The Green Bay Packers prevailed over the New England Patriots 27-24 in overtime at Lambeau Field Sunday afternoon. The heavily favored Pack was taken to the final snap of a 70 minute affair as Mason Crosby delivered a 31 yard, walk off field goal to get Green Bay to 3-1 on the season. It could have been a colossal upset as New England was down to their third string quarterback making his NFL debut. Brian Hoyer opened for the injured starter Mac Jones but he was knocked out of the game on a hard Rashan Gary sack in the opening quarter which brought on undrafted rookie free agent Bailey Zappe from Western Kentucky. A dysfunctional Packer offense had turnover issues in the first half. After New England opened the game with a 56 yard drive settling for a 37 yard Nick Folk field goal, Packer rookie Romeo Doubs made a tough catch only to have the ball knocked out his hands on Green Bay’s opening series. The offense recovered briefly, marching 50 yards in six plays with Christian Watson finding the end zone for the first time. The 2nd round pick took a jet sweep handoff from Aaron Rodgers and raced around the right end for a 15 yard touchdown and his debut Lambeau leap putting Green Bay up 7-3. Both offenses sputtered from there and Gary kept points off the board when he sacked Zappe, forcing a fumble that he recovered a the Packer 31. Three plays later however, Rodgers threw an ill-advised out route toward a stumbling Allen Lazard and Jack Jones intercepted, racing 40 yards untouched for the pick six and a 10-7 Patriot lead at the half. Many in the crowd of 78,317 expressed their disappointment by booing the team into the lockerroom.
Even Head Coach Matt LaFleur admitted the fans might boo the team right out of the stadium when the first series of the third quarter began with two more incompletions. The left Rodgers just 4 of 13 for the game to that point after the worst statistical half of his career (passer rating of 11.2). But on third and 10, Lazard laid out for a huge 32 yard catch and that lit the offensive fuse. They capped the drive with Robert Tonyan catching a 20 yard touchdown pass over the middle to go back on top 14-10.
Zappe answered back, helped by a unnecessary roughness penalty against Kenny Clark, he drove New England 75 yards in 7 plays. From the 25, it appeared the play clock expired well before the snap but no flag was called and Zappe connected with DeVante Parker, running free on a busted cover for a 25 yard touchdown and a 17-14 New England lead.
The next Packer series stalled at the Patriot 20 but Mason Crosby tied the game with a 38 yard field goal as the third quarter closed. Realizing Zappe would be hard pressed to beat Green Bay through the air, the Patriots turned to their two running backs, Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson, covering all 66 yards on the ground in just 7 plays. Harris crashing through the final five yards for a touchdown and a 24-17 lead.
Randall Cobb pulled in a pretty 24 yard corner route to convert a key third and 6 to set up Rodgers to Doubs for the equalizer, a 13 yard back shoulder throw with 6:14 remaining.
Field position swung in Green Bay’s favor late, starting a drive at their 43 after a short New England punt. It looked like the Packers would strike with a big play as Rodgers fired a 40 yard bomb to Doubs who appeared to make the grab but the ball squirted out from his chest when he landed in the end zone. LaFleur challenged the incomplete call but realized later it was an emotional and futile decision. It cost the Packers their second timeout of the half. Pat O’Donnell pinned the Pats back at the 2 when Keisean Nixon made another big play downing the ball. Green Bay got another stop but had only :04 left in regulation.
The Packers won the overtime toss but couldn’t move. Nor could the Patriots. Taking over at their 10 with 6:47 to play, Rodgers and the offense saved their best for last. Lazard capped his 116 yard day with a 22 yard grab to the 37. Cobb came through with another third down catch for 11. Doubs caught consecutive passes for 8 and 9 yards. A.J. Dillon muscled up with 24 hard yards on 6 carries and Green Bay called time with :04 left in overtime reaching the New England 13.
From there, Crosby cleanly delivered the game winning boot.
It was a very relieved Head Coach who met the media well after the overtime dust had settled.
The numbers made it look a lot more convincing. Green Bay outgained New England 443-271. The Packers rushed for 199 yards, Aaron Jones picking up 110 on just 16 carries (6.9 average), Dillon finished 73 yards on 17 carries. Rodgers overcame an irregular first half to finish 21 of 35 for 251 yards, two touchdowns and his 4th pick of the season for a passer rating of 89.1. His second TD of the game, gave him exactly 500 for his career (regular season and post season), becoming just the 5th member of that exclusive company, joining Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.
New England was led by their two backs, Harris finished with 86 yards and a score, Stevenson with 66 yards, they had 167 yards as a team. Hoyer completed five of six passes before exiting and as for Zappe, the kid who put up 62 touchdowns in his Hilltopper college career? he went 10 of 15 for 99 yards and a score, enduring three sacks for a rating of 107.4, 18 points higher than a 4x MVP. Outside of Parker’s TD catch and Nelson Agholor’s 27 yard catch on the opening series, the Patriot receivers were a non-factor.
Gary was violently dominant for the Packer defense with his two sacks, giving him five in four games. Jarran Reed led the team with 8 tackles. While the Packers had a half dozen tackles for loss in the run game, the Patriot offensive line created plenty of movement and lanes throughout the game.
The secondary was hit with another early exit as safety Adrian Amos also left with a concussion after making an open field tackle in the first quarter. Rudy Ford stepped in at safety on short notice, just like Nixon did for Jaire Alexander last week.
David Bakhtiari was pressed into longer duty than perhaps the team had wanted, but when Yosh Nijman turned up ill last week, missing practice time, the series by series rotation had to be altered. Bakhtiari went almost the entire game and appeared to hold up well.
Alexander was the headliner on the inactive list, along with Rasheed Walker, Sean Rhyan, Samori Toure and Jonathan Ford.
While the legend of Zappe will have to wait, the Packers will gladly accept the result without apology. Four games in and it’s still a work in progress on both sides of the ball but Green Bay is now winners of 15 straight regular season games at Lambeau, the third longest home streak in franchise history.
From New England, to merry Old England as the Packers embark on their first ever regular season journey abroad to take on the New York Giants at Tottenham Stadium in London next Sunday morning for an 8:30 AM Central Time kickoff.
