Detroit's Casey FitzSimmons, left, blocks a punt by Kansas City's Dustin Colquitt. The play resulted in a safety in the Lions' 25-20 victory over the Chiefs Sunday in Detroit.

Detroit ? The Kansas City Chiefs have dropped eight straight, the franchise’s worst skid since losing nine in a row in 1987. The latest loss was a 25-20 setback Sunday at Detroit.

“We’ve been coming so close,” said Jackie Battle, who scored on his only carry of the game. “We can’t seem to make the plays when we need to. The good part is no one has given up.”

The Chiefs made Sunday’s game relatively interesting after it looked as though they were going to be routed.

Detroit led 19-0 early in the second quarter before Kansas City suddenly showed a pulse when quarterback Brodie Croyle was injured and replaced by Damon Huard.

Huard’s 34-yard pass – on a rope – to Dwayne Bowe in the end zone converted a fourth down and made it 22-20 early in the fourth. It snapped a six-game scoreless streak in the fourth quarter. The two-point conversion failed.

“It’s tough when you battle back like we did and to get as close as we did, and then to come up short there in the fourth quarter,” Huard said. “It’s very frustrating.”