Lions Start Packing for Postseason With Win

There were hugs and backslaps and plenty of smiles to go around in Wayne Fontes’ finest hour as coach of the Detroit Lions.

“We’re in the playoffs, and I can’t believe it,” Fontes said after the Lions endured subzero windchill to beat the Green Bay Packers, 21-17, and earn their first playoff spot since 1983.

“We had a lot to prove. We’re good enough to win anywhere. But we still want more than just the playoffs. We have a chance to win the division,” said Fontes, whose team was without five injured starters.

The Lions’ victory, their first outdoors in five games this season, gave them an 11-4 record, tying a franchise record for victories last reached in 1962. And they still are in contention for the NFC Central Division title.

Barry Sanders gained 85 yards in 27 carries for the Lions and Erik Kramer completed 14 of 29 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns.

The Lions also got a 78-yard fourth-quarter punt return from Mel Gray.

“I started to fair-catch the ball and then I said, ‘It’s time to go for it,’ and things worked out,” said Gray, whose return through the startled Packers made the score 21-10 with 10:42 left. “It’s a split-second decision. I felt the room. I made a couple of jukes and then there was daylight.”

Packer quarterback Mike Tomczak completed 18 of 40 passes for 207 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Vince Workman with 4:10 left that rallied the Packers to within 21-17. Green Bay got the ball back and moved to the Lions’ 44, but Workman was stopped short on a fourth-and-one play with 2:11 left.

“They had inches. We thought ‘run’ all the way and I saw an opening and grabbed him by the legs,” said Lion linebacker Chris Spielman. “Bennie (Blades) got him on the top. It was a big play. We’ve got people down and out, but we’re winning ugly.”

The Packers (3-12) lost for the 17th time in the 20 games in what might have been Coach Lindy Infante’s final home game. Infante’s record in four years is 23-40.

“I think everybody understands what we’ve been going through and what I’ve been going through,” said Infante, who is 0-3 since Ron Wolf took over as general manager with the power to fire or retain the coach.

“It’s been very frustrating. We’re just either not good enough, getting enough breaks or making enough mistakes or something like that to lose games.”

Game-time temperature was 10 degrees, with wind chills between 10- and 20-below. That was a little warmer than last December’s meeting between the teams, when the temperature was 2 degrees with a wind chill of minus-35.