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PACKERS BACK IN PLAYOFF PICTURE AFTER TWO-GAME WINNING STREAK
posted 12/12/00
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| RB Ahman Green had an excellent game against the Lions, posting 4 receptions for 17 yards and 1 touchdown receiving, and 27 carries for 118 yards and 1 touchdown rushing. |
THE WEEK PAST: Turnabout, in the Packers' collective mind, is fair play. In their first 2000 meeting with Detroit - a road engagement at the Pontiac, Mich., Silverdome, they fell victim to five turnovers - and the Lions, eventually bowing, 31-24.
Poetically, In their rematch over the weekend, the Packers forced the visiting Lions into a like number of turnovers (3 interceptions and 2 lost fumbles) and parlayed them, a tightfisted defense, some inspired running by Ahman Green and a late-blooming offense into a 26-13 victory on a December afternoon which saw the wind chill register a frosty 5 degrees.
The Green and Gold also profited from some major special teams contributions, chief among them a 60-yard return of the game's opening kickoff by the explosive Allen Rossum leading to a 22-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell.
Longwell was to add three more field goals before the afternoon was over, staking the Packers to a 12-3 lead before they were able to reach the end zone twice in the fourth quarter to break open what had been a taut and tense struggle for 3-1/2 quarters.
So close was it, in fact, that the Packers led by a mere 6-3 until late in the third quarter. Longwell added a 27-yard field goal late in the first quarter to give the Green and Gold what became a 6-0 halftime advantage and later, a third, 26-yard field goal in the final minute of the third quarter, providing a still-tenuous 9-3 lead. The latter was precipitated by a diving Darren Sharper interception which put the Packers offense in play at the Detroit 43-yard line.
The Lions, limited to a mere 94 yards during the first half by Donatell's attacking defense, did not get on the scoreboard until the midpoint of the third period when placekicker Jason Hanson connected from 26 yards.
Another Packers interception, this one by Antuan Edwards at the Green Bay 35 early in the fourth quarter, was the springboard to Longwell's fourth field goal, a 45-yard bullseye which came seven plays later.
The Lions, however, had not called it a day. Following A 33-yard kickoff return by former Packer Desmond Howard to the Detroit 45, they swept 55 yards in 7 plays for their only touchdown of the afternoon, a 39-yard strike from quarterback Charlie Batch to wideout Germane Crowell carrying them to the Green Bay 4-yard line. Then, on fourth down, running back James Stewart subsequently vaulted over the pile from the one-yard line for the score. Hanson's conversion made it uncomfortably close at 12-10.
But not, it turned out, for long. The Packers rebounded to score in just six plays, Favre presiding over an 80-yard drive punctuated by 29 and 45-yard passes to Antonio Freeman and Bill Schroeder, respectively, and a 3-yard strike to Green, who crashed over the right corner pylon into the end zone for the score. That, with Longwell's conversion, made it 19-10.
The Lions also had something left, moving 40 yards to the Green Bay 16-yard line following the kickoff, before settling for a 36-yard Hanson field goal, trimming Green Bay's lead to an unsafe, 19-13.
Here the Packers decided enough was enough. After Schroeder batted Hanson's "onside" effort out of bounds on the ensuing kickoff, the Green and Gold acted expeditiously, reaching the end zone in two plays after taking over at the Detroit 40.
Green hit right end for one yard, then on second down, bolted up the middle, into the open and raced 39 yards into the end zone, formally "closing the deal."
Favre, bedeviled by the 10-mph winds had to be content with 15 pass completions in 36 attempts for 208 yards and one touchdown, with one interception.
Green, more of a workhorse than at any other time this season, carried the football no fewer than 27 times - a career high - for 118 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 4 passes for 17 yards, swelling his team-leading reception total to 60.
COACH SHERMAN'S POSTGAME COMMENTS:
(on the performance and the result) "We won a football game, late in the season, against a good football team that's headed to the playoffs, so I think we did OK...I'll take this one."
(on Tyrone Williams' injury) "His neck stiffened up on him over night. And he came in here this morning and we couldn't get it loosened up, and he did not participate very much in pre-game warmups and came in and the trainers worked feverishly on that neck, trying to loosen it up. We got him back out there but we couldn't get it, so we'll have to wait and see on that, but it is neck spasms."
(on 'the progress of the team, to win on day when Brett (Favre) at his best') "I think it's a good, solid win, to be able to do something when your best player on the team didn't have his best day...Now we say Brett didn't have his best day, but he made some critical throws in this game to get us in the position to win this game. Also, the conversation he has with those guys on the sideline and in the huddle - who's to say how much of an impact those words he's telling them didn't make a difference as well. I mean, I have nothing but good things to say about him. He didn't have his best day but he had a good enough day for us to win."
(on 'how much of a factor' the weather was) "I don't think that was much a factor - we just didn't execute...The footing was a little bit slick. Really, in the running game and the passing game, it didn't feel comfortable making cuts. So I would say the footing was a factor. There were some runs I thought we were going to hit...We'd make a cut and we'd slip. I guess that was a factor, to a certain degree, but I certainly don't want to use that as an excuse for why we didn't convert on our opportunities on turnovers."
