Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy has given few indications on how he'll handle his starters in the season finale. That matters little to Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz.

Schwartz and the Lions are trying to secure the NFC's No. 5 seed and can accomplish that feat with their first win in Green Bay since 1991 on Sunday.

With home-field advantage already wrapped up, McCarthy is expected to rest his starters for at least part of Sunday's game. The coach, though, hasn't tipped his hand on how much of a break his players will get.

"It's really what's best for your team and what's best for the individuals," McCarthy said on his weekly television show Monday. "The health of the football team will be the priority. It has to be going into the playoffs. We'll factor all those things into our decision."

Schwartz, though, said he isn't too concerned with what kind of a team the Lions will face.

"We can't control who they play or what objectives they have in the game," he said. "It doesn't change our objectives or anything else. Obviously, if we're preparing for a different quarterback, you need to be ready for that, but their offense isn't going to change."

Detroit (10-5) has clinched its first playoff berth since 1999 but would have a chance at seemingly a better matchup in the postseason should it earn the No. 5 seed. With a win or an Atlanta loss, the Lions would face either Dallas or New York - both of whom are 8-7 - instead of traveling to New Orleans or San Francisco, who are each 12-3.

"We're certainly not thinking about anything but winning the game. Five is better than six," Schwartz told the Packers' official website.

Schwartz said his team will have three tough games, regardless of competition, in order to get to the Super Bowl. One of those could be a return to Lambeau Field, where the Lions have lost 20 in a row, including a playoff game in 1994.

Detroit's 19-game drought in the regular season is the longest active one in the NFL ahead of its 18-game skid in Washington that dates to 1939.

The Lions head into Lambeau having won three in a row since a 2-5 stretch that included a 27-15 home loss to Green Bay (14-1) on Thanksgiving Day. Aaron Rodgers threw for 307 yards and a pair of touchdowns in that win, but his performance was overshadowed by the actions of Detroit defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh .

Last season's defensive rookie of the year was suspended two games for stomping on the arm of Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith. Suh has mostly been quiet since his return, recording four tackles in two games.

Detroit's Matthew Stafford , however, hasn't been lately as he's averaged nearly 350 yards over the last four contests and thrown 10 TDs to one interception. He had 373 yards and three touchdowns in last week's 38-10 win over San Diego.

Stafford, who was named a Pro Bowl alternate along with Suh and safety Louis Delmas , has seven interceptions and two TDs in his two games against Green Bay.

Pro Bowl starter Rodgers, meanwhile, has topped 300 yards in five of his seven matchups with the Lions and has 16 TDs to four interceptions.

The MVP candidate needs 358 yards to become at least the third quarterback to top 5,000 in a season. He's also a second straight five-touchdown performance away from matching the 50 set by New England's Tom Brady in 2007.

Rodgers, however, is unlikely to accomplish those feats as memories remain of the concussion he suffered during a 7-3 loss to Detroit last December, which gave Matt Flynn his only NFL start the following week.

McCarthy, though, is hoping to get offensive lineman Chad Clifton and defensive lineman Ryan Pickett back on the field. Clifton hasn't played since Week 5 because of an ailing hamstring and back.

Pickett has been out the past two games after suffering his second concussion this season in a 46-16 victory over Oakland on Dec. 11. He returned to practice Wednesday.

Having Pickett back on the field might help a Green Bay defense that gave up 199 rushing yards in a 35-21 win over Chicago on Christmas Day.

Flynn throws 6 TDs, Packers beat Lions 45-41

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- With Aaron Rodgers resting up for the playoffs, Matt Flynn had to be ready to run the Green Bay Packers offense.

Was he ever.

With Rodgers bundled up on the sideline in cold and windy conditions at Lambeau Field, Flynn set franchise records with 480 yards passing and six touchdowns - the final one to Jermichael Finley with 1:10 left, giving the Packers a 45-41 victory over the Detroit Lions in a wild regular-season finale Sunday.

"Just think of all of the great quarterbacks that have come through here," Flynn said. "It's very humbling. I just thank everybody around me and everything. I couldn't have done it, obviously, by myself. There's weapons all around me, and the line did a great job. It's one of those games where it got to a shootout, and we just kept having to match each other."

