MORE PHOTOS Credit: Mark Hoffman Matt Flynn throws a 58-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson in the third quarter, one of six touchdown passes he threw to beat the Lions, 45-41.

Bob McGinn Game Analysis SHARE Play of the Game Click image to enlarge Playoff Glance Click to see complete playoff schedule Video Loading... By the Numbers MATT FLYNN 6 Touchdown passes, eclipsing the team record achieved eight times by five quarterbacks. 480 Yards passing, breaking Lynn Dickey's 31-year-old mark of 418. 3 Other quarterbacks who have passed for at least 475 yards and six touchdowns in a game: Y.A. Tittle, Joe Namath and Joe Montana. LIONS 244 Yards receiving for Calvin Johnson, shattering the 52-year-old mark for a Packers opponent set by the New York Giants' Gene "Choo Choo" Roberts. 520 Yards passing for Matt Stafford, a record for a Packers opponent, topping the 503 by Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger in 2009. GAME 59 First downs. 971 Combined yards net passing. 1,175 yards total offense.

Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers are so good, they can beat a snarling, motivated archrival that's headed for the playoffs without even trying.

That was the gist of the regular-season finale Sunday afternoon when the junior-varsity Packers shot down the Detroit Lions, 45-41, in one of the more surreal games ever contested at Lambeau Field.

"It was like a prelude to the playoffs," said nose tackle B.J. Raji, and it was, this 3-hour, 44-minute marathon that featured an incredible 11 lead changes, Matt Flynn's astounding and record-smashing performance and 1,175 yards, 59 first downs and a National Football League-record 971 net yards passing.

The difference, of course, is Green Bay won't be playing in the divisional playoffs with one fist tied behind its back.

Those seven players on Mike McCarthy's inactive list - MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers, three other Pro Bowlers, one Pro Bowl alternate and two solid starters - should all be ready for the first leg of the Packers' Super Bowl defense.

"It sends us into the playoffs in the right mind-set," said McCarthy, whose team has lost one of its last 22 games and nine of its last 45, but not one by more than six points.

"It's a new season. There's five teams we're battling against to get to Indianapolis. We're really focused on improving as a team."

The Packers (15-1), seeded first in the NFC for the first time since 1996, will play the lower-seeded survivor of wild-card games this weekend in New Orleans and New York.

New Orleans (13-3), the No. 3 seeding, hosts No. 6 Detroit (10-6). The Giants (9-7), the No. 4 seeding, host No. 5 Atlanta (10-6). Also idle will be No. 2 San Francisco (13-3).

No matter if their opponent is the Giants, Falcons or Lions, the Packers will open the postseason at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15 at Lambeau Field.

In some ways it was almost like a game in the backyard between school kids. Given McCarthy's decision to sit Clay Matthews, Charles Woodson and Rodgers even though they were healthy, the players who went out gambled with house money because there was nothing concrete at stake and for once they could know life as an underdog.

"We were fired up," defensive end Howard Green said. "Guys stepped up when Clay was out and 'Wood' was out. It just shows you that we always have an extra ace in the hole."

By winning, the Packers finished unbeaten (6-0) in the division for the first time in the 45-year history of divisional alignment. Even Vince Lombardi's first eight teams that competed before there were divisions always lost at least one game to Detroit, Chicago or Minnesota.

"That's strong," McCarthy said. "That's very strong. It just speaks volumes about the type of season we had."

The Lee Remmel Press Box probably wasn't even 50% filled Sunday. Had the Packers taken care of business in Kansas City, every seat no doubt would have been taken with reporters eager to chronicle what would have been just the second 16-0 regular season in NFL history.

These Packers fell short of the undefeated Patriots of 2007, but still had the honor of joining just four teams - the champion 49ers of 1984, the champion Bears of '85, the Vikings of '98 and the Steelers of '04 - that went 15-1.

"We think about it," said Green, remembering that the 19-14 stain in Kansas City cost the Packers their shot at becoming the first 19-0 team. "But it kind of reset everybody. Just to get back to the basic stuff and do your job and not worry about the awards and achievements."

The Packers performed in relative anonymity Sunday just as Flynn has for all but a handful of Sundays in his four seasons. When the snowy, slushy, windy day was done, the free agent-to-be Flynn had made an indelible mark in what might have been his first and only start at Lambeau Field.

Time after time, Flynn made remarkably pinpoint throws and intelligent decisions. With his team trailing by 41-38 with 2:39 left, he zipped five completions for 73 yards and the winning touchdown pass to Jermichael Finley.

Matthew Stafford brought the Lions as far as the Green Bay 37 with 30 seconds showing. But, compelled to take downfield shots against Dom Capers' eight-man umbrella zone, Stafford fired into traffic and was intercepted by Sam Shields.

The crowd, perhaps as spent as the participants, then was free to go celebrate in the Titletown night.

Five Packers had passed for five TD passes in a game but none had thrown for six before Flynn.

Lynn Dickey's passing mark of 418 yards against Tampa Bay in 1983 that had withstood 20 years of quarterbacking greatness from Brett Favre and Rodgers was overwhelmed by Flynn, who amassed 480.

"Next week, we play Drew Brees, a top-three quarterback," Lions cornerback Alphonso Smith said. "Matt Flynn played like a top-three quarterback in the league today."

With the Lions fighting to avoid a trip to New Orleans and halt a 20-year losing streak in Wisconsin, their vaunted pass rush was contained and their secondary was eviscerated.

"They couldn't have played worse," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said of his defensive backs. "We covered poorly. We tackled poorly. We played man-to-man poorly. We blitzed poorly. We played zone poorly."

The Lions turned it over four times but that only led to seven points. Far more costly were the events of the second quarter, when dropped TD passes by Calvin Johnson and Titus Young preceded a missed field goal and a ruling of incomplete on an apparent 16-yard TD pass to Young preceded Jason Hanson's field goal.

As it was, Stafford's 520 yards broke the 503 by Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger in '09 as the most ever against Green Bay. Calvin Johnson had 244 receiving yards, breaking the mark of 212 against the Packers that had been property of the Giants' Gene "Choo Choo" Roberts since November 1949.

After holding Johnson in check on Thanksgiving, Tramon Williams was savaged this time. Minus Matthews, the rush was negligible and the secondary had no chance.

"Last week, up front, we took the blame for Chicago rushing for that much (199 yards)," Raji said. "I can't talk specifics, but anytime the ball is going over our heads like that . . . we all knew what was happening out there."

Actually, it has been happening all season.

On the final Sunday, the Packers and Patriots both broke the record of the 1995 Atlanta Falcons (4,541) for most net passing yards allowed. Green Bay finished with 4,796 and the Patriots allowed 4,716.

Moreover, the Packers ended the season dead last - that's right, No. 32 - in total defense with 6,585 yards allowed. Barring an adjustment by league statisticians, the Patriots will be 1 measly yard better at 6,584. The record of 6,793 yards held by the 2-14 Baltimore Colts of 1981 will remain.

By the same token, the Packers tied the franchise record for most interceptions (31), set the franchise record for fewest giveaways (14) and finished plus-24 in turnover differential, second best in club annals.

"We don't do everything exactly right," said McCarthy. "We understand there are things we did today that we haven't done, so we'll continue to learn.

"But it's a very accountable group of men. The most important thing is in two weeks, when we step out onto Lambeau, we play our best football."

That's when the varsity will be back in action.