GREEN BAY (AP) — Aaron Rodgers threw a late interception and the Green Bay Packers lost 20-16 on Sunday to the Detroit Lionsto stay out of the playoffs.
After winning four straight games and getting a lot of help from other teams, the Packers were in control of their postseason options in the final game of the NFL regular season.
But they couldn’t beat the Lions, who had been eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks they defeated Los Angeles Rams 19-16 in extra time.
Instead, Seattle (9-8) clinched the final NFC playoff berth and will face San Francisco (13-4) in the first round. The Packers (8-9) missed the playoffs for the first time in Matt LaFleur’s four seasons as coach.
Rodgers went 17 of 27 for 205 yards with a touchdown and was crucial on the final pass of what could be the four-time MVP’s last game at Lambeau Field. Rodgers, 39, has said that he does not know if he will continue playing next season.
During the meeting he became the eighth NFL player to complete at least 5,000 career passes.
The second one-yard touchdown of Jamaal Williams against his old team he put the Lions ahead with 5:55 remaining. Williams added 17 touchdown runs to break the Lions single-season record set by Barry Sanders in 1991.
Green Bay only reached their line of 33 on the next series before they Kerby Joseph caught Rodgers’ pitch with 3 1/2 minutes remaining. Detroit held the ball the rest of the game.
