Don Majkowski threw for 289 yards and three touchdown passes to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 24-21 comeback win over the Detroit Lions. The Pack trailed 21-10 after three quarters before “The Majik Man” led the comeback just like he did so many times the previous season. The victory improved the Packers record on the season to 2-2.
“I needed to come through to get some confidence back in the team and in myself,” said Majkowski, who started his second game after ending his preseason holdout. “I think now we’ll really start to come together.”
Majkowski also led the Packers with 88 yards rushing. The Lions got pressure on the Packers quarterback and managed to sack him four times. But when they didn’t sack Majik, he made them pay either on the ground or through the air.
Don Majkowski Leads the Packers to a Dramatic Comeback Win: The Back and Forth First Half
The two division rivals had a competitive first half that saw both teams take the lead at various times. The Lions scored the only points of the first quarter when quarterback Rodney Peete found wideout Robert Clark on a four-yard touchdown pass. The Lions used the no-huddle offense for the first time all season and it helped them keep Green Bay’s defense off-balance during an eight-play, 64-yard drive.
But the next 10 points belonged to Green Bay. First, a 34-yard field goal by Chris Jacke cut the Lions lead to 7-3. A 24-yard scramble by Majkowski helped ignite the 12-play drive that started on the Packers five.
The Pack took the lead for the first time on a three-yard touchdown pass from Majkowski to tight end Ed West. A 38-yard pass interference penalty on Detroit’s Leroy Irvin gave the Pack the ball at the Lions five. The Pack led 10-7 five minutes into the second quarter.
But Detroit regained the lead with 1:08 to go in the half on a three-yard touchdown run by future Hall of Famer, Barry Sanders. Sanders gained 70 yards in the first half, but the Packers defense held him to just 24 yards after the break.
The Lions Extend Their Lead
In the third quarter, the Lions went ahead 21-10 on a seven-yard touchdown run by Peete. The former USC star ran around the right side to find the end zone. The home crowd at the Pontiac Silverdome was confident their team would win the game after the four-play, 34-yard drive set up by a short Don Bracken punt.
The 21-10 margin held after three quarters and the Packers had their backs against the wall.
Don Majkowski Leads the Packers to a Dramatic Comeback Win: Don Works His Majik
Majkowski ignited the comeback early in the fourth quarter. He completed 4-of-5 passes for 44 yards and ran for 15 more on this drive. Majik found running back Michael Haddix on a four-yard touchdown toss to cut the Packers deficit to 21-17 just 3:51 into the final quarter.
Lions kicker Eddie Murray helped keep the Packers in this game. The veteran missed all four of his field goal attempts on the day, missing from 34, 50, 51, and 44 yards out. He entered the game having made his last 13 field goal tries.
The Packers completed the comeback in the final minutes of the game. Majkowski took the team downfield on a nine-play, 66-yard drive.
The game-winning touchdown came on a desperation play as the Packers faced a 3rd-and-17 from the Lions 26. Majkowski avoided the pass rush and threw for wide receiver Clarence Weathers in the back of the end zone. However, Weathers wasn’t the first read on the play and he never got the ball. First, Majik looked for Sterling Sharpe. Then he looked back to the right for Perry Kemp.
“They were covered, so I stepped up and found Jeff on the back side at the last second,” Majkowski said. “I saw [Weathers], but I saw Jeff, too. I got hit right away so I really didn`t see the catch.”
Receiver Jeff Query stepped in front of Weathers and made the catch for the go-ahead score. The Packers led 24-21 with just 55 seconds left in the game.
“I think it was for him, but I came across and made the play,” Query admitted.
Peete led the Lions downfield for one last try to tie the game. With three second left, Murray missed a 44-yard field goal that sailed wide right, and the Packers held on for the win.
The Aftermath
“The final drive really reminded me of last year,” said Majkowski. “We were relaxed and confident because we had been there before in that situation.”
“He’s an all-pro,” Detroit head coach Wayne Fontes said of Majkowski. “He makes $1 million, and some of the guys covering make $65,000. He’s a great quarterback.”
Packers head coach Lindy Infante was thrilled with the victory. “We needed to win one the way we won it because that was the kind of team we were last year-a never-give-up, never-quit, hard-working team,” he said after the game.
The Packers were 5-5 after 10 games that season before Majkowski suffered a torn rotator cuff. The Packers lost their final five games and finished the season 6-10.
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