GREEN BAY, Wis. — For the first time in 287 days, the Green Bay Packers can raise their hands in victory.
They miraculously conquered the New York Jets in an abysmal, sloppy contest on Sunday that needed overtime to determine a winner. Rain consistently fell throughout the afternoon, ranging from a downpour to a mist. Nevertheless, it created unpredictable conditions that led to several dropped passes and fumbles from both teams. It ended a streak of six consecutive losses for the Packers, dating back to Dec. 14 of last season.
The game couldn’t have started much worse for the Packers, who lost a pair of offensive starters in wideout Jayden Reed and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele. Their injuries occurred on back-to-back plays on the Packers’ first possession of the game, with both players having to be carted off the field at MetLife Stadium. Reed, who was revealed to have sustained a neck injury, had to be strapped onto a backboard; the Packers’ bench emptied, with several players on one knee, praying for their teammate.
Head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed after the game that Reed has movement in all of his extremities. He’s staying overnight in a nearby hospital.
Bako-Bewele’s injury came on the following play—a third-down incompletion on a pass from Jordan Love intended for Matthew Golden. While protecting Love, Bako-Bewele’s leg planted awkwardly on the turf, leading to a knee injury. The 27-year-old, who is playing in his second game since suffering a partially torn patellar tendon in December, was pounding his fist on the ground in clear agony and frustration.
“It doesn’t look good, either,” LaFleur said. “He could be out for a long time.”
The Packers went three-and-out on all three of their first-quarter possessions, with both teams trading punts. It wasn’t until the second quarter that the Packers engineered a nine-play, 64-yard scoring drive that culminated with MarShawn Lloyd’s touchdown. The former third-round pick hauled in a pass on a screen before weaving through traffic into the end zone for the first score of his NFL career.
The Jets were quick to answer, and they wasted little time in targeting Keisean Nixon as a weak link in the Packers’ secondary. Geno Smith found multiple third-down completions against Nixon, including conversions of 16 and nine yards. Nixon was also flagged for defensive pass interference on a deep ball intended for Adonai Mitchell.
Even running back Braelon Allen galloped toward Nixon’s side of the field for a touchdown that capped off a seven-play scoring drive. For the most part, the Packers’ defense held up well for a majority of the first half.
It was a flurry of penalties for the Packers and the Jets, who combined for 27 between the two of them. The Packers led the way with 14, including five in the first seven minutes of the game, including a deep pass breakup from Javon Bullard on a third-and-9. Bullard was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“The ones that are just mind-blowing are the false starts, jumping offsides, lining up offsides,” said LaFleur. “Those are the ones that will get you beat.”
The Packers botched their final possession of the second half, with running back Kaleb Johnson losing the football. The ball bounced directly in Love’s direction, leading to a third-and-13. Nothing came of it, and the Packers punted back to the Jets.
The Packers’ first possession of the second half was the perfect encapsulation of the afternoon. There were back-to-back penalties called on tight end Tucker Kraft and left tackle Jordan Morgan, pushing the Packers back into a first-and-25 situation. While attempting to evade the rush, Love had his hand hit and fumbled the ball, but it was recovered by left guard Donovan Jennings. On the ensuing third-and-19, Love flipped a pass to Kraft, but Jets rookie edge defender David Bailey was called for an illegal use of hands flag.
Again, nothing came of it. Daniel Whelan punted three plays later. Love was later seen shaking off his hand, but he said after the game that it briefly went numb after a hit to his elbow. He never exited the game.
A familiar unfolding of events would draw an eerie comparison to last week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings methodically marched down the field for a nine-play touchdown drive amid several polarizing penalties to take a 25-22 lead over the Packers.
On Sunday, the Jets went on a 10-play touchdown drive, which featured a roughing the passer flag on Lukas Van Ness. It came on a first-down completion, but it still moved the Jets deeper into the red zone, where they’d eventually hit paydirt and take a 14-7 lead over the Packers.
