jump on it to take over! Hugely important turnover with just over a minute left in the half!

9:33 p.m. — Dillon powers forward to pick up the first down! Huge turn of events there to keep Green Bay’s offense on the field with a chance to extend the lead. 

9:30 p.m. — A delay of game penalty turns a 3rd and 5 into 3rd and 10. Rodgers’ pass to Tonyan picks up only 4 yards to make it 4th and 6 just over midfield. The often-aggressive LaFleur will keep his offense on the field once again here… And the Lions jumped! James Houston jumped offsides to gift Green Bay 5 yards! Still, it remains 4th and 1. 

9:27 p.m. — Green Bay takes over, and the drive starts with a Rodgers pass to Watson, who scampers for 15 yards. The rookie has really been coming into his own late in the season.

9:23 p.m. — Badgley pulls his kick left from 46 yards and it’s no good! The score remains 9-3 Packers. 

9:22 p.m. — But the drive stalls out. A handoff to Swift gets blown up for a loss, then on 3rd and 14 Goff goes back to Swift, who comes up well short of the marker. This will be another field goal attempt for Badgley. 

9:19 p.m. — Goff gets sacked for a loss of 5 yards on 2nd down. He fumbled the ball, but manages to fall on it as he went down to keep possession. One play later, D’Andre Swift gets the handoff and has a big hole that helps him pick up 11 yards. The Lions have moved into Packers territory. 

9:16 p.m. — On the ensuing 3rd and long, Goff throws short right to Justin Jackson, who does really well to fight his way ahead and pick up the first down. The drive stays alive despite the touchdown wiped out by a penalty. 

9:15 p.m. — WHOA! On 3rd and short, the Lions break out a flea flicker and it’s caught for a 66-yard touchdown by Jameson Williams! But wait, a holding penalty is going to wipe this off the board. That would have been an incredible trick play, but instead it’s back to 3rd and 11 for Detroit. 

Packers 9, Lions 3

9:11 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Crosby stays perfect on the night, putting it right down the middle from 48 yards to make it a 6-point game. 

9:09 p.m. — Dillon rumbles for a gain of 5 yards on 1st down, but after an incompletion it’s 3rd down. Rodgers drops back and scans the field, but once again he’s wrapped up and sacked by Hutchinson! This rookie is unbelievable! It’ll be another long field goal attempt for Crosby.

9:06 p.m. — On 3rd and 4, Rodgers flicks a pass towards tight end Robert Tonyan, who goes up to make a fantastic catch for a gain of 20 yards! Beautiful play by Tonyan to keep the drive alive. That’s the first 3rd down conversion tonight by either team. 

End of first quarter: Packers 6, Lions 3

9:03 p.m. — The Lions punt it away, and after a sweep play to Watson for a gain of 6, we’ve reached the end of the first quarter. 

9:01 p.m. — LaFleur’s challenge pays off! The call is overturned, and the catch is ruled incomplete. That appears to have been the right call, St. Brown trapped it against the ground as he fell. 

8:58 p.m. — With the Lions facing 3rd and 3, Goff fires one over the middle to St. Brown, who makes a fantastic diving catch to pick up a first down. Or did he? Matt LaFleur is challenging the catch. 

Packers 6, Lions 3

8:53 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Crosby faces a long 49-yard kick in freezing cold conditions, but he sneaks it over the crossbar to give Green Bay the lead back!

8:52 p.m. — On 3rd and 5, Rodgers gets buried for a huge sack by Aidan Hutchinson! The rookie defensive end is really something else, he easily blew past Packers’ offensive lineman Yosh Nijman. Rodgers lost the ball at the end of the play, but he was ruled down. Not sure about that call, honestly… That might have been a fumble. No review or coaches challenge is forthcoming, though.

8:50 p.m. — The Packers’ offense goes back to work, and the drive is kickstarted by a long pass by Rodgers to Watson, who makes the grab for a gain of 25 yards. 

Packers 3, Lions 3

8:45 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Goff can’t connect with Kalif Raymond, and that will force a field goal attempt. Michael Badly knocks it through to tie things up. A costly turnover on downs by Green Bay turns into three points for Detroit.

8:43 p.m. — Amon-Ra St. Brown makes his first catch of the night to move to the edge of the red zone. Goff then takes a shot on 1st down that falls incomplete, and after a short run it’s 3rd and 9. 

