PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) -- It was like something out of the movies. The star was Desmond Howard, with an extra large supporting cast.

	Desmond Howard's 68-yard punt return for a touchdown gave Detroit the lead for good.

Howard returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown, and Detroit's defense contained Washington's potent offense as the Lions beat the Redskins 33-17 Sunday, snapping an 18-game losing streak that had stretched to 34 years.

"That's amazing," said Luther Elliss, a 305-pound defensive tackle who also scored a touchdown. "The guy gets off the plane, comes in here and does what he does."

Howard, waived by Green Bay and signed by Detroit on Saturday, was needed because Terry Fair, who had a household accident and broke a knuckle, was unable to play.

"Desmond just came in and did his job," Lions coach Bobby Ross said. "He adds a lot of electricity to the return game, and we're excited about having him for the rest of the year.

"It's nice to get lucky sometimes. I'd rather be lucky than good."

The Lions (8-4) went into the game tied with Tampa Bay and Minnesota atop the NFC Central. The Buccaneers and Vikings play Monday night in Tampa. The Redskins (7-5) went into the day in first place in the NFC East.

The Lions hadn't defeated Washington since a 14-10 triumph at Tiger Stadium on Oct. 3, 1965.

GAME NOTES

Not a single Lions player was alive when Detroit last beat the Redskins. Coach Bobby Ross was in his first year as an assistant coach at VMI, while Redskins coach Norv Turner was starring in football at Alhambra High School in California. Referee Phil Luckett, who had the infamous blown coin-flip in last year's Thanksgiving Day game at the Silverdome, had another rough day in his return to Pontiac. His crew was overturned three times by instant replay. The Lions had to start backups, Robert Bailey and J.B. Brown, at both cornerback positions.Terry Fair was out with a hand injury and Bryant Westbrook was limited to nickel-back duty by a sore hamstring. Jason Hanson's field goals were just the second time in team history that a kicker had made two of 50-plus in the same game. Hanson was also the first to do it, hitting from 52 and 55 against the Colts in 1997.

And it looked like the Redskins were the superior team in this one, too, until a 17-point outburst in the second quarter turned things around.

James Thrash returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, giving Washington a 10-3 lead with 5:46 left in the second quarter.

That seemed to be a wakeup call for the Lions, who gained only 12 yards in the first quarter. Detroit scored 17 consecutive points for a 20-10 halftime lead.

Washington castoff Gus Frerotte, making his fourth start for Detroit while Charlie Batch recovers from a sprained thumb, completed 21 of 32 passes for 280 yards and one touchdown against his old club.

Brad Johnson completed 26 of 43 passes for 249 yards and one touchdown for the Redskins. But the Detroit defense sacked Johnson five times and forced four turnovers, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Washington, which was whistled for 14 penalties for 122 yards, finished with 333 yards. The Lions offense produced 292 yards, but Detroit didn't have any turnovers.

"What hurt us more than anything today was the penalties," Johnson said. "Every time we'd make a play, we'd have a penalty."

Following Thrash's touchdown, Detroit needed just four plays to tie it 10-10. Frerotte hit Germane Crowell for 30 yards, then found Herman Moore behind Champ Bailey in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown.

It was the first touchdown of the season for Moore, who missed almost all of the first 10 games because of two knee injuries.

On their next possession, the Redskins had to punt after three fruitless snaps. Howard returned the punt 68 yards for a touchdown and a 17-10 lead the Lions would never relinquish.

"It was one of those indescribable feelings," Howard said.

That was the first time a Detroit player had returned a punt for a score since Mel Gray's 78-yard scamper against Minnesota on Sept. 13, 1992.

The Lions got the ball back with 42 seconds left in the half and went 32 yards in seven plays for Jason Hanson's second of four field goals, a 45-yarder with five seconds remaining.

The Redskins needed only three plays to score on their first possession of the second half. Johnson found Michael Westbrook in blown coverage for a 39-yard touchdown pass, narrowing the gap to 20-17. But field goals of 37 and 52 yards gave Detroit a 26-17 cushion with 8:23 remaining.

Elliss scooped up Johnson's fumble -- after a sack by James Jones -- and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown and a 33-17 lead 14 seconds later.

"You just can't be in this game and make the errors we did," Washington coach Norv Turner said.

Johnson's apparent 30-yard TD pass to Westbrook with 5:52 left was called back after Detroit appealed the play.

"It looked to me like Mike caught the ball," Turner said. "It looked like he got his foot and knee in before he was forced out."

Two plays later, Stephen Boyd picked off a pass from Johnson.

Hanson's 50-yard field goal with 6:02 left in the second quarter, tying the score at 3-3, matched a 42-yarder by Washington's Brett Conway in the first quarter.