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Green Bay vs. Tampa Bay
9/1/96 - Packers Win 34-3
Box Score
Both productive and opportunistic, the Packers staged their most explosive opening day offensive performance in more than a decade and their top takeaway effort in five years en route to their 34-3 inaugural victory over the Buccaneers in Tampa Sunday.
Offensively, the Packers rolled up 406 yards - their highest opening day total since September 4, 1983 when they amassed 479 yards in out-scoring the Oilers in a sudden death overtime struggle, 41-38, in the Houston Astrodome.
Reggie White puts pressure on Trent Dilfer |
Defensively, they forced six Tampa Bay turnovers - waylaying 4 Buccaneer passes and recovering 2 fumbles - the Packers' best such effort since October 27, 1991, when they registered 8 takeaways, 5 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries, in blanking the Bucs 27-0, on the same Houlihan's Stadium turf.
The Packers converted three of those six takeaways into 17 points, parlaying two of them into an early 10-point lead in the first quarter. Safety Mike Prior's interception off the hands of the Bucs' Alvin Harper, returned to the Tampa Bay 37-yard line, set up a 23-yard Chris Jacke field goal and Reggie White's subsequent recovery of a James Ellison fumble at the TB 27-yard line triggered a one-yard Brett Favre scoring pass to tight end Keith Jackson two plays later.
Cornerback Craig Newsome later forced a third quarter fumble by Harper and recovered it, returning 2 yards to the Buccaneer 45-yard line. Four plays later, Favre hit running back Dorsey Levens with a one-yard scoring throw in the right corner of the end zone for the Packers final touchdown of the afternoon.
In the interim, Favre had the offense in high gear, directing a classic, 14-play, 82-yard drive in the second quarter, climaxed by a 4-yard scoring toss to Jackson, then firing a 51-yard TD strike down the middle to a "lonely" Jackson, a maneuver spawned by a 22-yard Desmond Howard punt return.
Favre then presided over a 42-yard drive at the start of the second half, setting up a 40-yard Jacke field goal.
The defense, meanwhile, was stifling the Tampa Bay attack, holding the Buccaneers to a modest net of 176 yards for the day when they were not triggering turnovers.
Favre closed out a memorable afternoon with 4 touchdown passes - the sixth time he had thrown 4 or more in a game in his 5-year career as the Packers' resident quarterback, completing 20 of 27 passes overall for 247 yards-without an interception.
Keith Jackson has a career day with 3 touchdowns |
Jackson, enjoying his most productive game as a Packer, had a career day, his 3-TD effort being his first since 1989 and the second of his career. His first 3-TD performance came against the Washington Redskins (September 17) while a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was the first time a Packers receiver has had 3 TD catches in one game since December 24, 1994, when Sterling Sharpe had 3-also against the Buccaneers in Tampa.
Favre employed 7 receivers and second-year pro Antonio Freeman emerged as the catch-leader with 6 receptions for 82 yards.
Edgar Bennett, who in 1995 became the first Packer to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since 1978, paced a 139-yard rushing attack with 62 yards in 13 attempts. Levens weighing in with 48 in 12 carries.
In the overall process, the Packers mounted a huge advantage in time of possession, controlling the football for 38 minutes and 56 seconds as opposed to the Bucs' 21 minutes, 4 seconds. |
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