AP Photo GREEN BAY’S ALLEN Lazard makes a catch for a first down while being defended by Detroit’s Justin Coleman during the second half Monday.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Allen Lazard wasn’t even on the Packers’ initial 53-man roster.

The 6-foot-5 receiver was cut before the season, signed to the practice squad, only to end up on the roster in short order.

But on Monday night, Green Bay needed Lazard, and the undrafted second-year pro delivered with a career-high four catches for a career-best 65 yards and his first career touchdown in a 23-22 win over Detroit.

“It was obviously an awesome moment, getting my first touchdown, especially here in Lambeau,” Lazard said. “Just kind of fulfilling the journey of being able to be here with this amazing organization. To catch a touchdown in a critical moment is something huge and something that, as a kid, you grow up dreaming about. It feels great to fulfill it.”

The Packers are 5-1 and in sole possession of first place in the NFC North, and yes, their defense is a big part of that. But all the noise surrounding the relationship between the 39-year-old first-year coach and the 35-year-old Super Bowl-winning quarterback has been drowned out by the franchise’s best start since 2015 and best start in the division (3-0) since 2012.

In order for Green Bay to have success this season, LaFleur and Rodgers were going to have to learn to trust one another. They have. Rodgers has trusted LaFleur’s playcalls. Even when they didn’t work. And it was LaFleur and his staff who trusted Rodgers on Monday night when Rodgers lobbied for Lazard, the sixth receiver in the Packers’ six-man receiving group, to get in the game.

“I may have put in a good word there in the fourth quarter to get him some opportunities,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers said he went to wide receivers coach Alvis Whitted and asked “if 13 could come in for a little bit.”

Lazard had never caught a pass in a regular-season game from Rodgers before Monday.

A win’s a win. But the Packers offense is still struggling. Green Bay was 4-for-12 on third down and 1-for-4 in the red zone on Monday. LaFleur said Tuesday that he and his staff also counted six dropped passes against the Lions, including the dropped touchdowns by Aaron Jones and Jimmy Graham.

“There certainly were some drops out there that our guys would like to have back,” LaFleur said. “Aaron (Rodgers) is so consistent, and that’s why he is who he is. And any time you have a quarterback like that, you always believe that you can come back and win a football game and I think our guys believe that as well.”

It’s difficult to ask Rodgers to keep bailing out his teammates. They have to help him out by grabbing the catchable passes.

Green Bay will play its fifth home game in six weeks when it hosts Oakland on Sunday.