The Green Bay Packers were an astonishing 4-0 heading into their North Division showdown with the Chicago Bears in Lambeau Field. The Packers dominated the Bears for the first half and lead 17-7. The score should have been 31-7 had not for two fumbles in the red zone by wide receiver James Jones. A fact that would come back to haunt the Packers.
In the second half the took advantage of linebacker Brady Poppinga by using the tight end to pick apart the Packers’ defense. The Packers’ offense couldn’t do anything and a classic throw one up for grabs Brett Favre interception set up the tying field-goal and a 34-yard touchdown pass with a couple of minutes left sealed it. Favre’s hail-mary in the endzone was almost caught by Donald Driver, but the Bears had done it again. 4-1.
The Packers faced another upstart team in week six in the Washington Redskins and only a super play by cornerback Charles Woodson kept the Packers from a two-game losing streak. Looking back, that fumble recovery and return for a touchdown might have saved the season for the Packers. Who knows what two straight losses at home would have done to a young team’s confidence. Fortunately the old vet came through and the Packers were 5-1.
Speaking of old vets, in the Packers’ seventh game at Denver, another old vet saved the day, actually, two of them. The Packers played poorly and even still had the lead late in the game. The Broncos were driving for the game winning touchdown when KGB made a touchdown saving tackle from behind with just seconds on the clock. The Broncos settled for three to tie the game the rest is history. Favre, Jennings, touchdown. That play certainly has to go down as one of the greatest in Favre’s glorious career and certainly one of the best in NFL overtime history. A classic. 6-1.
The Favre-Jennings combination is getting stronger every week. Jennings’ 60-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter sparked a 20-point fourth quarter that sunk the Chiefs and kept the Packers’ train rolling. It was Brett Favre’s first win Kansas City just had it had been in Denver the week prior. The Pack was heading home to face the arch rival Minnesota Vikings with an amazing 7-1 record. I was flying high, much like the city of Green Bay. Amazing how that seems so long ago.
I’ll try not to be so long before the final two quarters. Computer problems set me back a day or two.
More to come…