Sanders Rushes for 188 Yards to Lead Lions to 34-31 Victory : NFC: Running back sets personal record for yards in a season as Detroit defeats Green Bay to keep playoff hopes alive.

Watching Barry Sanders run was almost like a religious experience for Detroit Coach Wayne Fontes.

Sanders rushed 20 times for 188 yards and one touchdown Sunday and the Lions held on for a 34-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

The outgoing Fontes was almost speechless after the record-setting day by Sanders kept the Lions’ hopes alive for an NFC wild-card berth and probably sank Green Bay’s chances.

“People will think I’m getting religion. But Barry Sanders is one of a kind,” Fontes said. “I’ve seen them all. I watch miles and miles of film. I see hundreds each year.

“But when they made him, that’s the prototype you want. Guys, he’s the best I’ve ever seen. And he’s a whale of an individual. He’s just one guy you want on the team.”

A 63-yard run by Sanders set up a go-ahead one-yard touchdown dive by Derrick Moore with 9:02 left. Sanders broke his single-season record of 1,548 yards, set in 1991, during the run.

Sanders now leads the NFL with 1,594 rushing yards. That leaves him 406 shy of becoming the third player in history to rush for 2,000 yards.

“He’s a great one,” Green Bay Coach Mike Holmgren said. “He’s an awesome player, especially on the artificial turf field. No, he’s a great player anywhere.”

The Packers drove to the Lions’ 17 late in the fourth quarter, but Willie Clay came up with Detroit’s second interception. The Packers got the ball back with 1:51 remaining, but the Lions’ defense never let them beyond their own 46-yard line.

The victory was a payback for a 38-30 Green Bay victory three weeks ago when the Packers held Sanders to 47 yards in Milwaukee. The Lions (7-6) moved ahead of the Packers (6-7) in the NFC Central with Sunday’s victory.

Brett Favre completed 29 of 43 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns for Green Bay, but had two costly interceptions. They were rare mistakes for Favre, who had thrown for 13 touchdowns with only two interceptions in the five games before this one.

Detroit’s Dave Krieg was 18 of 30 for 196 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.

The score was 24-24 in the third quarter when Anthony Morgan, who had six catches for 103 yards, got behind cornerback Greg Jeffries for the second time in broken coverage and caught a 47-yard touchdown pass from Favre for a 31-24 Green Bay lead.

Jason Hanson, who had a 27-yard field goal in the first quarter, pulled Detroit within 31-27 with a 34-yard field goal.

There were three lead changes in the final 8:22 of the second quarter, when Detroit outscored the Packers, 21-7, for a 24-21 halftime lead.

The Packers took a 14-3 lead on a 27-yard pass from Favre to Morgan and a 96-yard kickoff return by Robert Brooks.

Detroit’s rally started when Robert Massey picked off a Favre pass for Sterling Sharpe and returned it 17 yards to the Green Bay 29. Two plays later, Krieg lofted a 24-yard touchdown pass to Herman Moore.

On Detroit’s next possession, Sanders carried three times for 68 yards, including a nifty 13-yard scamper around left end to give the Lions their first lead, 17-14.

Favre and Sharpe, who caught 10 passes for 115 yards, hooked up for a 22-yard touchdown pass play that put Green Bay ahead, 21-17. But the Lions, aided by a 23-yard pass interference call against Dave Evans, scored on a one-yard toss from Krieg to Scott Conover, an offensive tackle who lined up at right end on the play.