(on how he is 'feeling about the team right now') "I'm thrilled about our team. I'm thrilled about the character of the men on this team...how they've battled. There were a lot of guys in that game...Frankie Winters was hurt, Na'il Diggs was hurt...there were a number of guys. Our longsnapper (Rob Davis) hyper-extended his elbow. And participated in this game. There were a number of guys playing hurt - I think there are some tough guys on this team. I think they developed that over the course of the season. Never one time was there ever on our team, anybody saying anything negative on the sideline...even in the offensive struggle. They're very positive with each other...It's a high caliber group that way. I'm very proud of this football team in regard to its character development, its chemistry and how it held together."
(on the defensive line) "The defense line all year has had setback after setback and they keep working. You just put another guy in there and they rise to the occasion. I'm very proud of these guys."
(on the play of the special teams) "One thing, I challenged the guys all week long. Studying this team, and I looked at Detroit's losses and it seemed like if you could win the turnover margin, which we did today, you had a shot. Because they're a tremendous team at creating turnovers. And our defense and our special teams created turnovers...for a season high...I think we tied out turnover total against Minnesota (November 6)...I can't say enough about that.
"We also talked about converting on third down. In spite of our lack of productivity on offense totally, our third-down situation wasn't all that bad. It wasn't great but it was above average.
"And then we talked about special teams play...to make sure that we contained Desmond Howard. He's the best punt returner in the business - he's averaging 16.8 yards on the punt return and over 25 yards on kickoff returns, and just keeping him out of the end zone was a major emphasis for us."
(on whether 'playing in cold weather is an advantage for the Packers) "It's not a distraction for us and if that's an advantage...Detroit goes out to practice in minus-8 degrees climate as well as we do. We do play in it more because we are at home here the last part of the season a couple of times. But I don't think it's a totally distinct advantage. I do think that when it starts to snow - and I talked to somebody today about putting snow machines on top of the new stadium. I thought if we could pump the snow in, it would be a good idea...'Geez, it wasn't snowing when we got in here.'
"But, I do think there is a mystique about Lambeau Field and the cold weather - and when it starts to snow. I do think there is a mystique there and I think other people have bought into that when they come in here."
(on the play of running back Ahman Green) "He continues to improve...He did make a mistake on a run - he went the wrong way on a run. We had to get that corrected. But, other than that, I thought he played a very good football game. We really needed to get a first down there at the end there or we would have been in a punt situation, and I certainly didn't want to do that. And that last touchdown (on a 39-yard run by Green), obviously, was huge. To run against that defense with the amount of people they have inside there, and to seal that and make that cut...It was blocked very well, as well."
(on how he feels about the team getting back to .500 - at 7-7) "Yeah...It gives me a night's sleep, anyway. It's the first time we've been at this stage since the end of September, so to be 7-and-7 right now...I think the team is responding. They really enjoyed this win.
"As tough as it was, I think we really gained some momentum on this win. That's not going to do anything for us next week...It'll make next week's practices a lot more crisp...but this was a great win for us."
THE PLAYER PERSPECTIVE
Brett Favre
(on the weather having had an effect on his play and the game): "I have to be honest...yeah...it was tough. It wasn't the coldest I've played in but it was difficult to throw. I shouldn't say it was difficult to throw...it was difficult to be accurate.
"And I told (offensive coordinator) Tom Rossley on the phones late in the third quarter, 'I said, hey, I'm struggling with my accuracy, which is probably an understatement, but don't change the way you call the game. You know, keep shooting it...I was frustrated within, but they pay you for four quarters."
(on whether 'it was the cold, or gripping the ball?') "I couldn't feel the ball. It felt like a balloon...But you still have to play."
(on the success of the running game) "In these types of conditions, we typically run the ball better. We earned everything we got today.
"I know we're good in these conditions. Or better than the next team. It's an advantage for us. Like I said, for three-and-a-half hours, you just have to tough it out."
(on the importance of the win) "After the game Mike (Head Coach Mike Sherman) said it best. He said this team has faced all kinds of adversity...with injuries...in games, we've been up and down...But I think it was a prime example of the kind of team we have.
"Detroit's a fine football team - very good. Their defense - I can't say enough about how they played - considering the injuries they've had - they played hard. And they didn't give us anything. We had some opportunities, that I should say I let slip away. But our defense rose to the occasion - they made some huge plays. Special teams - we made some big plays. And we stopped Desmond (Howard, the Lions' dangerous return specialist).
"We ran the ball well...the offensive line played hard So basically, it was guys lifting the next one up. The defense lifted the offense up...You did it when you had to...But nobody ever gave up.
"You know, I knew I was struggling, missing some throws, but just keep shooting it, and believing you can do it. And you know you can do it. No one was frustrated, no one said, 'Hey...The defense wasn't getting on the offense...the offense on the defense...the special teams...just hung in there.
"And, you know, if we can hang in there and have a chance, I feel very good about this team making a play. You know, Ahman Green - I can't say enough about the way he's played this year.