In both instances, the Packers responded with a first-down run that lost three yards. It was Lloyd last week and Johnson on Sunday. The only difference is that, this time, Love didn’t lose back-to-back fumbles and a turnover; against the Jets, they simply went three-and-out. It was a much more painless result.
When the Packers regained possession with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, they went on a 73-yard scoring drive that ended with a three-yard Christian Watson touchdown reception. The Jets responded with a three-and-out, but Skyy Moore’s electrifying 63-yard punt return positioned the Packers with an opportunity to either tie the game or take the lead.
Back-to-back, head-scratching runs with Chris Brooks had the Packers’ offense facing a third-and-7, but Love threw incomplete for Watson. They settled for a 34-yard field goal that tied the game at 17, but points be damned, it was a complete and utter waste of a possession that further calls into question LaFleur’s tendencies in critical moments.
Jennings exited the game in the third quarter with a hand injury, prompting the Packers to turn to rookie Jager Burton at left guard. Jennings was one of three offensive linemen to deal with an injury on Sunday, with Bako-Bewele being carted off and Jacob Monk briefly exiting the game to be checked out by the medical staff. Bako-Bewele being down for the foreseeable future will drastically impact the Packers’ ability to not only protect Love, but to run the ball as efficiently as they’d like.
“We gotta do it, it is what it is,” said LaFleur. “Those are the circumstances. There’s a lot of things we don’t control, but we do control how we respond. Guys are going to have to respond; that’s just the way it is. I love our guys that stepped into the game. Jager [Burton], [Anthony] Belton, competing and battling.”
LaFleur revealed that the Packers were so thin on the offensive line at one point that he was considering plugging Kraft in at tackle. There were very few other options available, considering backup tackles John Williams and Travis Glover were healthy scratches.
Coming out of the two-minute warning, the Jets were facing a third-and-2 just shy of midfield at their own 49-yard line. Van Ness and the team’s defensive front held strong on back-to-back plays, including a fourth-and-1, forcing a turnover on downs. It was a breakout game for Van Ness, who finished with a team-high of nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, and four tackles for a loss of yards.
“I thought he was flying around and making a lot of plays, especially at the end,” Love said. “Defense, overall, they did a great job today. They’re the reason they kept us in the game. They had some huge stops.
“Offense wasn’t playing up to our standard of what we want to play with. They’re the ones that kept us in the game and gave us a fighting chance.”
There was a point where the Packers had more penalty yardage than total net yards on offense. Love still managed to complete 16 of his 29 passing attempts for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but for the most part, they failed to establish any semblance of rhythm or consistency in inclement weather.
Van Ness and the Packers’ defense ensured that they were never out of the game.
The Jets had possession of the ball first in overtime, but they’d only go backward thanks to the effort of defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and his pass rush. Rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse blitzed from the slot position and split a sack of Smith with Barryn Sorrell. Van Ness and rookie edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton then split a sack on the following play. Compounded with a false start on Jets wideout Isaiah Williams, they were backed up into third-and-30.
“That was huge,” LaFleur said. “I can’t give enough credit to our defense and our defensive staff. Jonathan Gannon just calling a very aggressive game. I’m sure glad we got him, because I think he’s an elite defensive coordinator, football coach, and just a great leader.”
Five plays was all it took for the Packers’ once-stagnant offense to move into scoring position. Johnson gained 14 yards on back-to-back carries to start the drive, and then Brooks picked up 15 yards on a checkdown from Love. Another 15 yards was added onto the end of the play when Jason Brownlee pummeled Brooks out of bounds, drawing an unnecessary roughness penalty. On the next play, Love flipped a pass out for Golden—a lofty pass over the head of cornerback Brandon Stephens—who took it upfield for a 14-yard gain.
Smack, who was nine-of-nine on his field goals in the preseason, was automatic. He booted a 26-yard game-winning kick through the uprights, preventing the Packers from their first 0-2 start since 2006.
Zachary Jacobson is the author of The Packer Dispatch. He is entering his 12th season covering the Green Bay Packers after spending seven as the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter @zachjacobson or contact him via email at itszachariahj@gmail.com.