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Green Bay vs. Philadelphia
11/29/98 - Packers win 24-16
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Wide receiver Bill Schroder enjoyed his first NFL start with 5 catches for a career high 128 yards
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Running back Darick Holmes plowed and dashed for 163 yards and wide
receiver Bill Schroeder caught five passes for 128 yards in his first
career NFL start as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Philadelphia
Eagles 24-16 before 59,862 fans at Lambeau Field.
While the Packers struggled against the 2-10 Eagles, Coach Mike Holmgren
still saluted his team in the locker room after the game.
"That was a great win," Holmgren said.
"A win's a win," said quarterback Brett Favre, who completed 20 of 33
passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns. "We just have to step up in
big games, and from now on, every game's a big game. Every quarter,
every play, counts."
And it never counted more in this game than when Favre took the ball
with 8:41 left and a one-point lead. The Eagles' Chris Boniol had just
kicked a 34-yard field goal to make it 17-16. Wide receiver Robert
Brooks was inactive (hamstring), receiver Antonio Freeman left the game
with a fractured jaw and guard Marco Rivera was on the bench with an
injured medial collateral ligament in his knee.
That's when the Packers' offensive line and Holmes took over. With Joe
Andruzzi, an outstanding run-blocker, playing for Rivera, Holmes ran
seven times for 44 yards. Henderson capped off the 11 play, 73-yard
drive with a 2-yard run off right tackle for the decisive 24-16 lead.
(261k) | Packers Radio Network with the call!
Henderson runs in for the score! |
"Injuries are a factor always," Favre said, "and I think we've been hit
as hard as anyone. Joe Andruzzi came in for Marco, and he played well.
In order for us to get to where we want to be, we have a long ways to go
in every area. We know injuries will play a part in it, but you can't
make excuses. You just have to step up."
One player who stepped up was Schroeder. Starting for the injured
Robert Brooks (hamstring), he beat star cornerback Bobby Taylor deep
over the middle in the first half, and Brett Favre hit him with a
perfect pass. That put Favre over the 3,000-yard mark for the seventh
consecutive season. Only Dan Marino and John Elway have accomplished
that feat. Ryan Longwell kicked a 33-yard field goal and the Packers
led, 3-0.
Green Bay moved the ball well on the ground against the under-sized
Eagles defense. Holmes had 63 yards on eight carries in the first
quarter alone. He shared rushing duties with Dorsey Levens, who
returned to a standing ovation from the Lambeau faithful.
"I'm glad Dorsey's back," Holmes said. "When I got tired, he came in
and made positive yards. Hopefully we can come back next week and be
the best tandem in the NFL."
Holmgren said Levens and receiver Derrick Mayes had no ill-effects from
playing in their first game after injuries. Tight end Mark Chmura
sprained his ankle. His status is day-to-day.
After Holmes spun away from linebacker James Willis, a former Packer,
for a 24-yard gain, the Packers were in scoring position again. Favre
faked a handoff to Levens with fullback William Henderson lead-blocking,
then dumped it off to Henderson, who got open in the end zone for the
one-yard touchdown and a 10-0 lead.
(145k) | Packers Radio Network with the call!
Henderson catches a 1 yard TD pass from Favre |
Defensively, the Packers didn't allow a first down until 2:58 remained
in the first half. And that was without starting cornerback Craig
Newsome, number three corner Rod Smith or starting right end Vonnie
Holliday. They were all nursing injuries, and Holmgren said he expects
them to practice this week.
But when quarterback Koy Detmer found Jeff Graham on a slant for seven
yards, the Eagles had life. Detmer hit Graham on a crossing pattern for
a 16-yard score, and Eagles pulled to 10-7. It was the first touchdown
to an Eagles wide receiver all season. Detmer had linebacker George
Koonce covering Graham--a mismatch in speed--read it, stood in the
pocket and delivered the ball on the numbers.
