Lions Are Restless, Defeat Bills : Interconference: Buffalo keeps Thomas, Kelly and Lofton on sideline during 17-14 overtime loss.

The game between the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions could have been a showdown for the NFL rushing title between the Bills’ Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders of the Lions.

But with the AFC East championship already won, the Bills took no chances Sunday in their regular-season finale.

Buffalo Coach Marv Levy rested Thomas, quarterback Jim Kelly and wide receiver James Lofton during a 17-14 overtime loss that ended the Bills’ 17-game home winning streak.

Sanders, who entered the game 33 yards ahead of Thomas, rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown in 26 carries, but fell 15 yards short of Dallas’ Emmitt Smith, who finished the season with 1,563.

The Lions won the toss in overtime and drove from their 35-yard line to the Buffalo four before Eddie Murray kicked a 21-yard field goal to win the game.

“We were not at full strength physically or mentally,” Buffalo tackle Will Wolford said. “You don’t like to lose, but this is a game we’ll definitely be able to shrug off pretty easily. I’ve just about shrugged it off right now.”

The Lions, who won a franchise-record 12 games, will win the NFC Central title and a playoff bye if Chicago loses at San Francisco tonight.

The Bills, assured of the home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs, finished the regular season 13-3.

“We also had five guys who did not play this afternoon,” Lion Coach Wayne Fontes said, “and then we lost Dennis Gibson, we lost Bennie Blades (and) Willie Green.

“We were playing without eight players and to do what we did today . . . I’m very, very proud of this football team.”

Murray missed two chances to win the game for the Lions in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

His 40-yard field-goal attempt with 35 seconds remaining was wide left, but the Bills had 12 players on the field. Murray got another chance from 30 yards and again missed left. Both kicks were into a 20-m.p.h wind.

Erik Kramer of the Lions completed 17 of 36 passes for 251 yards and had two passes intercepted.

Frank Reich completed 15 of 25 passes for 166 yards, and Kenneth Davis gained 118 yards in 25 carries for the Bills.

Two fourth-quarter touchdowns by the Lions erased Buffalo’s early 7-0 lead. But the Bills took advantage of Sanders’ fumble to score a late touchdown that sent the game into overtime.

Cornerback Sheldon White scored the Lions’ second touchdown, returning an interception 18 yards with 5:19 left.

Sanders, who also caught three passes for 53 yards, scored the Lions’ other touchdown on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Davis set up the Lions’ second touchdown by tipping Reich’s overthrown pass into the hands of White at the Buffalo 18. White stumbled to the ground, got up and ran into the end zone untouched.

After the touchdown put Detroit ahead, 14-7, Sanders fumbled at the Detroit 20 with 2:38 left.

Darryl Talley recovered and, one play later, Reich connected with Steve Tasker for a 20-yard pass play that tied the score, 14-14.

The game drew a crowd of 78,059, giving Buffalo an NFL record for home attendance for a season at 635,889.