Packers Enjoy Thrill of Victory After Agony of Defeats
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The Green Bay Packers could have called it quits against the Dallas Cowboys. Instead, Aaron Rodgers and Co. knocked the voice of doubt “back into hell.”
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ season wasn’t quite dead. But it was one foot in the grave, one foot on a banana peel and Mike McCarthy standing by with a shovel.
The Packers had lost five consecutive games, including last week at woeful Detroit. From the agony of that defeat, both in the standings and on the injury report, the Packers saved their season with a thrilling 31-28 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
“Last week was definitely a low. Rock-bottomish, for sure,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “I felt like that was the bottom and it was only up from there. I think a lot of the battles that we face are between I and I, between the person that can go out there and dominate and knows that they can and the little voice in your head that tries to knock you out of that confident perch around you. I’m happy that I knocked that voice back into hell and had a good performance today.”
Rodgers was magnificent, going 14-of-20 for 224 yards and three touchdowns. Rookie receiver Christian Watson was magnificent, overcoming two early drops to catch three touchdowns. Running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon were magnificent, combining for 211 rushing yards. The defense was magnificent at the end.
If the Packers do turn their season around and not only get to the playoffs but make a run, one play will be the jumping-off point.
The Packers led 14-7 late in the first half but gave up a too-easy 2-minute drill to go into halftime tied 14-14. They would have had good field position midway through the third quarter but Amari Rodgers fumbled his punt return, which allowed Dallas to lead 21-14. A three-and-out punt by Green Bay and an 86-yard touchdown drive by the Cowboys in which they overcame a second-and-21 made it 28-14.
On the ensuing possession, the Packers faced a fourth-and-7 from the Cowboys’ 39. This was the do-or-die play. Rodgers hit Watson in stride and the rookie did the rest for his second touchdown of the night and the one that acted as a defibrillator.
“That was a turning point for us, hopefully a turning point that leads us to go on a streak,” Rodgers said. That was a chance for guys to, ‘Ah, it’s not our season. 3-7. what are we doing in the offseason. It’s not going to be our year.’
“Sometimes, you can’t explain the feelings that you have and the energetic waves that come and go during the week, but I just had a feeling all week we were going to win this game. Part of it’s probably the rock-bottom feeling but it just felt like energetically something was going to go our way. It didn’t look great, [and] your mind starts wandering a little bit about the same things I just mentioned.”
Afterward, both in the locker room and to reporters, coach Matt LaFleur got emotional. Week after week, the work and preparation were there but the results were not. With a magnificent final 25 minutes against a formidable opponent, the Packers might have changed the trajectory of their season.
“You hope it propels you and gives you some confidence, because I do think it’s tough anytime you go through a stretch like that,” LaFleur said. “It’s hard to shut out the negativity. I don’t read anything, but I just know the world we live in and for these guys, it’s tough. There’s a lot of negativity out there and you just can’t let that filter in and affect what you believe, and that’s something that we talk about all the time. You have to believe in yourself, you have to believe in the guys next to you.”
Now, there’s reason for everyone believe. The Packers’ playoff hopes – which seemed dead after a 15-9 loss at Detroit – are alive, so long as one win isn’t just one win.
Rodgers thought this one win could jump-start the team, just like a primetime victory at Philadelphia kicked off the running of the table in 2016 after a four-game losing streak.
“Yeah, I do,” he said. “We have the advantage this week of the short week at home. Short weeks are always difficult on teams. But Tennessee’s a good football team, well coached, run a similar offense. Obviously, got one of the top backs [Derrick Henry] in the league, very stout defense, but I saw the weather report. Supposed to be in the 20s. I always like our chances when it’s in the 20s.”
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