More Records And Another Win For The Packers » Brats & Beer

Posted on September 30, 2007

A trip to the Metrodome is a lot like going to visit your dysfunctional in-laws: You can never get out of there without a little drama. Today was no different for the Packers, who nearly gave away the ball game after Ryan Grant fumbled a handoff from Brett Favre with under two minutes to play. Luckily Atari Bigby came up with the big interception with 1:11 remaining to salt away a 23-16 victory.

There was also drama of a different sort when Favre completed a 16-yard TD pass to Greg Jennings in the first quarter to break Dan Marino’s career touchdown record. Personally I was pulling for Donald Driver to get that honor, but it seems fitting in a way that Green Bay’s next star receiver would get to make that historic catch. Rookie James Jones caught Favre’s 422nd touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, which turned out to be the game winning score.

Overall the offense performed much like it has the past two weeks: Favre threw for 344 yards and two TDs for a quarterback rating of 108.0, Donald Driver had seven catches for 58 yards and Donald Lee caught four passes for 66 yards. One thing we didn’t count on, though, were the turnovers. Lee lost the ball inside the 10-yard line to end one drive and then Grant lost the handle on the handoff at the end that nearly cost the Packers the game. Looks like some ball security drills might be in order this week.

The defense also surprised me by giving up 382 yards, including 155 yards on the ground. Adrian Peterson was sure to make some plays, but he seemed to be running almost at will today. Kelly Holcomb and the short passing game also chopped up the secondary at times. But the most important thing is they kept the ‘Qeens out of the end zone for most of the afternoon and came up with the turnover when they had to.

(And did you see Holcomb jumping up and down complaining to the officials after that play? Not sure if he was demanding a review of Bigby’s catch or if he wanted a roughing call on Charlie Peprah who got pushed into him after the pass. What a little crybaby. UPDATE: After listening to the post-game show on WTMJ, I guess Holcomb was trying to argue that there should have been an interference call on Charles Woodson on that last Vikings play. Whatev. He still looked like big crybaby throwing a fit.)

Warts and all, though, Green Bay is now 4-0 and Packer Nation is celebrating like it’s 1998. They say more than 80% of teams that start with four wins make the playoffs; let’s hope this year’s Packers don’t fall into that miserable 20%.

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