Vonnie Holliday's record-setting day helped the Green Bay Packers finish perfect at home. Holliday set a team record by sacking Drew Bledsoe five times, forcing him to fumble on three of them, in Green Bay's 10-0 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Holliday's first forced fumble led to Green Bay's only touchdown and his last one ended Buffalo's hopes with 1:13 left and the Bills at the Green Bay 17.
The Packers (12-3) are the only NFL team to win all their home games this season, but they'll need help from Philadelphia and Tampa Bay to get anything more than a first-round playoff game at Lambeau Field, where they've never lost in the postseason.
Green Bay also lost its best defender in safety Darren Sharper, who sprained his right knee on his league-leading seventh interception return in the first half.
The Bills (7-8) saw their playoff hopes crushed when Donald Driver caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Brett Favre with 7:23 remaining.
The score came one play after cornerback Nate Clements thought he had a long touchdown on a fumble return, but the officials ruled that Ahman Green had dropped the pass _ one of six by the Packers on a windy, cold day.
Holliday, plagued by a torn chest muscle and a sprained knee this season, had just one sack coming into the game. He took off a restrictive shoulder harness last week against doctors' orders and had a solid game against San Francisco.
He broke Bryce Paup's club record of four sacks set on Sept. 15, 1991, against Tampa Bay. Ezra Johnson had five sacks against Detroit on Sept. 3, 1978, at Detroit, but the league didn't begin officially counting sacks until four years later.
Holliday nearly had a disastrous day, however, when he dropped an interception at the Buffalo 20 with Green Bay clinging to a 3-0 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Bills punter Mike Moorman then caught a gust of wind, and his punt sailed a team-record 84 yards to the Green Bay 2.
The Packers went three-and-out and punted, but Holliday had consecutive sacks of Bledsoe, forcing a fumble on the second one that teammate Jamal Reynolds recovered at the Bills 39.
Four plays later, on third-and-10 from the 11, Driver broke free from linebacker Eddie Robinson and was open in the end zone when safety Pierson Prioleau was late getting over.
It was the only one of five takeaways that the Packers converted into points.
Green had 116 yards on 26 carries as the Packers improved to 14-0 in games in which he tops the century mark.
Favre improved to 35-0 at home when the temperature at kickoff is 34 degrees or lower.
Swirling 25 mph winds gusting to 30 and making the 27-degree day feel like 13 kept both offenses in check. The Packers led 3-0 at halftime on Ryan Longwell's 33-yard field goal into the wind with 3:57 left in the second quarter.
Mike Hollis was wide left from the same spot in the third quarter.
The Bills gained just 53 yards in the first half and turned the ball over three times in Packers territory. Travis Henry, who was limited to 13 yards on 10 first-half carries, finished with 46 yards on 20 carries.
Sharper left the game after injuring his right knee in the first quarter. He picked off a pass that Antuan Edwards deflected and ran it out of the end zone, taking a helmet in his right knee at the Packers 14.
Associated Press
