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Green Bay vs. Detroit
12/10/00 - Packers Win 26-13
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| RB Ahman Green had an excellent game against the Lions, posting 4 receptions for 17 yards and 1 touchdown receiving, and 27 carries for 118 yards and 1 touchdown rushing. |
Freezing temperatures, an opportunistic defense and a solid rushing effort
by Ahman Green provided the necessary formula for a Packers' victory over
the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Game-time temperatures of 25* F - with a wind chill of 5* F - could not
scare away a Lambeau Field sell-out crowd of 59,854, who watched Green Bay
limit the Lions' scoring opportunities as they caused five turnovers on
three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
"I do think there's a mystique about Lambeau Field in the cold weather and
when it starts to snow," Head Coach Mike Sherman said after the game. "I do think there's a mystique there, and I think other people have bought into
that when they come in here."
The win evened the Packers' record at 7-7, keeping their slim playoff hopes
alive.
To reach the postseason, the Packers must win their remaining two games
against the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers simply to have a
chance, and they also would need losses to several teams in front of them in
the wild-card standings.
But linebacker Bernardo Harris is cautious about dwelling on the complicated
scenarios.
"I think we got caught up with that a couple week's ago, and then we talked
about it a lot," said Harris, who continues to lead the team in tackles with
112 total stops for the season. "I don't know if it affected us directly or
anything, but lately we've just been focusing on playing football, playing
together as a team, doing what it takes to win, playing with intensity,
playing with pride and letting that carry on in. We can't control the other
circumstances. We just have to keep playing and keep winning."
The Packers jumped out to a quick start as Allen Rossum returned the game's opening kickoff 60 yards and set up a 23-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell 8 plays later.
The early 3-pointer was the first of 2 first-quarter field goals for Longwell, who connected from 27 yards on Green Bay's second offensive series.
Six points were all the Packers could muster in the first half, but the
defense did their part to shut out Lions quarterback Charlie Batch and his
potent trio of receivers, Herman Moore, Johnnie Morton and Germane Crowell.
The Lions moved into scoring territory two times in the second quarter but
twice had the ball taken by Green Bay defenders.
Three minutes into the quarter and on third-and-goal from the 6-yard line,
Batch was intercepted in the end zone by Packers cornerback Tod McBride, who
subsequently raced 43 yards on the return.
McBride, who was unable to prevent a 34-yard grab by Crowell earlier in the
drive, was thankful to get a chance at redemption.
"The interception was really just the right place at the right time, and I
was fortunate enough to catch the ball and get a turnover for the defense,"
said the second-year defensive back.
"You've got to keep fighting," he continued. "If you stop fighting, that's
when it's all going to crash down on you. You just have to persevere
through the good times and bad times, and as a defense, we really clicked
out there today and had a lot of fun."
Later in the period, the fun continued for the defense when Harris stripped
the ball from Detroit running back James Stewart at the Green Bay 23.
Linebacker Na'il Diggs scooped it up and raced 52 yards, prevented from scoring only by a saving tackle by Lions tight end David Sloan.
The teams exchanged 26-yard field goals in the third quarter, with the
Packers' score set up by safety Darren Sharper's league-leading eighth interception.
Sharper, who will find out later in the week whether or not he makes his
first Pro Bowl appearance, insisted the players around him have raised their
performance level over the course of the season.
"As we continue to play game-by-game, we continue to progress and get
better," said Sharper. "That's one of the things you want to do as a
defense, keep getting better and never become stagnate or become complacent
as a defensive unit. (Defensive Coordinator) Ed Donatell has done a great job of not letting us become complacent. We're trying to improve game-by game, and we'll continue to improve."
Three minutes into a wild fourth quarter, Longwell hit his fourth and final
field goal of the game, a 45-yard kick that put Green Bay ahead by 9.
But the Lions immediately mounted their most impressive series of the game,
a 7-play, 55-yard drive that culminated in a Stewart touchdown on
fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
With their lead trimmed to two points, quarterback Brett Favre and the Packers' offense quickly accomplished what they had lacked all afternoon - a
crossing of the goal line.
Two long passes - a 29-yard strike from Favre to Antonio Freeman and a
45-yard catch by Bill Schroeder - gave Green Bay a first-and-goal at the Detroit 4.
Two Plays later, Favre found Green streaking to the right sideline, where
the back caught the pass, dove and stretched to get the ball into the end
zone with 4:25 to play in the game.