"(And) the offensive line. That (Detroit) front four is as good a front four as you'll play against. And they made plays today. Our offensive line hung in there and gave us an opportunity to win.
"And I hate to say it, but sometimes you've got to win games like that. And, as I sit here in front of you, I know there'll be another game like this...sometime. It could be Tampa (December 24), it could be next week. It can't always be pretty - you can't always blow teams out. But I've played great before and we've lost.
"I've said this so many times in the past this season - that I've had enough touchdowns, I've had enough awards, and people saying nice things about me...that'll carry over for the rest of my life. All I care about is wins. I think anybody watching the game saw the excitement in my face at the end of the game, and that's what it's all about."
(on the team) "I just know we've earned everything we've gotten this year. I know you can look at it and say it isn't very much, but this team could have given up a long time ago."
Ahman Green
(on his 100-yard performance): "I know if I can get a certain amount of carries, a certain amount of yards, receptions and touchdowns, that's going to be a factor in this game.
"With this offense, basically you're going to have a running game no matter who is back there. If you don't have a running game, you don't have a passing game in the West Coast offense."
(on whether his 27 carries - and 118-yard rushing performance had been 'big' for him) "Compared to the past two years, yes...I'm not accustomed to it. But coming out of college at Nebraska, we ran the ball a lot. I remember having 25-some-ood carries a game so I'm not a stranger to it at all. It's just a little bit new to me because it's been a couple years since I've been having big-carry games and a big yardage day."
(on whether the weather had been 'a factor al all' with him) "No...nothing"...(And at Nebraska) "Oh, the practices in Nebraska were pretty bad, where the wind chill was 20-below...Weather-wise, I'm getting right back used to it after spending two years at Seattle. I think the lowest we ever got there was maybe 32."
(on a possible 1,000-yard season) "It would be a great accomplishment for myself, for my O-line and my teammates. In the beginning nobody expected - myself, I didn't expect - to be in a position where I am now. Right now I'm proud of the way it's come out. With the hard work I've put in, my O-line and Brett telling me little things to keep my confidence going."
(on being 'the guy') "I think with this offense, basically, you've got to have a running game, because if you don't have a running game, the passing game doesn't work in the West Coast offense. If you watch all the teams that run the ball first, the running back's got to run hard. The back there in San Francisco, Charlie Garner, he's running hard. And when he's running hard, Jeff Garcia is putting up big numbers passing the ball. We're trying to get the same thing here."
Darren Sharper
(on creating turnovers): "All year we've done a bad job of creating fumbles, stripping the ball. Today we did a good job of doing that, of getting our hands on the ball and holding on to interceptions."
LeRoy Butler
"We have a big game coming up next week (at Minnesota). I look forward to that. That's what it's going to take. Right now our game is a one-game season. OK, we won this one, let's enjoy it, let's learn from how you have to play it...These games are big, division opponents."
NOTE-WORTHY:
- Sunday's victory was the Packers' 72nd in their 70-year-old series with Detroit. The Lions have won 62 and there have been 7 ties.
- It was the Packers' ninth consecutive regular season win over Detroit on Wisconsin turf, including three victories at Milwaukee County Stadium. The "home" winning streak against the Lions is ten in a row if a wild card playoff triumph in 1994 is included.
- The Packers and Lions now have split their home-and-home series for the fourth consecutive year.
- Enjoying favorable field position for the most part, the Packers started seven drives in Detroit territory during the course of the afternoon.
- The miserly Packers defense held the Lions to one field goal until late in the third quarter. The visitors, shut out in the first half, had only three first downs at the intermission.
- Quarterback Brett Favre now is 26-0 in home games when the kickoff temperature is 34 degrees or lower. Sunday's game-time temperature was 25 degrees.
- Tod McBride's end zone interception early in the second quarter, blunting a major Detroit threat, was his second of the season. McBride had replaced Tyrone Williams at right cornerback after the later had left the game late in the first period with a stiff neck.
- Heavy pressure from defensive end Vonnie Holliday was a key element in McBride's interception.
- Linebacker Na'il Diggs, returning to action after sitting out three games with a knee injury, made the biggest play of his rookie season late in the second quarter, scooping up a fumble (forced by fellow linebacker Bernardo Harris) and returning it 52 yards to the Detroit 27-yard line. His heroic went for naught, however, when the Lions' Darnell Walker intercepted a Favre pass in the end zone seconds before the first half ended.
- Tight end Ryan Wetnight suffered a concussion in the first half and did not return to the game.
- Allen Rossum has amassed 1,184 yards with 45 kickoff returns - the third-highest, single-season KOR yardage total in Packers history. He has averaged 26.3 yards for 45 runbacks.
- Tyrone Davis started Sunday's game at tight end in place of rookie Bubba Franks.
- Brett Favre (offense), LeRoy Butler (defense) and Ryan Wetnight (special teams) were Packers captains for Sunday's game.
- Packers inactives for Sunday's contest included running backs Dorsey Levens and Herbert "Whisper" Goodman, safety Chris Akins, linebacker Brian Williams, offensive tackle Earl Dotson, wide receiver Corey Bradford, defensive tackle David Richie and designated Third Quarterback Danny Wuerffel.
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