Thigpen Gift Wraps Crown for Packers With Drop : Interconference: Steeler receiver lets game-winning touchdown pass slip through his hands.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Although Yancey Thigpen’s drop didn’t matter much to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it meant the world to the Green Bay Packers.

With Green Bay’s first NFC Central crown in 23 years slipping away Sunday, Pittsburgh’s wide-open receiver let the game-winning touchdown slip through his hands, allowing the Packers to escape with a 24-19 victory.

“Merry Christmas, Green Bay,” Thigpen said after his misadventure gave the Packers their first outright NFC Central crown since 1972. “That’s their Christmas present. Santa Claus came a day early.”

Thigpen’s drop on fourth and goal from the Packers’ six with 11 seconds remaining also gave Green Bay (11-5) a playoff game Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field, where Green Bay has won 17 of its last 18 games. And it sent the red-hot Detroit Lions on the road for the playoffs.

The Steelers, with the AFC Central crown and a first-round bye wrapped up, shrugged off the end to their eight-game winning streak.

“I think it’s just great that this city and this field can go through this again next week,” Pittsburgh Coach Bill Cowher said. “That’s what it’s all about. The atmosphere here was special and I’m happy for Mike Holmgren, I really am. Obviously, we wanted to win the football game, but he deserves an opportunity to play a home playoff game.”

The Steelers (11-5) saw their longest winning streak in 18 seasons come to a tough end with quarterback Neil O’Donnell flat on his back in defeat, Thigpen on his knees in the end zone and a record crowd of 60,649 stomping in the stands after braving zero-degree wind chills.

Thigpen’s six catches for 80 yards gave him 85 receptions, breaking John Stallworth’s team record of 80 set in 1984. But No. 86 bounced away even though he was wide open in the left corner of the end zone, having burned cornerback Lenny McGill.

“There must have been some divine intervention on that last play. You know, Reggie White [an ordained minister] plays for us,” Packer Coach Mike Holmgren said. “When a play like that happens, you just say ‘thank you’ to someone.”

White said, “I don’t know what happened. He just dropped it, I guess. I’m not going to say God made him drop it or anything.”

With Kansas City winning to wrap up home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, Thigpen’s drop didn’t matter.

“Yancey has had a great year. All you can do is ask your players to do their best and Yancey did his best,” Cowher said. “I don’t think this is a big loss at all.”

O’Donnell, who finished 33 for 55 for 318 yards and a touchdown, said, “He dropped the ball. But Yancey has made a lot of great plays for us this year.”

Thigpen said, “We could have won the game. Thank God Kansas City didn’t lose.”

“I didn’t watch it,” said Packer quarterback Brett Favre, who was spitting up blood in the third quarter after taking a hard hit to the back at the goal line from Greg Lloyd and two other Steelers.

“I just waited to see if we cheered or if we cried. We cheered and then I just looked at the replay,” Favre said.

Favre, who finished 23 for 32 for 301 yards and two touchdowns, said he didn’t think he’d sit out Sunday’s game because of the injury.

Lloyd and Kevin Greene teed off on Favre, the NFL’s leading passer who finished with 38 touchdowns and 4,413 yards, both the highest marks in the NFL.

Only Dan Marino has passed for more touchdowns in a season, 48 in 1984 and 44 in 1986.

Greene was unblocked in the fourth quarter and knocked Favre out of the game for a few snaps.

That hit came after Lloyd crushed Favre just short of the goal line after an eight-yard scramble in the third quarter.

Favre spat up blood on the sideline but he stayed in the game to throw a one-yard touchdown to Mark Chmura on the next play for a 21-13 lead.