DETROIT (AP) — Last year, the Detroit Lions went 15-2 and locked up the top seed in the NFC.

This season, they are lucky to be above .500.

After a 5-2 start, coach Dan Campbell’s Lions have lost three of five and needed a 59-yard field goal from Jake Bates to avoid a home loss to the New York Giants.

On Thursday, they lost 31-24 to the Green Bay Packers with an unusually sloppy performance. Detroit (7-5) is two games behind the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears (9-3) and a game-and-a-half behind the Packers (8-3-1).

There were two plays in which the offense was called for illegal formation because it had only six players on the line of scrimmage. The defense was called for having 12 men on the field. One of Campbell’s patented trick plays turned into a disaster when Jared Goff dropped a

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