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Roaring to the top Lions down Packers to take NFC Central lead
Posted: Sunday September 19, 1999 09:46 PM
PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) -- Barry who? The Detroit Lions lost Barry Sanders to retirement, then lost wide receiver Herman Moore to injury early in their first game, yet they keep finding ways to win. A 91-yard kickoff return by Terry Fair and the heady play of Charlie Batch on Sunday brought Detroit back for a 23-15 win over the Green Bay Packers, keeping the surprising Lions unbeaten after two games. And in sole possession of first place in the NFC Central. "We weren't going to stop playing just because Barry isn't here," Batch said. "We are doing exactly what I expected us to do. We are winning football games." It was the sixth loss in the last seven trips to the Silverdome for the Packers (1-1), who bolted ahead 15-14 with 12:55 left in the fourth quarter. But the Lions (2-0) came up with some fireworks of their own. Fair returned the kickoff to the 8, and three plays later, Batch made a nice fake and took it in on a bootleg to put Detroit back in front, 20-15, with 10:57 remaining. "That just took everything out of them," Batch said. "They were back in the game, but when we only have to go 10 yards, that doesn't give their defense a chance." Jason Hanson's 48-yard field goal, capping a 63-yard, 10-play drive, made it 23-15 with 2:46 left. That seemed like plenty of time for Favre, who brought the Packers back in the final 1:51 for a victory over Oakland in their opener. "I had the utmost confidence in our team," Favre said. "We just didn't capitalize on the opportunities we had. We still had an opportunity late. "The two-minute drill is something we're good at. But we can't make a living off it." Favre alternated runs by Dorsey Levens with passes of 22, 13 and 8 yards to drive the Packers to Detroit's 27. But on fourth-and-2, his pass intended for Antonio Freeman was swatted away by Robert Bailey, and the Lions killed the final 1:02. "We ran that play early in the game and he ran it for a first down," Favre said. "The guy made a good play. As a quarterback, you made decisions and you have to live with them." The Packers dominated almost everywhere but on the scoreboard. They rolled up 437 yards to 278 for Detroit; they had 21 first downs to nine for Detroit. But big plays, coupled with three turnovers, were too much to overcome. "We can't put Brett in that position," said Ray Rhodes, who was 3-0 against Detroit while he coached Philadelphia. "We have to play better football." Batch, who completed 9 of 16 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns, was both very good and very bad in the first half. He burned the Packers with a touchdown passes of 45 and 74 yards, but also gave up two interceptions -- one of which cost Detroit a chip-shot field goal and led to Ryan Longwell's second field goal. With the Packers leading 3-0, Batch completed three straight passes for 73 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown toss to Johnnie Morton for a 7-3 lead on the first snap of the second quarter. Batch hit David Sloan in blown coverage over the middle, and the 6-foot-6 tight end took it all the way for a 74-yard touchdown play and a 14-3 lead with 9:49 left in the half. LeRoy Butler, coming from the other side of the field, tried to get an angle on Sloan, but simply had too much ground to make up. Fair's 36-yard punt return gave Detroit the ball at the 31 midway through the second quarter, and a 13-yard pass from Batch to Brian Stablein helped the Lions drive to the 13. But a penalty set them back to the 18, then Batch was picked off by linebacker Brian Williams at the 1. Favre, with completions of 51 and 21 yards, took the Packers 93 yards for another field goal by Longwell, sending the Lions off with a 14-6 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Favre -- who was 20-of-41 for 288 yards despite a sprained right thumb that kept him out of practice most of the week -- gave up an interception and fumbled a snap, which the Lions recovered at their own 4, but nothing came of either turnover. Everything changed in a heartbeat at the start of the fourth quarter, however, as the Packers scored nine points in a 2:32 span. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Allen Aldridge snapped the ball over the head of Lions punter John Jett and out of the end zone for a safety. Desmond Howard returned the ensuing free punt 19 yards to the Green Bay 48, and five plays later, following a 29-yard toss from Favre to Bill Schroeder, Levens ran 2 yards for a touchdown and a 15-14 Packers lead. Still, the fireworks were far from over. Notes: Sloan's touchdown reception was not only the longest catch of his career, it more than doubled his previous best -- a 33-yarder last year against Minnesota. ... Detroit lost two starters to injury -- guard Tony Semple dislocated his left elbow, and cornerback Bryant Westbrook pulled his right hamstring. Semple is out indefinitely, but Westbrook said after the game he expects to play next weekend in Kansas City. ... Green Bay tight end Mark Chmura left the game with a stinger and mild concussion. His condition will be evaluated after tests in Green Bay. ... Freeman caught six passes for 85 yards despite battling the flu. Packer coach Ray Rhodes gave Freeman several breathers during the game to try to keep him fresh for the fourth quarter.
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