PRO FOOTBALL : Loss Turns Lion Kings Into Paupers : Interconference: Following big victory over Dallas, Detroit loses to New England, 23-17.

Barry Sanders couldn’t do it all by himself, not even against the NFL’s worst defense. Especially when that defense made two late interceptions.

Call it a post-Monday night letdown.

The New England Patriots defeated the Detroit Lions, 23-17, Sunday despite two vintage touchdown runs of 35 and 39 yards by Sanders.

“I thought we might have a shot today because I knew the difficult situation Detroit was in, coming off a big win on Monday night,” Patriot Coach Bill Parcells said. “I’ve been in that situation before and I know how tough it is.

“I thought if we were sharp, we’d have a pretty good shot to win the game.”

Parcells was talking about last Monday night, when Sanders rushed 40 times for 194 yards in the Lions’ 20-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The Lions arrived home late after the long flight back from Dallas and practiced poorly all week.

“They outplayed us,” Detroit Coach Wayne Fontes said. “It’s a big-time league and you have to be up every week or you’re going to get beat.”

Drew Bledsoe, who had passed for more than 300 yards in each of the Patriots’ first three games--making New England’s offense the best in the league--completed 21 of 33 for 251 yards against Detroit, including a seven-yard touchdown pass to Ben Coates.

“We realized the Lions might be down after their big win at Dallas,” Bledsoe said. “But this is still a huge win for us.”

Sanders carried 18 times for 131 yards. Scott Mitchell was 14 of 29 for 189 yards, but his two second-half interceptions thwarted the kind of comeback the Lions staged in Dallas.

“I think we all sensed we weren’t emotionally into the game as we should have been,” Mitchell said. “But good teams find a way to win and play over that, and we didn’t.”

Three of Detroit’s mistakes--a shanked punt by Greg Montgomery that traveled only 22 yards, one of Mitchell’s interceptions and a bad guess by the coaching staff--led to field goals by Matt Bahr.

Detroit had a fourth and one at its own 38 on its first possession of the game, but the Lions elected not to punt and sent Mitchell on a quarterback sneak.

It failed, and the Patriots soon had a 3-0 lead on a 20-yard field goal by Bahr. His other field goals were from 28 and 21 yards.