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GREEN BAY,Authentic Howie Long Jersey,  when the Detroit Lions sprinted onto the field with fingers raised and running up and down the sideline as the clock ticked down., Wis. – There wasn't the jubilation of 2015

the Lions' 30-17 win over Green Bay on Monday night was methodical. It was thorough.,None of that was needed this time. There were no streaks to break. There was no surprise or baited breath or end-of-game excitement. No

And it left Lambeau Field with pockets of empty seats by the two-minute warning, fans ready to head home after watching Detroit win in Green Bay for the second time in three seasons. It was a game the Lions had to have and,Womens Khalil Mack Jersey, a game it followed through on., in a rarity for this franchise

The 2015 win in Lambeau Field was unexpected and coming off a complete shift at the top of the organization that led to the Lions hiring Rod Wood as team president and Bob Quinn as general manager.

This win Monday night was different. For Detroit, this was expected. The Lions were favored. The Lions -- for a rare time in the past two decades of this series -- had the better quarterback in Matthew Stafford because Brett Favre is retired and Aaron Rodgers is injured., despite its horrific record in Wisconsin over the past quarter-century

especially after a 3-1 start.,Authentic Leonard Williams Jersey,And the Lions were the team that was supposed to be the franchise capable of taking the next step from mediocrity into something else this season

where the Lions are already in a tough position to get a wild-card berth.,Authentic Joe Namath Jersey,Monday night doesn't exactly do that -- the Lions are still a .500 team -- but this win was one Detroit had to have if it wanted to realistically stay in the playoff chance in a tight NFC

They accomplished that in a way that has been unlike so many of their games this season. It was a fairly dominant Detroit win -- one in which the offense moved well and the defense was sharp. It was also a game in which the Lions,Womens Bo Jackson Jersey, played with a lead almost the entire time.,Authentic Khalil Mack Jersey, surprisingly

Detroit didn't have to do that against Green Bay. The Lions scored on their first drive for the first time all season. They had one of their better first halves of the season,Authentic Derek Carr Jersey,After three straight games in which the Lions started off slow and had to try to come back in the second half, with efficiency on offense -- two touchdowns on three drives and each drive going across the 50-yard-line. Defensively, keeping Brett Hundley to less than 100 yards passing and the Packers to 57 yards rushing., the Lions flustered Green Bay

the Lions didn't allow a first-half touchdown.,More important

Detroit got a clinical performance from Stafford -- 26-of-33 passing for 361 yards,Womens Derek Carr Jersey,  two touchdowns and no interceptions. It's the type of performance the Lions are used to facing instead of administering to Green Bay. Against the blitz, the best any quarterback in the league has done against the blitz this season., Stafford was 12-of-18 for 252 yards and a touchdown

but they understood the importance of it. They understood that a three-game losing streak turning into four could severely impact their season.,Womens Leonard Williams Jersey,Womens Joe Namath Jersey,And it came at a time when Detroit had to have it. Most of the Lions didn't want to call Monday night a must-win game

Instead,Authentic Bo Jackson Jersey,it could end up leading to a playoff spot.,Womens Howie Long Jersey,Detroit erased all that and now faces one team with a record above .500 over the final eight games of the season -- Minnesota on Thanksgiving. And if Detroit plays like it did Monday night