NFL

Packers play it safe and avoid safety to win in OT

GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Packers got two things they haven't had for most of the season: steady, conservative play from Brett Favre, and a big break.

Given a second chance after an apparent fourth-quarter safety was overturned, Green Bay drove 56 yards in overtime to set up Ryan Longwell's 28-yard field goal to beat Detroit.

The Lions wrapped up Packers running back Samkon Gado in the end zone with 6:59 left in regulation. Gado tried to toss the ball forward as he was being tackled and was flagged for intentional grounding, resulting in a safety that would have put the Lions ahead 15-13. But officials huddled and overturned the call, saying it was a forward pass and Gado was outside the tackle box.

The Packers were backed up in their territory after a goal-line stand. Linebacker Na'il Diggs stopped the Lions' Jeff Garcia on a fourth-and-goal sneak.

Favre was 21-for-31 for 170 yards, throwing one interception at the end of regulation. Gado rushed for 171 yards and a touchdown.

Other than the potentially costly end-zone gaffe, Gado starred for the Packers. The rookie rushed for 171 yards and a touchdown, a 64-yard scoring run in the second quarter. He gained the most yards ever by a Packer rookie and the seventh-most overall in Green Bay history.

The Packers played solid red zone defense all game, as the Lions drove inside Green Bay's 10-yard line four times but came away with only one touchdown.

[Last modified December 12, 2005, 01:11:08]