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Green Bay vs. Detroit
10/15/98 - Packers Lose 27-20
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| Reggie White sacked Lions' rookie QB Charlie Batch 2.5 times for 14.5 yards |
Turnovers.
Three of them killed the Green Bay Packers' chances Thursday night
before a sellout crowd at the Pontiac Silverdome, and the Lions went on
to win 27-20.
Quarterback Brett Favre threw three interceptions, due in part to
hurried passes by the Lions' defensive line, who at times overpowered
the Packers' offensive line.
The Packers did a good job containing running back Barry Sanders through
three quarters, preventing the big run. Defensive coordinator Fritz
Shurmur asked his ends to contain and his tackles to fill gaps.
But late in the fourth, Sanders broke one. Seventy-three yards later,
it was a touchdown, and the Lions never looked back. Sanders carried
the ball 25 times for a lethal 155 yards.
The Packers fell to 4-2, the same record they held last year before
returning to the Super Bowl. The Lions improved to 2-4.
On Sanders' touchdown run, linebacker Brian Williams, who made several
spectacular tackles along the line of scrimmage, was tackled by fullback
Tommy Vardell. Then Sanders broke Mike Prior's tackle. Prior was
playing for the injury-hampered LeRoy Butler.
Favre led the Packers back late to threaten, but Carrier, who was
assigned to play Favre's passes, picked off his second pass of the game
with 7:22 left and the Lions leading 24-13.
The Packers defense then held, but Favre threw another interception, his
ninth in three games.
The Packers started strong. Much like he did in Super Bowl XXXI, Favre
opened the scoring early on the Packers' first drive with an aerial
strike, this time looking off the defense left, then throwing a perfect
pass down the right sideline to receiver Antonio Freeman, who burned
down the field untouched for a 67-yard touchdown, and the Packers led
7-0.
(385K) | Packers Radio Network with the call!
Favre finds Freeman for first TD |
Roell Preston then returned a punt 16 yards to the Detroit 36. Using
Travis Jervey's speed and Raymont Harris' power as a change of pace on
the ground, Green Bay drove to the Detroit 10. Ryan Longwell's 28-yard
field goal made it 10-0.
Mike Prior had no trouble holding for Longwell, subbing for injured
quarterback Doug Pederson (broken jaw), who usually does the holding.
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| Travis Jervey carried the ball 19 times for 69 yards against the Lions |
After a Jason Hanson field goal made it 10-3, Detroit safety Mark
Carrier read Favre on a scramble and picked off his pass at the Detroit
45, returning it to the Green Bay 12. The Lions then drove down to
fourth-and-inches on the Green Bay 2 yard line. Quarterback Charlie
Batch faked to Barry Sanders and threw a little fade to the corner on
the left side of the end zone, where tight end Pete Chryplewicz stood,
unguarded, to catch the touchdown. All 11 Packers bit on the fake. Tie
score, 10-10.
If there was one bright spot, it was running back Travis Jervey. He was
the team's only consistent threat, gaining 69 yards on 19 carries for a
3.6-yard average.
The Packers opened the second half by driving deep into Detroit
territory behind solid run-blocking by guard Marco Rivera and tackle
Ross Verba, and Jervey's running. On one play, Jervey juked linebacker
Allen Aldridge to turn a 5-yard gain into an 8-yard gain. He was often
one step from breaking one.
But he couldn't.
Early on, Ryan Longwell's 40-yard field goal made put the Packers back
ahead, 13-10.
Then came a momentum-turner. After Sanders carried the Lions down to
first-and-goal, coach Bobby Ross took him out of the game in favor of
fullback Tommy Vardell. Vardell took the hand-off, and Keith McKenzie
batted the ball, and it squirted out, picked up by Packers safety Pat
Terrell.
Then rookie receiver Germane Crowell made a big play for the Lions. In
man-coverage in the slot, Batch laced a pass over safety Darren Sharper,
who had tight coverage, and Crowell embraced the ball with his right
hand, pulling it in and out-running the stunned Sharper for a 68-yard
touchdown. The Lions led, 17-13.
(337K) | Packers Radio Network with the call!
Freeman's second TD |
The Lions defense kept Favre off-balance and out of sync, jumping his
short timing routes and pressuring him out of the pocket. Meanwhile,
Batch didn't hurt his team.
The Packers now have 10 days off for the second-straight week after
their second-straight defeat. They return home to play the Baltimore
Ravens, who play this coming Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Scoring Summary
- 1st Quarter
- GBP: 67 yard TD pass; Favre to Freeman (Longwell kick) (10:30)
- GBP: 28 yard Longwell FG (3:08)
- 2nd Quarter
- DET: 25 yard Hanson FG (13:01)
- DET: 3 yard TD pass; Batch to Chryplewicz (Hanson kick) (9:59)
- 3rd Quarter
- GBP: 40 yard Longwell FG (11:25)
- 4th Quarter
- DET: 68 yard TD pass; Batch to Crowell (Hanson kick) (14:51)
- DET: 73 yard Sanders TD run (Hanson kick) (9:52)
- DET: 36 yard Hanson FG (2:08)
- GBP: 14 yard TD pass; Favre to Freeman (Longwell kick) (:08)
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