Packers' Coach Mike McCarthy had been so incensed with his players' poor performance last week he considered making his starters play a full four quarters in an otherwise inconsequential regular-season finale. McCarthy cooled off by Sunday, deciding to rest several top players for the playoffs. It turned out he didn't really have to choose between playing it safe and playing to win in Green Bay's 34-13 victory over Detroit. The Packers (13-3) didn't need their starters to beat the lowly Lions, tie a franchise record for victories in a season and rebound from an ugly loss in windy and cold conditions at Chicago. "I think it punched us right in the mouth, and it was a good wake-up call," McCarthy said of last week's loss to the Bears. "The most important thing about a wake-up call, in my opinion, is how you respond to it."

The Detroit Lions are expected to fire Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz after Sunday's season finale against Green Bay. The Lions will replace the veteran coach with Receivers'Coach Kippy Brown. The little blotch on Martz's resume shouldn't be enough, however, to keep him unemployed for long, The Times said. Martz will likely be pursued by the struggling San Francisco 49ers as a replacement for current Offensive Coordinator Jim Hostler. The 49ers are apparently turning to Martz because of his familiarity with the NFC West and successful pedigree as coach of the St. Louis Rams (2000-2005), the paper reported.

For a second straight year, Detroit Lions' starting tailback Kevin Jones has suffered a serious, late-season injury, one that will likely require extensive rehabilitation and probably preclude him from participating in the team's offseason program and possibly training camp. Coach Rod Marinelli confirmed Monday afternoon that Jones tore the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee late in the first half of Sunday's victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Team physicians will wait until swelling subsides Marinelli said, before making a determination on whether surgery is needed to repair the ligament. "We'll see how it comes out later this week," Marinelli said. But it is rare that an ACL injury does not require surgery. And if Jones goes under the knife, he faces a rehabilitation stint of 8-10 months.

The Detroit Lions took advantage of playing a team slumping more than them and avoided making NFL history. T.J. Duckett ran for a season-high 102 yards and a touchdown, helping Detroit hold on for a 25-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Detroit had a 19-point lead in the first half, but the victory wasn't sealed until Chiefs receiver Samie Parker foolishly dived to the ground at the Lions 30 after getting a lateral with no time left. The Lions (7-8) snapped a six-game losing streak and surpassed the most victories they've had in seven seasons under team president Matt Millen. Detroit also guaranteed it won't be the first team in the league to finish 6-10 after winning six of its first eight games. Kansas City (4-11) has dropped eight straight, the franchise's worst skid since losing nine in a row in 1987. The Chiefs also lost for the 11th time this season, a first for the club since 1988.

Detroit Lions' wide receiver Roy Williams wanted to play in the regular-season finale at Green Bay if something was at stake. Nothing will be on the line for the Lions, other than pride, thanks to their second-half collapse. So the team put Williams on injured reserve Wednesday with a right knee injury. "That makes the most sense," Williams said. "There's a chance I could've played if it meant something, but it doesn't. If we were playing for the playoffs, of course I would've tried my best to play." Midway through the season, the Lions positioned themselves to be in the postseason for the first time since 1999. Now, Detroit (6-8) hosts the Kansas City Chiefs (4-10) on Sunday and likely needs a win to avoid infamy. If the Lions lose to the Chiefs and Packers, they will be the first team in NFL history to start 6-2 and finish 6-10.

Jason Witten got a chance to make up for his big mistake. Witten caught a 16-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass with 18 seconds left, lifting the Dallas Cowboys to a 28-27 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. With the win, Dallas (12-1) clinched the NFC East and moved a step closer to earning home-field advantage in the conference playoffs. The tight end had career highs with 15 receptions and 138 yards and was able to enjoy his accomplishments because he redeemed himself after fumbling inside the 1 midway through the fourth quarter. Detroit (6-7) has lost five straight and won't be able to live up to quarterback Jon Kitna's expectations of a 10-win season. Romo was 35-of-44 for 302 yards and two TDs, helping the Cowboys win 12 of their first 13 games for the first time in franchise history.

Detroit Lions' wide receiver Roy Williams is likely to miss the rest of the regular season because of a sprained knee. Lions' Coach Rod Marinelli announced Monday that Williams has a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and that he will miss "several weeks." Marinelli said the injury was similar to the one sustained by cornerback Stanley Wilson in the Thanksgiving Day loss to Green Bay, after which Wilson was put on injured reserve.

Adrian Peterson was listed as probable for the Vikings' game against the Lions on Sunday after missing two games because of a torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. "He had some soreness, which you would expect ... just from the inactivity," Coach Brad Childress said after practice Friday.