DETROIT – Last season, no NFL receiver had a higher drop percentage than Dontayvion Wicks.On Thursday, the only thing that he put on the Ford Field turf was one of his shoes.Wicks scored two touchdowns and made the clinching catch to help the Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions 31-24. On what might have been a do-or-die fourth-and-3 with 1:55 remaining, Wicks made a leaping, all-hands, contested catch against Lions safety Brian Branch. Just before the ball got to Wicks, Branch stepped on Wicks’ heel and took off one of his shoes.DONTAYVION WICKS MAKES THE HUGE GRAB TO SEAL THE GAMEGBvsDET on FOX/FOX One/TubiAlso streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/hRW0eFnMck— NFL (@NFL) November 27, 2025“I wasn’t thinking about the shoe. We won the game,” Wicks said.He didn’t know until left tackle Rasheed Walker picked it up.“When you’re in the game and adrenaline’s running, you don’t really feel nothing,” Wicks said. “But Sheed had the shoe in his hand, and I seen it and then I looked down and my shoe was off.”It was a momentous game for Wicks.Green Bay Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks celebrates after a touchdown against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn ImagesLast season, Wicks caught 39 passes for 415 yards and five touchdowns. Of 67 receivers who were targeted more than 60 times, his eight drops gave him an NFL-worst 17.0 percent, according to Pro Football Focus. His 52.7 percent catch ranked 66th.While he played much better down the stretch last season, there were considerable questions about Wicks entering this season – including his role on the offense after Matthew Golden was drafted in the first round and Savion Williams in the third round.A calf injury sidelined him for two games and has limited his snaps and production for most of the season. He entered Sunday with 20 catches for 213 yards. He had zero touchdowns and three drops.“I try to stay out of the media, the outside, so really just proving myself right,” Wicks said. “I know what I can do, and the people around here know what I can do, so that’s really all I’m worried about.”Time and again, quarterback Jordan Love went to Wicks in key situations. Wicks’ touchdown on fourth-and-3 gave the Packers a 10-0 lead. Later, his 30-yard catch set up his 1-yard touchdown to make it 31-21.“It’s all about the work,” Love said. “I think he, obviously, was challenged to come in and be able to make these plays that he’s making this year is amazing. And he stepped up and had a really big day (with) two touchdown catches. I’m happy for him, very proud of him, but it’s all the work he’s put in. He’s kept his head down, kept grinding and I think everything is paying off for him.”Green Bay Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks (13) catches a pass for a touchdown against Detroit Lions safety Thomas Harper. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn ImagesNo play was bigger than his game-clincher though. After showing questionable hands throughout last season, Wicks’ fourth-down catch flashed elite hands as he made a leaping catch and held onto the ball as he hit the turf against the Pro Bowler Branch.“I just can’t say enough great things about Wicks,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “We’ve all seen the type of season that it’s been for him in regards to battling through. He’s been injured quite a bit. It’s been in and out of the lineup, but he made critical plays all game.“The touchdown on fourth down, obviously, the fourth-down conversion there at the end, just really proud of him and his mental toughness to stay with it, because he’s a hell of a player. He’s a tough guy to cover, and he came up big for us today.”Wicks saved the day after the previous pass to Christian Watson went through his hands.“It was huge,” Watson said. “Shoot, we don’t win the game without him. Shoot, he made me right on that third down. I got to find a way to come down with it. But, shoot, he came out the next play and got it done. He was a big part of this win today.”With six catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns, Wicks matched his career high for catches, just missed his career high for yards and had his third career two-touchdown game.Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (13) looks for a touchdown signal from the referee against the Detroit Lions. | David Reginek-Imagn ImagesWith that, he’s perhaps put the questions about his hands behind him once and for all.“In the start of the season, it was just like a mental thing, just thinking a lot, thinking too much,” Wicks said. “Really tuning (out) the outside noise, that’s just the best thing for me this year, tuning that out, just being in the circle with the team because I know they believe in me and I know the coaches believe in me. Just staying in there with the team, that’s how I’m going to be the best.”The win was the Packers’ third in a row, including back-to-back division wins as part of a pivotal three-game stretch. Next Sunday at Lambeau Field, the Packers will host the Chicago Bears with first place on the line.They wouldn’t have been in this position without Wicks’ hands-of-glue catch on fourth down.“It feels great,” he said. “10 taking a chance and me being able to seal the game, knowing that it was man coverage. Man, we put it in all the work for this. Not just this week but last week building up to this week.“We knew we had a short week, so we knew them practices from last week was going to build into this week. Just doing the off-the-field – getting catches, staying on your treatment, staying on your body so you can be fresh for this game. We knew it was going to be a tough battle, but we knew we got what it takes to come out and win.”SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY PACKERS NEWSLETTERMore Green Bay Packers News