Lions running back David Montgomery scores a touchdown hat trick against the Packers

David Montgomery returned on Thursday night after only missing one game with a thigh bruise, and he returned to the lead back role for the Detroit Lions. Some of us will take the massive "L" that comes with having kept him on our fantasy benches.

Montgomery scored in each of his first two games as a Lion. He made it three games in a row with a touchdown before the first quarter was over on Thursday night.

After an interception by Jerry Jacobs deep in Green Bay territory, Montgomery found paydirt again.

The Packers mounted a bit of a comeback in the second half, cutting the score to 27-17 early in the fourth quarter. The Lions then took up nearly nine minutes on a 14-play, 75-yard drive, extended by a dumb penalty from Packers linebacker Quay Walker on a made field goal and punctuated by a 1-yard touchdown run by Montgomery.

David Montgomery has massive game vs. Packers, with touchdown hat trick

Montgomery finished the game with 32 carries for 121 yards and the three touchdowns.

The Lions have sorely lacked a good ground game for much of recent times, at least before last season. But even that said, Montgomery is just the fourth Lion since 2000 with three rushing touchdowns in a game.

Montgomery is the first Lion since James Stewart in 2000 to rush for 100-plus yards and three touchdowns in a game.

And last but certainly not least, Montgomery is the first Lion to rush for three touchdowns at Green Bay. The last Lion to rush for three touchdowns against the Packers in any venue was James Jones in 1983.

Montgomery ran with the style Lions' fans are now seeing happen in their team's uniform, leading a ground attack that put up 211 yards in the win over the Packers.

Any question about Montgomery being at full strength just 11 days from suffering a thigh bruise was put to rest early on Thursday night, then more and more decisively as the game went on.