Packers survive tough test vs New England in overtime
The Packers were able to rally and defeat the New England Patriots 27-24 in overtime at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
Veteran Brian Hoyer got the start for NE, but he was unable to continue in the game due to a head injury. In comes Bailey Zappe. He was unable to move the ball, but the Patriots still led 10-7 at halftime thanks to a pick-six by Jack Jones. The game continued to be tight into the second half and they went into overtime tied at 24-24. The Packers got the ball first in OT but were unable to move the ball. The defense held and GB got the ball back. They made the most of their second chance with a drive down the field and a FG by Mason Crosby to win the game with the clock ticking down to 0.00.
Thoughts about this win:
The Patriots sure came to play and Bill Belichick made things hard on GB, both on the offensive and defensive side. They took away the underneath throws for much of the game, and they ran the ball well on offense, keeping Aaron Rodgers off the field for long stretches.
There were a number of plays you could point to in this game, but I think the pick-six by Jones really changed the dynamic of this game. The Packers held onto a 7-3 lead, but that interception made it 10-7 in favor of NE at halftime. It’s the second time Rodgers has been intercepted for a TD at home in his career. The first time it happened was against Cincinnati in 2017. In that game, the Packers struggled much of the game, even though they were huge favorites, and they ultimately won 27-24 in overtime, just like this game.
The Packers played undisciplined at times. Kenny Clark was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after the team had a sack and a 6-yard loss on Zappe. That allowed NE to continue their drive down the field. NE got a touchdown pass on a play that never should have happened. The play clock expired, but they were still able to get the play off and a touchdown. The officiating was not good in this game.
The running game continues to produce. Many of their scoring drives featured some huge runs in there. That opened up the pass nicely.
The Packers controlled the ball during their second series of OT. It was clear that this was either going to end in a Packer victory or a tie in OT.
NE deserves a lot of credit, especially the rookie QB. They made it tough on GB and almost pulled out a victory. This team is well coached, whether you like the coach or not.
The bottom line is the Packers got the win. It may not get many style points, but whenever you play far from your best game and still find a way to get the victory, that isn’t bad at all.
Despite the win, the Packers have a lot of things to clean up this week. At least they will do it after a win. They have many things to fix because they now head to London for a matchup with the New York Giants.
It’s better to get that underwhelming play over and done with now than late in the season. No matter how they played, they got the win. Let’s enjoy it. Have a great week Packer fans!
Get Loud Lambeau!
Go Pack Go!
@DieHardPackrFan #DHPF #GregGoshaw @gg901