8:40 p.m. TURNOVER ON DOWNS — LaFleur will go for this from his own 30-yard line, a very aggressive play. Rodgers hands it off on an end-around to Lazard, but he gets dragged down for a loss of a yard! The Lions will take over with fantastic field position!

8:38 p.m. — Rodgers takes the field once again, and on 2nd down he completes a pass to Randall Cobb to set up 3rd and 1. But Jones gets stuffed at the line on 3rd down! Matt LaFleur looks like he might go for this on 4th down. 

8:33 p.m. — The Lions get it back (after a bizarre player intro by Jamaal Williams) and quickly they face 3rd and 6. Goff looks to throw, but he can’t complete it to Josh Reynolds and that is a three-and-out to start the night for Detroit’s offense. 

Packers 3, Lions 0

8:31 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Mason Crosby hits the chip shot to give Green Bay an early lead.

8:28 p.m. — After a pair of inside runs go nowhere, it’s 3rd and goal from inside the Lions’ 5-yard line. Rodgers rolls to his right and looks for someone — anyone — to throw to. He appears to contemplate running for it, but at the last season he fires one through the end zone and incomplete. That will bring out the field goal unit.

8:26 p.m. — After a pass to Christian Watson picks up an additional 13 yards, Rodgers launches one deep downfield to Allen Lazard. It falls incomplete, but a flag flies. That’ll be defensive pass interference, which will set Green Bay up with a 1st and goal. A 46-yard penalty on Detroit corner Jerry Jacobs. 

8:24 p.m. — On the second play from scrimmage, Aaron Jones breaks loose for a 9 yard rush to the left side. He and fellow running back AJ Dillon will be critical for the Packers on offense tonight. 

8:23 p.m. — Here we go. The Lions will kick it away to start the game. Will the Packers get a win and secure their fourth straight playoff appearance?

8:16 p.m. — The Lions are no longer playing for a spot in the playoffs. However, they’d like nothing more than to spoil the party in Green Bay tonight and get one over on their NFC North rivals. 

8:07 p.m. — Lambeau Field is going to be ROCKING tonight. The fans know their team is just one win away from a spot in the playoffs. 

7:36 p.m. — Now that the game in Seattle has ended, let’s take a look at what’s still at stake tonight. For the Packers, the task remains simple: win, and they’re in. However, if the Lions win, they’ll snuff out Green Bay’s playoff dreams and the final NFC wild card spot will instead go to the Seahawks — the team that just crushed Detroit’s hopes! 

7:32 p.m. — Myers connects from 32 yards to win it for the Seahawks, and end the Lions’ playoff hopes before they’ve even played a snap tonight. Heartbreak in Detroit. 

7:30 p.m. — Seattle has worked it into the red zone, and once again Detroit’s playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. It will take a minor miracle for the Lions to stay alive now. 

7:25 p.m. — The Seahawks go three-and-out on the first drive of overtime, but a Baker Mayfield interception gives the ball right back to Seattle. A field goal will now win the game and eliminate the Lions. 

7:16 p.m. — Jason Myers has a chance to win it for Seattle and eliminate the Lions on a 46-yard kick… But it’s NO GOOD! The Lions are still alive! Incredible drama!

7:10 p.m. — The Rams just had a shot to take the lead on a two-minute drill, but they went three-and-out. After a touchback on the punt, the Seahawks will have to go about 50 yards to move into field goal range with no timeouts and less than a minute on the clock. 

7:02 p.m. — Lions fans everywhere are intently watching the end of this Rams vs. Seahawks game right now. Seattle just tied it up with just over 2 minutes left to play. As a reminder, Detroit needs the Rams to win this game to stay alive for a spot in the playoffs. 

Lions vs. Packers start time

  • Date: Sunday, Dec. 18
  • Time: 8:20 p.m. ET (7:20 p.m. CT)

The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET (7:20 p.m. local time) from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. 

The weather forecast calls for clear skies with temperatures around 25 degrees Fahrenheit. 

What channel is Lions vs. Packers on today?

  • TV channel (national): NBC (U.S.) | TSN, CTV2 (Canada)
  • Live stream: NBCSports.com | NBC Sports App | Peacock | fuboTV (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)

The game will be broadcast nationally on NBC. Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (color commentary) and Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) will be on the call from the frozen tundra.

A live stream of the game will be available on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports App, Peacock and fuboTV, which offers a free trial.

Viewers in Canada can watch the game on TSN or CTV2. They can also stream it live with DAZN, which carries every NFL game.

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