Jason Dunn, the Eagles' promising young tight end, left the game in the
second quarter with a sprained knee, and second-stringer Kaseem Sinceno
was carted off in the third quarter with a sprained ankle, leaving them
with just Chris Fontenot at the position.
But that didn't matter on the first drive in the third. They drove 11
plays and 74 yards, culminating with a 4-yard strike from Detmer to
Graham. Once again, Graham slipped past a linebacker. This time it was
Brian Williams, underneath the zone. The Eagles led for the first time,
13-10.
The Packers made an inordinate amount of mistakes early.
"At times, we played a little sloppy," Holmgren said. "Gained a lot of
yards, did some good things on defense. Too many penalties. Had some
turnovers."
Tight end Mark Chmura dropped three passes on the first two series of
the game. Tackle Earl Dotson killed the first drive with a false start
on fourth-and-three. On the next series, Brett Favre overthrew Derrick
Mayes, right to cornerback Troy Vincent for an interception. On the
following drive, wide receiver Corey Bradford fumbled the ball out of
bounds. Tackle Ross Verba had a holding penalty to bring back Dorsey
Levens' first carry, a 12-yarder. Returner Roell Preston caught a punt,
Eagles linebacker Mike Caldwell hit him immediately, forcing Preston to
cough up the ball to Anthony Marshall.
And that was just the first half.
But the Packers offense responded on their first drive of the third
quarter with a six play, 78 yard drive that included a 21-yard pass to
Schroeder and another strike to Freeman, who broke multiple tackles and
ran away from the Eagles' secondary for a 33-yard touchdown. The
Packers led, 17-13, and the Lambeau fans came alive.
(229k) | Packers Radio Network with the call!
Freeman scores the second TD! |
Holmes broke the 100-yard barrier for the second time in a Packer
uniform and the fourth of his career in the third quarter. But he
couldn't get the one yard he needed on fourth down behind guard Adam
Timmerman and Dotson with less than a minute remaining in the third
quarter. Philadelphia took over from their own 37, but failed to get a
first down. It remained 17-13 after three quarters.
The Eagles befuddled Favre early in the fourth quarter with their
coverages. The three-time MVP didn't see Schroeder uncovered deep on a
designed roll-out, then later threw to him down the right sideline into
triple coverage. Safety Tim McTyer picked that pass off.
"Emmitt Thomas, their defensive coordinator, mixes blitzes and coverages
very well," offensive coordinator Sherm Lewis said.
But in the end, the Packers running game was just too much.
"We tried to stop the pass," Eagles linebacker William Thomas said, "but
then you give up something else."
The Packers, 8-4, head to Tampa Bay for a division showdown on Monday
Night Football. The Buccaneers, 5-7, are only a game out of a wild card
berth in the playoffs.
Scoring Summary
- 1st Quarter
- None
- 2nd Quarter
- GBP: 33 yard Longwell FG (9:00)
Key plays:
Schroeder: 46yd catch;
Holmes: 3 for 12yds
- GBP: 1 yard TD pass; Favre to Henderson (Longwell kick) (3:54)
Key plays:
Favre: 4/5 for 85yds;
Schroeder: 22yd catch;
Davis: 39yd catch;
Holmes: 24yd catch;
3 consecutive 1st downs
- PHI: 16 yard TD pass; Detmer to Graham (Boniol kick blocked) (:28)
- 3rd Quarter
- PHI: 4 yard TD pass; Detmer to Graham (Boniol kick) (9:56)
- GBP: 33 yard TD pass; Favre to Freeman (Longwell kick) (7:09)
Key plays:
Holmes: 3 for 13yds;
Schroeder: 21yd catch
- 4th Quarter
- PHI: 34 yard Boniol FG (8:41)
- GBP: 2 yard TD run; Henderson (Longwell kick) (3:00)
Key plays:
Holmes: 7 for 44yds;
Schroeder: 22yd catch
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