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Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions - 09/09/01
Game Summary - Packers Win 28-6
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| RB ahman Green crosses the goalline on his 83-yard TD run. |
The Green Bay Packers started the 2001 NFL season with a blitzkrieg of scoring en route to a rain-soaked 28-6 victory over the visiting Detroit Lions.
Charlie Batch and the rest of the Lions offense got an expert lesson in how to run the West Coast offense from Brett Favre and company. a 35-yard pass from Favre to receiver Bill Schroeder sparked the first Green Bay drive ending with a 31-yard Ahman Green touchdown scamper.
"The way we came out real strong at the beginning of the game really helped the entire game," said Schroeder. "The offense wanted to come out and put some points on the board. We haven't scored in the first drive in the first fifteen in a long time and we wanted to do that right away. The defense wanted to shut them out of the end zone, and they did a real good job of that as well."
Holding the Lions to just one first down on the next two possessions, the Packers continued to light up the scoreboard. Schroeder added a nimble 23-yard touchdown catch in the deep right corner of the end zone on the second drive. He finished the day pacing the Packers receivers with 4 catches for 104 yards.
Green broke a career long 83-yard run down the left sideline for a touchdown on the ensuing drive to give the Packers a 21-0 lead just 10 minutes into the first quarter. Antonio Freeman threw the open-field block on free safety Lamar Campbell to spring the long run.
Green carried 17 times for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns, coming just 4 yards shy of his career high. The fourth-year back did have some trouble with the wet conditions fumbling once, and dropping two passes. It was his first extensive playing time since suffering a groin injury during the preseason. The game also marked the first time both starting units played together after preseason injury problems.
"That shows this team has a lot of character," Green said. "We've got guys on this team, including myself, who know what it takes to get to where we want to be. We want to get to the playoffs and to the big game, so starting now we know whatever it takes. Injuries may happen. If you can't go, you can't go, but if you know you have a little something in you, you go out there and give it all you've got until you can't go anymore."
Jason Hanson provided all of the Detroit scoring on the afternoon with field goals of 49 and 39 yards. Ryan Longwell missed on his only attempt of the game, a 48-yard try in the third quarter.
The Packers defense held Batch to 20 completions on 39 attempts for 276 yards and no touchdowns. The signal caller was intercepted twice by safety Darren Sharper and sacked seven times, including three by Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. Former Chicago Bear Jim Flanigan had two sacks in his first game for the Green and Gold.
"It felt great, you really couldn't have scripted it much better than that," Flanigan said. "It was great for our offense to get off to a quick start and score some points. I thought we were able to contain the run pretty well and get after the passer. It was a lot of fun and a great way to start the season."
Sharper made his first interception with the Lions poised to score from the Packers 5-yard line with under one minute left in the first half. GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman was pleased with his defense and Sharper.
"I thought our defense did a great job," Sherman said. "Sharper's turnover at the end of the first half was, in my mind, a key to the game."
Sharper returned his second interception 59-yards for a touchdown, but the play was called back on a penalty. Statistics aside, it was the first interception that broke the spirit of the Lions.
"That was good play because it kept points off the board," Sharper said. "Going into halftime that's the last play they had to think about on offense so it was a good play to get that interception and give us a boost as we went inside and then kind of have them on a down side as they went into the locker room."
A third quarter 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bubba Franks from Favre completed the Green Bay scoring for the day. It was the second touchdown reception of Franks' pro career and the first one from Favre.
"That was my first one and hopefully it isn't the last one, but it feels pretty good," Franks said.
Franks recorded 4 catches for 45 yards on the afternoon. Meanwhile Favre completed 22 of 28 passes for 260 and no interceptions. The veteran was not ready to predict the outcome of the season after just one game.
"Everything about today was great, but I don't want to get a head start making predictions or saying we're a great football team and all that stuff," Favre said. "I think we beat a very good football team today. We played extremely well, but in my opinion, nothing more than that. We still have a ways to go. I mean, yeah it was a great win, but let's not start putting this too high on the pedestal yet."
The loss spoiled the first game for new Lions head coach Marty Mornhinweg. The running game for Detroit mustered only 56 yards. James Stewart paced the team with 39 yards on 13 carries.
In the first regular season game with replacement officials, there were some questionable calls. For Green Bay, Bernardo Harris added a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter. The linebacker appeared to have covered the ball untouched and preceded to get up and run toward the end zone. He was called down at the spot of the recovery.
"We don't have any control as players on that situation or that issue with the referees," Sharper said. "We have to go out there and play with whoever is making the calls."
The Packers' Allen Rossum aggravated his left hamstring in the third quarter and did not return. For the Lions, Desmond Howard was shaken up in the fourth quarter trying to make a block.
Packers-Lions archived complete game broadcast (Real audio)
Post-Game / Locker Room audio Clips
GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman (Realaudio)
QB Brett Favre (Realaudio)
DT Jim Flanigan (Realaudio)
WR antonio Freeman (Realaudio)
DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (Realaudio)
RB ahman Green (Realaudio)
LB Bernardo Harris (Realaudio)
DE Vonnie Holliday (Realaudio)
DT Billy Lyon (Realaudio)
S Darren Sharper (Realaudio)
OT Mark Tauscher (Realaudio)
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
GBP: A.Green run for 31 yards and Touchdown. (R. Longwell Extra Point is good)
GBP: B.Schroeder 23-yard Touchdown reception from B.Favre. (R. Longwell Extra Point is good)
GBP: a.Green run for 83 yards and Touchdown. (R. Longwell Extra Point is good)
DET: J.Hanson 49 yard Field Goal is good
2nd Quarter
DET: J.Hanson 39 yard Field Goal is good
3rd Quarter
GBP: B.Franks 1 yard Touchdown reception from B.Favre (R. Longwell Extra Point is good)
4th Quarter
No Scoring.
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