Lions running back David Montgomery was no stranger to Lambeau Field heading into Thursday night, but he was a stranger to leaving the building with a smile on his face.
Montgomery spent his first four NFL seasons with the Bears and the team went 0-8 against the Packers during his time in Chicago. Montgomery had a big hand in ensuring that the streak didn’t extend to nine games.
Montgomery ran 32 times for 121 yards and three touchdowns to help the Lions plow through the Packers for a 34-20 win. It’s the first time a Lions player has gone for at least 100 yards and three touchdowns in a game since 2000 and Montgomery, who also had two catches for 20 yards, said the performance was indicative of the change in circumstances he’s experienced since heading to Detroit.
“It felt real different coming in with the guys I’m with,” Montgomery said, via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “Like I said, I’m real blessed to come out here with these guys and get the dub. That’s real big for me. Now I can tell my son I beat the Packers.”
Montgomery now has 69 carries for 262 yards and five touchdowns in three games this season. The yards per carry won’t blow anyone away, but Thursday night showed the value of a back who grinds down a defense as a component of an offense that features more explosiveness in other areas. It’s one the Lions figure to keep using as they try to turn a 3-1 start into a division title.
