Lions Win, Put Packers Into Playoff Freezer

The Detroit Lions left the Green Bay Packers out in the cold Saturday. And out of the NFL playoffs.

Barry Sanders ran six yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 3:37 left and Ray Crockett returned a fumble recovery for another score in the fourth quarter as the Lions beat the Packers, 24-17, in the coldest game at Lambeau Field since the 1967 “Ice Bowl.”

The Packers (6-9) lost their fourth in a row and were eliminated from contention for the third NFC wild-card spot. The Lions, already out of the playoff picture, also are 6-9.

Game-time temperature was two degrees, with winds of 23 m.p.h. That resulted in a wind-chill of minus-28.

“Once you’re out there, no matter how much you put on, you’re still cold. You try to block it out, but you can’t,” said Crockett, who ended Green Bay’s final threat with an interception.

Crockett’s freak 22-yard fumble return with 10:42 left tied the score, 17-17. Green Bay’s Ed West caught a pass, but the ball popped into the air after he hit the ground. Crockett caught the ball before it hit the ground and ran in for the touchdown.

“It bounced off his body,” Crockett said. “I didn’t know whether it was an interception or a fumble, but I knew it was a live ball.”

Green Bay’s Michael Haddix fumbled at the Detroit 26 with 7:32 left and Detroit’s Chris Spielman recovered. Sanders, who carried 19 times for 133 yards, then ran 37 yards to the Packers’ 13. Three plays later, he sprinted around the right side for the go-ahead touchdown.

“I’ve played in snow, but it wasn’t this cold,” said Sanders, who took over the league rushing lead from San Diego’s Marion Butts. “I thought we did a great job of keeping team morale up. We anticipated it being cold, but not this cold. We knew were in for a freezer.”

Third-string quarterback Blair Kiel, making his second NFL start in six seasons, moved Green Bay to the Lions’ 14 in the closing minutes. But Crockett intercepted with 1:51 remaining to end the threat.

“I really thought we were going to score on that last drive,” said Kiel, who completed 20 of 36 passes for 239 yards. “The field was very icy in the middle, but we can’t use that as an excuse. We just did not do it--again.”

The Packers, who failed to make the playoffs last season despite a 10-6 record, are out again.

“We will probably end up 6-10 and that’s very disappointing,” Green Bay Coach Lindy Infante said. “But really we should not even be considered for a spot because we are not playing all that well at this time.”

Darrell Thompson’s 76-yard kickoff return to open second-half gave Green Bay a 14-7 lead, which was cut to 14-10 by Eddie Murray’s 22-yard field goal. Chris Jacke’s 25-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in the third quarter put the Packers ahead, 17-10.