Packers Survive Scare From Winless Lions

The Green Bay Packers don’t feel sorry for the winless Detroit Lions.

They’re just happy to escape Detroit.

The Lions made up all but two points of a 16-point deficit in the final seven minutes with two touchdowns and a two-point conversion, before Green Bay survived with a 29-27 victory Thursday.

“It’s not our place to feel bad for the other team,” Green Bay’s William Henderson said. “It’s on them to turn it around.”

The Packers (7-3) won in the Silverdome for the first time in five years and for only the second time in the regular season since 1992 to close within a half-game of Chicago in the NFC Central.

But the Lions once again came close to their first victory of the season, missing a chance to send the game into overtime when rookie quarterback Mike McMahon threw an incomplete pass on a two-point conversion with 10 seconds left.

“For 10 years, the games here have always been like this--turnovers and a lot of wild things,” said Brett Favre, who had thrown 10 interceptions in his last four games in Detroit. “I’m just thankful that we got this win, because we have come in here and lost with better records and better teams.”

This time, Favre was 18 of 26 for 252 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions and one fumble. Ahman Green ran for 102 yards and a touchdown and also caught a 35-yard touchdown pass for the Packers.

Detroit (0-10) has lost its last seven by an average of 4.6 points.

“Our goal is to go 6-10, period,” Detroit Coach Marty Mornhinweg said. “This football team has been through seven down-to-the wire crazy games.”

A defensive touchdown gave Detroit a 13-10 lead late in the first half, but the Packers scored the next 19 points and appeared to be set to win easily.

But McMahon, who was nine of 20 for 89 yards with a touchdown, kept Detroit’s hopes alive.

“I have the utmost respect for Charlie Batch, who is a class guy,” Green Bay Coach Mike Sherman said, “but when Mike McMahon came in the game, it turned the whole game around.”

Lamont Warren’s one-yard touchdown and McMahon’s two-point conversion run cut the deficit to 29-21 with 1:17 left. After Todd Lyght recovered an on-side kick, McMahon threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to rookie Scotty Anderson on fourth and eight with 10 seconds left. But McMahon scrambled and threw a pass through the end zone on the two-point try.

Batch was eight of 19 for 118 yards with no touchdowns, an interception and a fumble before McMahon, who played one series in the first half, came on midway through the fourth quarter.

Batch had set franchise records for completions (36), attempts (62) and yards (436) in the last week’s loss at Arizona. He said he couldn’t plant and throw effectively because of a groin pull.

McMahon refused to fuel a quarterback controversy.

“I still have a long way to go,” the fifth-round pick from Rutgers said. “Charlie is definitely the man.”

Detroit’s James Stewart, who missed the previous four games with a sprained right ankle, rushed for 102 yards in 14 carries.

Trailing, 13-10, Green Bay responded by driving 81 yards on nine plays, capped by Favre’s one-yard pass to David Martin 18 seconds before halftime.

Green turned a short pass into a 35-yard touchdown catch, which he ran untouched, to make it 24-13.

After a Ryan Longwell field goal, Green Bay’s Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila sacked Batch and forced a fumble just outside of the Lions’ end zone and Warren pounced on it for a safety.