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| Sunday, September 22, 2002 - 3:15 pm at Ford Field |
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1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
| Packers |
7 |
10 |
14 |
6 |
37 |
| Lions |
7 |
10 |
0 |
14 |
31 |
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Packers Player Of The Game
Although drafted as a fullback, rookie Najeh Davenport sparked the Packers' ground attack at tailback in Ahman Green's absence. Davenport had 22 carries for 84 yards (3.8 average) on the ground, while also making four receptions for 31 yards. He also played fullback as needed, after William Henderson left the game with a knee injury.
Lions Player Of The Game
Running back James Stewart carried the football 14 times for 88 yards (6.3 avg.), but what really stood out was his 52-yard tackle-breaking touchdown catch-and-run that brought the Lions back late in the fourth quarter. Stewart also had a four-yard reception during the game.
Stat Of The Game
On a night when the Packers offense faced 21 third-down situations, the offense converted 12 times (57 percent). On the other side of the ball, the Lions were held to only 3-of-13 on third down.
Play Of The Game
While Mike McKenzie's multi-tip interception and Robert Ferguson's multi-tackle breaking catch-and-run were the flashiest plays of the game, no single play was more significant than Ryan Longwell's 47-yard field goal with 1:15 remaining that expanded the Packers' lead to 6 points and prohibited Detroit from being able to send the game to overtime with a field goal on their final drive.
THEY SAID IT:
GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman --
On message to team: "As I told them, I had talked about adversity in the preseason, that we would face it this season, and I didn't expect to face it so often. We have had three ballgames here where we are facing it on a regular basis. I said (to the team), I'm tired of adversity. I want a little success, rather than adversity.
"In light of that, I did tell them that no matter what happens at the beginning of the season, this win is a win and that's what matters. That's what matters today. What matters tomorrow is we roll up our sleeves, we get to work and we fix, diligently fix, the mistakes that we made in this football game and they were numerous. Part of it was due to the fact that we had injuries, but injuries are part of the game and you have to be able to handle that."
On Najeh Davenport's performance, especially at halfback: "He's been showing us some things in practice. I wanted to see what he could do in the football game. He still made some mistakes, but he did rush for about 85 yards and blocked and played fullback and tailback, so he's the player that I drafted and feel comfortable that he's going to be a better player as we continue to go.
"I felt like if we could win this game without Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport could take a step forward, we'd be a better football team. I think he has taken a step forward and I think in that way we're better, but there are other things we need to correct. We were not very good in special teams. (In the) first half I thought our defense played extremely well with the exception of a semi-trick play on third-and-1, which we should have covered. We turned the ball over on offense three times and it only resulted in three points for them. In a dome stadium we haven't really survived those types of turnovers (in the past), so I was pleased with their performance in the first half."
On performance of Bubba Franks: "There's been an effort all year to go to Bubba. His number was called a couple times and he made the plays he needed to make, I was very pleased with him."
On Lions rookie quarterback Joey Harrington: "I thought he played a whale of a ballgame. I know there were some tough interceptions that he threw, but for his first time out of the blocks he gave the Green Bay Packers as much as we could possibly handle. He seemed very poised. I think you really measure a quarterback by his poise."
On feeling after game: "To be honest with you, it does feel like a win, but it also feels like I have an awful lot of work to do come tomorrow, come tonight."
On team's play late: "I was disappointed we couldn't finish this team. We were up 17 points at one point and couldn't put the nail in the coffin, something I thought we were able to do at different times last year."
Marques Anderson --
On if satisfied by team's performance: "Actually, I'm satisfied with a 'W.' We have a lot of room to go back, critique and get better . . . We have to go back to the board, get better and come Carolina be ready."
On interception for touchdown: "I jumped to my hook and I saw the ball go up there pretty high (off the deflection) and I thought, why not go get it? I went up and got it and it was history from there."
Najeh Davenport --
On playing both halfback and fullback: "That's what they brought me in to do, I'm a swingback, fullback, tailback, tight end, whatever they need done."
On his thoughts late in the game: "We had some trouble in the last two weeks with fumbling and turnovers, so my main concern was holding on to the ball and protecting Brett."
On success of running game: "It wasn't really me. Frankie (Winters) and Marco (Rivera) and all those guys did a hell of a job blocking up front . . . They were blowing the guys off the line two or three yards."
On if he feels backup running backs can be successful without Ahman Green next week, if necessary: "We've got to, that's why we get paid. If the backup can't get the job done you've got to get another backup, right? We've got to do it, that's our livelihood."
