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Green Bay vs. Detroit
11/02/97 - Packers Win 20-10
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| Freeman comes up just short of a first down |
After spending the first quarter playing catch-up, Detroit having moved out to an early 7-0 lead, the Packers began to take a measure of control early in the second period.
Scoring on the second play of the quarter, a 26-yard strike from quarterback Brett Favre to flanker Robert Brooks in the heart of the end zone, they pulled even with the Lions on Ryan Longwell's conversion.
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Packers Radio Network with the call!
Brooks on the TD reception |
One exchange later, the Green and Gold moved out front to stay by dint of a spectacular contribution from rookie Darren Sharper, who had been inserted in Coordinator Fritz Shurmur's "dime" defensive package.
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Packers Radio Network with the call!
Sharper returns an interception 50 yards for a TD |
Picking off a Scott Mitchell pass at midfield, Sharper sped 50 yards down the east sideline into the end zone without being touched, posting his first NFL interception and touchdown.
As subsequent events were to prove, it was all the scoring the Packers were to need, in large part because of a larcenous defense which intercepted Mitchell four times and kept Detroit out of the end zone the rest of the way, although a Mark Carrier theft of a Favre pass in the final minute of the first half triggered a 34-yard Jason Hanson field goal for the Lions' final points.
Longwell, made it a little more comfortable for 60,126 of the faithful on a crisp November evening by kicking a pair of field goals in the second half -- a 23-yarder in the third quarter and a 44-yarder in the fourth.
Strong safety LeRoy Butler, contributing a virtuosic effort the process, forged two of the Packers' interceptions, Doug Evans and Sharper weighing in with the others. Butler also matched Evans' team-leading total of 9 tackles and was credited with forcing one fumble.
Shurmur's tightfisted defenders also sacked Mitchell four times and pressured him consistently, Reggie White, Keith McKenzie and Jermaine Smith each posting solo sacks and Gilbert Brown sharing the fourth with Eugene Robinson.
Evans' interception voided a major Detroit scoring opportunity early in the third quarter when a punt by the Lions' John Jett bounced off the Packers' Mike Prior and the visitors recovered at the Green Bay 17-yard line. His theft came on third down, at the Green Bay 3-yard line, ending Detroit's last significant threat of the game.
Favre completed 15 of 28 attempts for 181 yards and one touchdown -- his 19th touchdown pass of the season -- with one interception.
Statistically, the contest was a virtual wash, the Lions emerging with 256 net yards to the Packers' 244, a modest margin considering they were able to run off 79 offensive plays to Green Bay's 55.
There were 16 punts in the game, 8 by each team, attesting to the effectiveness of the two defenses.
Scoring Summary
- 1st Quarter
- DET: 1 yard Vardell TD run (Hansen kick) (5:28)
- 2nd Quarter
- G.B.: 26 yard TD pass; Favre to Brooks (Longwell kick) (14:10)
- G.B.: 50 yard Sharper Interception (Longwell kick) (4:43)
- DET: 34 yard Hansen FG (:14)
- 3rd Quarter
- G.B.: 23 yard Longwell FG (10:27)
- 4th Quarter
- G.B.: 44 yard Longwell FG (6:44)
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