The loss was the worst coach Wayne Fontes had seen since coming to Detroit because the Bears “totally dominated” a 10-6 game, he said.
It is a phenomenon that can only happen in the NFC Central Division, where a 4-yard punt and a quarterback catching his own pass can be considered great plays.
“The better team won,” Fontes said. “I don’t think we blocked them once. If it wasn’t for Barry making some of the greatest runs I’ve ever seen, we probably would have had minus yardage.”
Then came news of an even worse loss.
Barry Sanders is gone. He had jumped out of the grasp of the Bears’ Mo Douglass on the last series of the third quarter, was smothered and went to the sideline to tell Fontes his left knee “felt very loose, felt like it was clicking.”
“I’ll let the doctor tell you,” Fontes said, apparently unable to bring himself to say it.
Partial tear, medial collateral ligament, left knee, no surgery, out three to five weeks.
“Hopefully in the three-week range. Being realistic, it could be longer,” said team physician David Collon.
The season ends in five weeks. For the Lions, the only sound in the locker room was whistling past the graveyard.
“We’re still in first place,” Fontes said.
“Still in first regardless of what happens this weekend,” said quarterback Rodney Peete.
“We won’t quit. We’ll have to go get a running back,” Fontes said.
Sanders appeared for an instant on crutches, then disappeared. He had spent the fourth quarter attached to an ice pack, a scene none of the Lions could recall before. The last time he left a game with an injury was his 1989 rookie year against the Bears, with a hip pointer that lingered and caused him to miss one game three weeks later. Sore ribs from the 1991 preseason caused him to miss the opener.
Sanders had been engaged in contract-extension talks, including veiled threats to walk out. Now he was limping away after the first knee injury of his life. Ironically, the Lions’ honorary captain Thursday was Billy Sims, the great running back whose career was cut short by a knee injury.
More Top Picks Best Bed Cooling Systems For Menopause Hot Flashes
Fontes made it clear the Lions didn’t lose the game because they lost Sanders.
“When he left, our total offense left, but we weren’t doing much with him in there,” Fontes said. “We just could not block them.”
This was a jolting development for the Lions, who spent $13 million on three free-agent blockers and boast the most expensive offensive line in football.
“They just knocked us around,” Fontes said.
“If I were watching the Lions, I wouldn’t give us much respect right now,” guard Bill Fralic said.
Tackle Lomas Brown disappeared afterward, much as Richard Dent left him. Tackle David Lutz was still looking for Trace Armstrong.
The Lions have played six quarters without a touchdown against the Packers and Bears.
“They might be the two best teams in the division right now,” Fontes said, as if the Bears-Packers game Dec. 5 in Soldier Field needs hype.
Linebacker Chris Spielman and Fontes dispelled the perception the Lions entered the game flat. It was the year’s first Silverdome sellout. The Lions love to play on Thanksgiving, their homecoming. Former guard Mike Utley sat on the sideline in a wheelchair.
The Lions were simply knocked flat. Coach Dave Wannstedt used live tackling drills during the week, and it paid off in a coaching video on how to tackle.
“Give Chicago credit,” Fontes said. “They beat us every way possible. They strangled our offense.”
“How can you say we were flat?” Spielman said. “We gave up one play.”
It was a perfect post pattern by Terry Obee against cornerback Ray Crockett, who had no inside help.
“The bottom line is, I didn’t make the play and he did,” Crockett said.
The Bears scored all their points after fumbles by Peete.
“To put the blame on Rodney would be ludicrous,” said Fontes, who never considered benching him. “He didn’t have time to take three steps.”
Fontes called Chris Gardocki’s scrambling punt out of the Bears’ end zone “tremendous. It jacked them up. If we get that, it’s a tie ballgame.”
Almost as good was quarterback Jim Harbaugh catching his own batted pass before linebacker Pat Swilling could. It was one of only two completions by Harbaugh in the second half, all it took. After the Bears had another one of those risky shovel passes intercepted, they couldn’t have played closer to their vests.
“That’s their offense,” Spielman said. “They want to get you in third and 2, third and 3, third and 4 and they’re happy. They dump it off and get a first down and try not to make mistakes. Punt and play defense, punt and play defense, punt and play defense.
“That’s our division, I guess.”
There was almost a hint of pride as well as frustration in Spielman’s voice.
More than frustration is plaguing the Lions’ offense.
“We could have thrown on them all day,” said receiver Herman Moore, covered by Donnell Woolford. “He gave me everything but the deep routes. We just didn’t take advantage of them.”
“We have to change and maybe open up a little bit more,” Peete said.
Fontes huddled with General Manager Chuck Schmidt.
“We have to generate offense,” Fontes said. “They came up with an eight-man line most of the game and said, `Throw it if you can.’ “
Derrick Moore is the only other running back on the Lions’ roster.
More Top Picks Best Small Donabe Pots
“You see teams all over the league carry on without great players,” Fralic said.