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Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville Jaguars - 12/03/01
Game Summary - Packers Win 28-21
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| Brett Favre had an impressive night against the Jaguars, posting 3 passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. |
Before the game all the hype surrounded the Packers' top two draft choices from 2001, but when the clocked ticked away the final minutes it was Brett Favre who stole the show. Favre rallied the Packers to a 28-21 comeback win over the Jaguars on aBC's Monday Night Football.
Favre tossed three touchdown passes and sealed the win with 1:30 left in the game on his first rushing touchdown since Oct. 25, 1998 against the Ravens. Favre rolled left on a bootleg and sprinted for the front pylon to record the go-ahead score.
"I wasn't going to throw the ball unless someone was absolutely wide open," Favre said. "I figured I was the last guy the Jaguars would figure to run with the ball."
The play of rookie Jamal Reynolds was not lost in the fray. On a game ending desperation drive engineered by Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell, Reynolds sacked Brunell on fourth-and-12 also forcing a fumble that was recovered by Nate Wayne.
"It shows that hard work pays off," Reynolds said. "I've been working with Jethro [Franklin] after practice with Kabeer [Gbaja-Biamila], putting in the extra time. Finally getting a chance to show what I did because of the hard work was just great."
While the ending pleased the Green Bay faithful, the team got off to a slow start. at one point in the third quarter the Packers (8-3) were trailing by as many as 14 points. They had lost their last 38 road games when trailing by 13 or more points at any time during the game.
The Jaguars (3-8) recorded two Mike Hollis field goals and a Brunell touchdown pass to Elvis Joseph before the Packers could get on the board. Favre connected with Ahman Green on a 13-yard shovel pass for a score with just 25 seconds left in the first half.
In the third quarter with Green Bay driving in Jacksonville territory, Favre was sacked and fumbled the ball that was recovered by ainsley Battles and returned 60 yards for a score and the 21-7 lead.
After that point it was all vintage Favre. The Packers responded with a 43-yard Bill Schroeder touchdown reception from Favre just over one minute later. On the ensuing kick-off linebacker Chris Gizzi forced Joseph to fumble the ball, which was recovered by Torrance Marshall. Three plays and a minute and 29 seconds later, Favre found tight end Bubba Franks for a one-yard score.
With a chance to take the lead with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter Hollis missed a 42-yard attempted off the left upright. Green Bay kicker Ryan Longwell struggled on the night as well missing from 52-yards out and having his 29-yard attempt blocked early in the third quarter.
"I'm very proud of the team because even when we were stinking up the place early in the game, the effort was there, the intensity was there," GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman said. "We weren't making things happen necessarily, but the guys on the sidelines were into it. We were into the game. We missed a couple of tackles. We missed a couple of catches. But they just kept hanging in there, and they started believing in themselves. It's something we talked about last night and during the week. They hung in there in the entirety of the game. I think it's a big win for us."
It was the Green Bay passing attack that provided the muscle for the offensive scoring machine on the night. Favre finished the night going 24-of-42 for 362 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Brunell finished with 311 yards passing completing 26-of-45 attempts with one touchdown and two interceptions. He also scrambled three times for a total of 23 yards.
Green Bay had two receivers with 100-yard games. Schroeder hauled in six passes for 106 yard and one touchdown. Antonio Freeman nabbed a 63-yard pass among his three catches for 104 yards. Green had 5 catches for 74 yards with one touchdown. Franks had three catches for eight yards including one score.
Jacksonville's Jimmy Smith, after a trying week in which he faced charges of cocaine use, caught 8 passes for 116 yards. Teammate Keenan McCardell grabbed eight passes for 81 yards including a successful two-point conversion attempt.
Neither team could muster out much on the ground. Green led all rushers with 31 yards on 17 attempts. Stacy Mack paced Jacksonville with 27 yards on 16 carries.
The Green Bay defense created big plays especially in the second half. Recent addition Keith Thibodeaux snagged his second career interception to stall a Jaguars' last second drive at the end of the first half. Tyrone Williams intercepted a Brunell pass with Jacksonville inside the Packers' 20-yard at the start of the fourth quarter. He also paced the team with 10 tackles on the night along with two passes defensed.
"We knew we had to get some turnovers," safety Darren Sharper said. "We got some very crucial turnovers in the red zone. Those plays help your offense get back on the field so they can do something. The more chances you give the offense to get points, they are going to some eventually."
The Packers also recorded five sacks on Brunell. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila added one to bring his team-leading total to 12. Wayne, Vonnie Holliday, Tod McBride, and Reynolds all recorded one full sack.
NOTES: Defensive end John Thierry left the game with a sprained right MCL and Rondell Mealey left with a possible fractured fibula that will be further evaluated in Green Bay...The Packers comeback win from down thirteen points or more on the road was the first since the infamous 'Walter Stanley Game' versus the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day in 1986...Wide receiver Robert Ferguson saw the first NFL action of his career and also returned punts and kick-offs for the first time in his playing career.
Packers-Jaguars archived complete game broadcast
(Real audio)
Post-Game / Locker Room audio Clips
GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman (Realaudio)
DT Santana Dotson (Realaudio)
QB Brett Favre (Realaudio)
WR Robert Ferguson (Realaudio)
WR antonio Freeman (Realaudio)
RB ahman Green (Realaudio)
DE Vonnie Holliday (Realaudio)
DE Jamal Reynolds (Realaudio)
G Marco Rivera (Realaudio)
CB Tyrone Williams (Realaudio)
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
JAC: M.Hollis 34 yard Field Goal.
2nd Quarter
JAC: M.Brunell pass to E.Joseph for 29 yards and Touchdown. (M.Hollis extra point is good)
JAC: M.Hollis 30 yard Field Goal
GBP: B.Favre pass to A.Green for 13 yards and Touchdown (R.Longwell Extra Point is Good).
3rd Quarter
JAC: a.Battles 60 yard fumble return for Touchdown. (M.Brunell pass to K.McCardell for two-point conversion is good)
GBP: B.Favre pass to B.Schroeder for 43 yards and Touchdown. (R.Longwell extra point is good)
GBP: B.Favre pass to B.Franks for 1 yard and Touchdown. (R.Longwell extra point is good)
4th Quarter
GBP: B.Favre 6 yard run for Touchdown. (R.Longwell extra point is good)
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