Brian Branch of the Detroit Lions was eliminated against the Green Bay Packers

The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers had a common enemy in Sunday's game that influenced their approach to the first half – the weather.

In Detroit's case, the misfortune was made worse when defensive lineman Brian Branch was sent off after a helmet-to-helmet clash with Green Bay Packers wide receiver Bo Melton.

Midway through the second quarter, with the Packers facing a second-and-20, Branch was late and collided with Melton on an overthrown pass. He was cautioned for unnecessary rudeness and sent off after a break in the game. Shortly after his expulsion, he received a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Packers' ensuing drive ended with a missed field goal by Brandon McManus and the Lions remained ahead 7-3.

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With strong wind gusts and pouring rain, the two teams used run-first approaches and made important decisions based on the elements.

Early on, the Packers opted to receive the opening kickoff, allowing themselves more than seven minutes with a run-oriented drive. The Packers' drive finally stalled when Chris Brooks dropped a pass thrown behind him by quarterback Jordan Love.

Detroit got the ball back and marched down the field in a similar fashion. David Montgomery set the tone on the drive with eight carries for 39 yards, and a 19-yard completion from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta got the Lions inside Green Bay's 25-yard line.

A third-down run by Montgomery was stopped at the 5-yard line. Detroit kept the offense on the field and inched closer thanks to a call to attack before Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown for a touchdown.