"It's something we practice every week, and we ran it against Minnesota
(November 6) and scored on it," explained Green. "My main goal was to run
straight to the pylon. He (Favre) got the ball to me. All I had to do was
reach the pylon, and it was a touchdown."
The game's outcome, however, was still in doubt just over 2 minutes later,
when Jason Hanson sent a 36-yard field goal through the uprights to put the
Lions within 6 points with 2:17 remaining.
Sherman nervously employed the "hands team" on the ensuing kickoff to defend
against a Detroit on-side kick, which Schroeder fielded and wisely batted
out of bounds to give the Packers a first down at the Detroit 40-yard line.
It took Green just two plays to drive the final nail into the Lions' coffin,
a 39-yard scamper straight up the middle and into the end zone to provide
the game's final score.
"That was all Ahman and the offensive line," said Favre of the final
touchdown. "They wanted it."
Green, who carried the ball a season-high 27 times for 118 yards with both a
rushing and receiving touchdown, not only gave his team hard-fought gains
but also inched closer to a substantial milestone.
With his Sunday output, Green stands at 940 yards during his 2000 campaign.
By averaging just 30 yards in the final two games (he had 59 in Sunday's
first half), he would eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his
three-year career.
"It would be a great accomplishment for myself, for my O-line and my
teammates," said Green, who was thrust into the starting lineup earlier in
the season after injuries to Dorsey Levens. "In the beginning nobody
expected - myself, I didn't expect - to be in a position where I am now.
Right now I'm proud with the way it's come out."
Although Favre's numbers were not among his best (15-of-36 for 208 yards, 1
Interception), he was delighted to take the win, considering the frosty
weather conditions.
"I have to be honest, yeah it was tough," Favre said. "It wasn't the
coldest I've played in, but it was difficult to throw. I shouldn't say
difficult to throw, but difficult to be accurate.
"I think after the game Mike (Sherman) said it best. This team has faced
all kinds of adversity with injuries and games that have been up and down.
But I think that's a prime example of the kind of team we have."
Sherman echoed Favre's comments, commending his team for finding a way to
win despite their unenviable amount of adversity.
"You know," said Sherman, "one thing I challenged the guys all week long, in
studying this team, I looked at the Detroit losses, and it seemed that if
you could win the turnover margin, which we did today, you could have a shot
because they're a tremendous team at creating turnovers. And our defense
and our special teams created turnovers for our season high.
"It's the first time we've been at this stage since the end of September.
To be 7-7 right now, I think the team is responding. They really enjoyed
this win. As tough as it was, I think we really gained some momentum on
this win."
Injury Notes
Fullback Matt Snider and defensive ends Vonnie Holliday and John Thierry were shaken up during the game, but all three returned to action.
Tight end Ryan Wetnight suffered a concussion in the game and will be
observed on Monday.
Cornerback Tyrone Williams' neck stiffened overnight before the game. As a result, he missed much of the game and likewise will be further evaluated on Monday.
Game Highlights (Real Audio)
Packers-Lions archived complete game broadcast (Real Audio)
Post-Game Audio Clips
Head Coach Mike Sherman (RealAudio)
QB Brett Favre (RealAudio)
RB Ahman Green (RealAudio)
LB Bernardo Harris (RealAudio)
K Ryan Longwell (RealAudio)
DE John Thierry (RealAudio)
KR/CB Allen Rossum (RealAudio)
Scoring Summary
| Team |
Qtr |
Time |
Play |
Lions |
Packers |
| Packers | 1 | 10:59 | R.Longwell 22 yd Field Goal | 0 | 3 |
| Packers | 1 | 3:36 | R.Longwell 27 yd Field Goal | 0 | 6 |
| Lions | 3 | 7:30 | J.Hanson 26 yd Field Goal | 3 | 6 |
| Packers | 3 | 0:43 | R.Longwell 26 yd Field Goal | 3 | 9 |
| Packers | 4 | 11:49 | R.Longwell 45 yd Field Goal | 3 | 12 |
| Lions | 4 | 7:04 | J.Stewart 1 yd run (Hanson kick) | 10 | 12 |
| Packers | 4 | 4:25 | A.Green 3 yd pass from B.Favre (Longwell kick) | 10 | 19 |
| Lions | 4 | 2:17 | J.Hanson 36 yd Field Goal | 13 | 19 |
| Packers | 4 | 1:54 | A.Green 39 yd run (Longwell kick) | 13 | 26 |
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