Lions Get the Drop on Saints : NFC: New Orleans makes eight turnovers, setting up all of Detroit’s points in a 27-10 victory.

Coach Wayne Fontes told his Detroit Lions not to expect any gifts from the New Orleans Saints, so it turned out to be a surprise party.

The Lions capitalized on eight turnovers Sunday to beat the Saints, 27-10.

“I told the team all week long that whatever else might happen, the Saints will not give this game away,” Fontes said. “Whenever you get that many turnovers, you ought to win the football game.”

All the Lions’ points came after turnovers by New Orleans (2-5).

The biggest one was a 53-yard fumble return by linebacker Jimmy Williams that put the Lions ahead, 17-10, in the third quarter.

“It’s the fulfillment of a dream for every defensive player to make a score that makes a turning point in a game,” Williams said.

“I said to myself, ‘If a lineman catches me, I’ll be embarrassed.’ The last thing you want to see happen on the film is a big lineman running you down.”

Detroit (3-4) drove 54 yards to a five-yard touchdown pass from Rodney Peete to Robert Clark in the second quarter on a drive set up by Ray Crockett’s interception of a pass from Steve Walsh.

Rich Karlis kicked field goals of 25 yards and 39 yards, and Barry Sanders scored for the Lions with 1:55 left on a two-yard run, one play after Darren Carrington recovered a fumbled punt.

New Orleans Coach Jim Mora was happy only with his defense, which held Sanders to 10 yards rushing.

“We got good heat on Peete,” Mora said. “And Barry Sanders is, I think, the best back in the game, and I thought we played a good game against him.”

Walsh had three passes intercepted, two in the second half, and fumbled a handoff in the third quarter to contribute to the Saints’ defeat. New Orleans’ first four possessions of the second half ended in turnovers--two interceptions and two fumbles--and Detroit turned three of them into scores.

Linebacker Chris Spielman intercepted Walsh’s pass to give the Lions the ball at the New Orleans 42 and Karlis’ 25-yard field goal tied the score, 10-10.

Rueben Mayes fumbled when hit by LeRoy Irvin, Williams picked it up and ran down the right sideline to score the go-ahead touchdown.

Walsh hit Gill Fenerty’s arm with a handoff and Crockett recovered at the New Orleans 36-yard line. Six plays later, Karlis kicked his 39-yarder.

Walsh completed 19 of 27 passes for 119 yards.

Peete was 16 of 24 for 246 yards. Clark, a former Saint who signed with the Lions as a Plan B free agent in 1989, caught six passes for 127 yards.