It was an ideal afternoon for the Packers (15-1), who got to rest Rodgers and several other big-name players without losing momentum going into the playoffs.

Flynn barely got the Packers past Matthew Stafford , who threw for 520 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions for the Lions (10-6). Detroit has lost 21 straight road games to the Packers, including the postseason.

"We're going to use this as motivation," Stafford said. "We had a chance and didn't get it done, so we've got to get out there and start making it happen. We've got to get on a run here. That's what it's all about in the playoffs, (getting) hot and hopefully we can get that going."

The Lions head to the playoffs for the first time since 1999 as a wild card, but could have clinched the No. 5 seed with a win. Instead, they'll be the No. 6 seed and face New Orleans in the first round.

"This certainly wasn't a throwaway game for us," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said.

According to STATS LLC, it was the first time in NFL history opposing quarterbacks each threw for 400-plus yards and five-plus touchdowns in a game. The teams' combined 971 net yards passing broke the record of 906 set earlier this season in a Week 1 game between New England and Miami.

"Flynn played a great game," Stafford said. "Their guys were making plays all over the field and scoring points."

For Flynn, it was a huge day that could eventually lead to a significant payday. A seventh-round pick out of LSU in 2008, Flynn already had the attention of general managers around the league after he nearly beat New England last season while Rodgers was recovering from a concussion.

Now he has a huge performance and a victory under his belt, and he'll become a free agent in the offseason.

"We're going to miss him," guard Josh Sitton said, adding that he thought Flynn should sign with an AFC team.

For now, though, Flynn is ready to get back to his main role in Green Bay: Helping Rodgers get ready to lead the Packers back to the Super Bowl.

"We've got the best quarterback in the NFL as a starter here, so it's not hard at all," Flynn said. "He's the heart and soul of this team and the leader of this team. So, it's pretty easy to take a back seat and watch him play, and I'm excited to see what he does in the playoffs."

Jordy Nelson had nine catches for 162 yards and three touchdowns for the Packers.

Calvin Johnson had 11 catches for 244 yards and a touchdown, and Titus Young had a pair of touchdowns for the Lions.

With the afternoon off, Rodgers' season quarterback rating of 122.5 coming into the game broke Peyton Manning 's single-season mark of 121.1 set in 2004.

With NFC home-field advantage for the playoffs secured, the Packers also rested several key players with nagging injuries: cornerback Charles Woodson , linebacker Clay Matthews , wide receiver Greg Jennings , right tackle Bryan Bulaga , running back James Starks and wide receiver Randall Cobb .

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said it was an "easy call" to rest Rodgers, but the coach found ways to keep Rodgers' head in the game; McCarthy said he handed over play-calling duties to his quarterback in the first half.

And McCarthy was thrilled with Flynn's day.

"It was clearly one of the best performances I've been a part of," McCarthy said. "No doubt about it. I can't say enough about Matt Flynn . The whole world got to see what we see every day."

For a while, it looked like the Lions would take advantage of the Packers' resting starters.

With the Packers leading 38-34, Johnson drew a pass interference penalty on Tramon Williams to give the Lions the ball at the Green Bay 28. Scheffler hauled in a one-handed catch to set up first-and-goal on the 2.

Johnson then was called for offensive pass interference in the end zone, but Stafford threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Scheffler in the back of the end zone and the Lions took a 41-38 lead with 2:39 left.

Flynn wasn't finished, finding James Jones for a 40-yard completion to set up first-and-goal at the 6 with 1:19 left. Flynn found Finley to win it.

With the Lions threatening again in the final minute, Sam Shields ' interception put the game away.

Jones said he and the rest of the Packers weren't surprised by Flynn's performance.

"He's a great player, great quarterback," Jones said. "He just showed the world what he can do."

Notes: Ndamukong Suh mocked Rodgers' "title belt" celebration after sacking Flynn near the end of the third quarter. Suh was suspended for two games after he stomped on Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith in Green Bay's win on Thanksgiving. ... Packers veteran left tackle Chad Clifton played for the first time since injuring his hamstring Oct. 9. He played the first quarter. ... Defensive tackle Corey Williams and safety Louis Delmas were inactive for Detroit.

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