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Green Bay vs. Pittsburgh
11/09/98 - Packers Lose 27-20
The Pittsburgh Steelers scored four times on four drives in the first
half, and held back a late Packers rally to win 27-20 at Three Rivers
Stadium in Pittsburgh Monday night.
The Steelers offense went nine-for-10 on third downs in the first half,
scoring three touchdowns and a field goal to lead 24-0 at half time.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh defense, coming off an embarrassing loss to
the Tennessee Oilers, didn't give the Packers an inch. They swarmed
around helpless quarterback Brett Favre as the crowd noise made it
difficult to audible and call plays.
It was the first time in nine years that Green Bay trailed by 24 after
two quarters.
Packers defensive end Keith McKenzie started the rally with an 88-yard
fumble recovery for a touchdown after Reggie White sacked backup
quarterback Mike Tomczak and jarred the ball loose. The Packers scored
20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
(328K) | Packers Radio Network with the call!
McKenzie's 88-yard fumble recovery for a TD |
But it was too little too late. On third-and-five with two minutes
left and the game on the line, Pittsburgh running back Jerome Bettis,
contained the entire game, rumbled 12 yards for a first down to run the
clock out and seal the game for the Steelers.
The Packers managed a meek 39 yards rushing. On fourth-and-one in the
second half, Raymont Harris tried to get the corner to the left and was
stuffed for a loss.
The Packers' defensive problems started on the opening drive of the
game. Pittsburgh wide receiver Courtney Hawkins beat cornerback Craig
Newsome for a 53-yard pass play. On the play, the Steelers were in a
shotgun formation with three receivers split wide to the right and one
to the left. Hawkins easily blew by Newsome, who appeared to expect
safety help that wasn't actually there. Three plays later, quarterback
Kordell Stewart threw a flare pass to Charles Johnson in the flat on the
right side, and Johnson slipped between three tacklers for the
touchdown.
Packer cover defenders played off the line of scrimmage most of the
game, and Stewart took advantage with short passes for relatively easy
gains.
On the Packers' first drive, Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre eluded
several Steelers rushers by darting left, then right, then left again to
connect with receiver Antonio Freeman on third down and 11 for 26 yards
to extend the drive. But Ryan Longwell missed a 51-yard field goal to
the right, and the Packers came up empty.
The Steelers then took the ball right down the field again, including a
key play when Reggie White and Keith McKenzie beat both Steelers
blockers around the ends, but Stewart stepped up through the pocket and
scrambled 30 yards down to the Green Bay three. Two plays later,
Stewart took the snap and leapt into the air, barely crossing the goal
line, putting Pittsburgh ahead at the end of the first quarter, 14-0.
Norm Johnson added a 45-yard field goal on the next drive, and
Pittsburgh led 17-0.
The Steelers' swarming 3-4 blitz put pressure on Favre most of the
night. Running back Travis Jervey struggled to keep Pittsburgh
linebackers, especially the speedy Donta Jones, out of Favre's face and
off his back.
Jervey left the game with a twisted knee in the second half, and Harris
replaced him.
The only thing that seemed to go right for the visitors in the first
three quarters was the punting game. Sean Landeta boomed his first kick
46 yards into the left-side corner, and he took his second snap standing
on his own 20 and launched it to the Pittsburgh 27.
Twice the Packers had potential momentum-changing interceptions, one in
the first half by Rod Smith and in the second by Craig Newsome. In both
cases, the Packer corners had nothing but the end zone in front of them
but couldn't hang on to the ball to make the play. The Packers have a
less-than-spectacular (-7) turnover ratio.
But Green Bay defensive leaders Reggie White and LeRoy Butler didn't
give up in the fourth quarter. Butler made several open-field tackles
and White made the key sack that led to McKenzie's touchdown and the
start of the rally. The two-point try after McKenzie's score failed,
and the Steelers still led 27-9.
Raymont Harris then rumbled for a two-yard touchdown, his first as a
Packer. Favre completed the two-point conversion to Freeman this time,
and the Packers closed the gap to 27-17.
(197K) | Packers Radio Network with the call!
Harris with the 2-yard TD run |
After Jeff Thomason recovered an on-side kick, Green Bay added a 37-yard
field goal to make it a seven-point game. But the Packers' inability to
run the ball early in the game hurt them, and they ran out of time to
recover.
The Packers' three-game road trip continues next week when they travel
to East Rutherford, New Jersey to take on the 3-6 New York Giants, who
are playing for pride. The Packers (6-3) now trail the Minnesota
Vikings (8-1) by two games in the NFC Central race, and travel to the
Metrodome in two weeks.
Scoring Summary
- 1st Quarter
- PIT: 8 yard TD pass; Stewart to C.Johnson (N.Johnson kick) (10:28)
- PIT: 1 yard Stewart TD run (N.Johnson kick) (:21)
- 2nd Quarter
- PIT: 45 yard N.Johnson FG (6:12)
- PIT: 5 yard Fuamatu-Ma'afala TD run (N.Johnson kick) (:28)
- 3rd Quarter
- PIT: 21 yard N.Johnson FG (8:00)
- GBP: 42 yard Longwell FG (2:44)
- 4th Quarter
- GBP: 88 yard McKenzie fumble recovery TD (2-pt. attempt failed) (9:20)
- GBP: 2 yard Harris TD run (Favre to Freeman 2-pt. conversion pass) (4:52)
- GBP: 37 yard Longwell FG (2:40)
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