Brett Favre --
On game, backup running backs: "Guys did well, they really did. That was a battle, I don't care what people think. Detroit played hard, extremely hard, and they gave us everything we asked for. Considering the circumstances with guys down (injured) and a little uncertain on pass protection and stuff like that, our guys picked up blitzes and did a nice job."
On Detroit's comeback: "I learned a long time ago, don't ever pack it in and expect it to be over. It wasn't that long ago we played this team last year and kind of the same scenario. You just never know. You can never count anybody out. The way the game was going with injuries and big plays, you just never know, but fortunately we won it."
On Joey Harrington: "I thought he did a fine job. Better than my debut."
On Harrington's near-touchdown pass to Mikhael Ricks: "I thought it had a chance. When the ball's in the air, anytime you have a one-on-one coverage like that you have a chance. I was glad he missed it. I didn't feel like going out there again."
Robert Ferguson --
On touchdown reception: "It was a slant. Really, it was covered, but I just kept coming. That's just something I've learned from other guys with Brett, is keeping coming and he'll find you."
Bubba Franks --
On game: "We can enjoy the victory today, but we have a lot of things to correct offensively and defensively. We can't really pat ourselves on the back. We've started ourselves on the right track by getting the win, but we're better than what we showed out there today."
Ryan Longwell --
On final field goal: "It was a big kick, a 47-yarder. It was a perfect snap, perfect hold. I really hit the ball well today, from pregame on, I was just really confident. It was a big kick in the game though."
On risk of attempting that field goal: "Obviously you're taking a chance but I think it's good odds. I'm glad they had confidence in our field goal protection and field goal unit to get the job done. We pride ourselves in doing our job and I think we did it pretty good today."
On two offsides penalties on kickoff team: "I've never even seen that in practice, much less the game. It was pretty chaotic. We had a plan that we wanted to do and we executed it pretty well, we were just offsides. The first one was a deep kick and I think it went to the goal line, it was a good kick, and the second one was a squib and we did that well and the third one was a bloop and we did that well. It's just too many kickoffs there."
On special teams kickoff coverage: "As far as kickoff coverage goes, we have some holes to fill there's no doubt about it. We're not as consistent as we need to be. I think we're making progress, it's just that we need that first guy to get down there and make that tackle like we've had in past years."
Darren Sharper --
On defense: "Early on we played well, had a lot of three-and-outs. We played with some aggression. We got a little worn out at the end of the game, we should have been able to close it."
On Mike McKenzie's interception: "Unbelievable. That's one of those plays that I told him that once he sees it on film he won't really believe that he caught the ball. I joked with him, saying I don't think I've ever had an interception like that . . . That has to be one of the plays of the week when we go to watch SportsCenter later on. That was just a tremendous play."
On outcome: "However they come, this is the NFL and all games are going to be tight. They came in and fought hard. They're at home and they want to win just as bad as we wanted to win. We had a chance to knock them out in the end and we didn't do that."
On defense's need to improve: "I'm not going to sit here and say just yet that we can't get it done. We know that we can get it done and we have to get it done. We don't expect anything less from ourselves."
GAME NOTES:
Tonight's announced attendance in the regular season debut of Ford Field was 61,505.
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End of 4th quarter. Game over.
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Tod McBride's interception of Joey Harrington at the Packers 3-yard-line sealed a Green Bay victory (0:30, 4th quarter).
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Ryan Longwell's 47-yard field goal gave the Packers a 6-point cushion with just over a minute remaining (1:15, 4th quarter). The Packers started with a short field after Darren Sharper received and covered a Lions onsides kick. The Packers scoring drive was 4 plays, 6 yards. Time of the drive was 0:22.
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James Stewart took a Joey Harrington screen pass and eluded Packers tacklers to make a 52-yard touchdown catch-and-run that cut the Packers' lead to 3 points (1:37, 4th quarter). The Lions scoring drive was 8 plays, 95 yards. Time of the drive was 0:52.
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Refusing to go quietly, the Lions answered with a 2-yard Corey Schlesinger touchdown run (8:23, 4th quarter). Larry Foster started the drive with a 50-yard kickoff return. From there Joey Harrington completed two passes and the Lions moved up an additional 21 yards on a pass interference penalty issued to Na'il Diggs. The Lions scoring drive was 4 plays, 45 yards. Time of the drive was 2:04.
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Ryan Longwell's 34-yard field goal put the Packers up 17 points (10:27, 4th quarter). Setting up the score, Brett Favre completed two passes each to Najeh Davenport and Bubba Franks, and one each to Rondell Mealey and Tony Fisher. The Packers scoring drive was 11 plays, 44 yards. Time of the drive was 4:44.
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End of third quarter.
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Brett Favre found Bubba Franks all alone in the left corner of the end zone for a 3-yard score (1:30, 3rd quarter). The touchdown was set up by Mike McKenzie's interception and Robert Ferguson's tackle-breaking catch-and-run on third down. The Packers scoring drive was 4 plays, 41 yards. Time of the drive was 1:29.
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Mike McKenzie tipped and intercepted a Joey Harrington pass down the right sideline to give the Packers possession at the Lions 41-yard-line (2:59, 3rd quarter).
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Robert Ferguson's 8-yard touchdown reception moving from right to left in the back of the end zone broke the 17-17 tie (7:56, 3rd quarter). Making his first career touchdown reception, Ferguson became the 34th receiver to catch a touchdown pass from Brett Favre. The Packers scoring drive was 12 plays, 72 yards. Time of the drive was 7:04.
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End of 2nd quarter. Halftime.
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Facing third-and-1, Joey Harrington connected with Lamont Warren down the right sideline for a 39-yard Lions touchdown (3:13, 2nd quarter). The Lions started with favorable field position thanks to Eddie Drummond's 31-yard kickoff return. The Lions scoring drive was 4 plays, 64 yards. Time of the drive was 2:02.
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Ryan Longwell's 46-yard field goal returned the Packers' lead to 7 points (5:15, 2nd quarter). Terry Glenn had third-down receptions of 23 and 13 yards on the drive. The Packers scoring drive was 12 plays, 53 yards. Time of the drive was 4:45.
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The Lions started their drive 10 yards away from the end zone, but were forced to settle for a 33-yard Jason Hanson field goal (10:00, 2nd quarter). The Lions scoring drive was 4 plays, minus-5 yards. Time of the drive was 0:56.
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Brett Favre's pass for Najeh Davenport was too high, falling into the hands of Chris Claiborne for the interception. Claiborne returned the interception 43 yards before Favre fought through Chris Cash's block to make the tackle at the Packers 10-yard-line (10:56, 2nd quarter).
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Javon Walker made a key third-down reception, but Corey Harris caused him to fumble at the end of the 20-yard gain. Chris Cash recovered to give the Lions possession at their own 7-yard-line (12:05, 2nd quarter).
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With the Lions facing third-and-2, fullback Cory Schlesinger got the carry, but Na'il Diggs forced a fumble that was recovered by Marques Anderson at the Lions 35-yard-line (13:32, 2nd quarter).
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One play into the second quarter, Donald Driver's 21-yard touchdown reception in the left corner of the end zone gave the Packers their first lead of the day (14:56, 2nd quarter). Driver also had a pair of crucial third-down receptions on the drive (8 and 19 yards). The Packers scoring drive was 10 plays, 82 yards. Time of the drive was 6:14. With that touchdown pass, Farve moves past Warren Moon to rank fourth in NFL history for touchdowns-thrown at 292. Dan Marino is the all-time leader with 420 career touchdown passes, followed by Fran Tarkenton (342) and John Elway (300).
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End of 1st quarter.
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The Lions looked to benefit from Brett Favre's fumble, driving to the Packers 25-yard-line. But facing third-and-4, Joey Harrington's pass for Az-Zahir Hakim was tipped by Steve Warren, caught by Marques Anderson and returned 78 yards for a Packers score (7:17, 1st quarter). Anderson's play was the first interception return for a touchdown by a Packers rookie since Antuan Edwards in 1999.
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Facing third-and-6, Brett Favre eluded one would-be tackler, but was wrapped up in the backfield by Brian Walker, who stripped the ball allowing the Lions' Robert Porcher to recover at the Packers 42-yard-line (9:33, 1st quarter).
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After being forced into a three-and-out on their first possession, Eddie Drummond fielded Josh Bidwell's 44-yard punt and dished it off to Az-Zahir Hakim who ran 72 yards for a Lions touchdown (12:27, 1st quarter). The Packers had not allowed a punt return for a touchdown since Oct. 29, 2000.
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Appearing in his 162nd consecutive game, Brett Favre ties Larry McCarren for the third-longest consecutive games-played streak in Packers history. Forrest Gregg is the leader at 187 consecutive games, followed by Willie Wood’s 166 consecutive appearances. Favre also extends his NFL record for consecutive starts by a quarterback to 160 today.
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The following Packers players are inactive for today's contest: Tyrone Davis, Ahman Green, Bhawoh Jue, Aaron Kampman, Craig Nall (third quarterback), Jamal Reynolds, Rod Walker, Marcus Wilkins.
Rondell Mealey will start in place of Ahman Green. |
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