Brett Favre helped the Green Bay Packers overcome a 14-point deficit late in the third quarter and led the team to a 28-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Favre threw for three touchdowns and ran for the game-winning score with just 1:30 left in the game. He finished the game with 362 yards passing and topped his former backup, Mark Brunell, who started for Jacksonville.

Brett Favre Leads the Packers to a Thrilling Comeback Win Over the Jaguars: The Buildup

The Packers came into this game with a 7-3 record and were in the thick of the playoff race in the NFC. Green Bay missed the playoffs the previous two seasons but were looking strong after winning three of their last four games including a 29-27 win over the Lions on Thanksgiving the previous week.

The Jaguars were struggling along at 3-7 but determined to show they were better than that before a national television audience on Monday Night Football. They were led by Mark Brunell, who was one of Favre’s backups in Green Bay in the mid-1990s. Their head coach, Tom Coughlin, had also been an assistant coach with the Packers under Forrest Gregg in 1986 and 1987.

Jacksonville entered the game banged up. They were without future Hall of Fame left tackle Tony Boselli, linebacker Kevin Hardy, and running back Fred Taylor. Brunell was playing despite a quad injury.

The Pack Falls Behind

The Jaguars came out inspired while playing before a boisterous home crowd on national television. Brunell led them on an eight-play, 48-yard drive off the opening kickoff which resulted in a 34-yard field goal by Mike Hollis. The Packers trailed 3-0 just 3:39 into the game.

The Packers struggled to run the football throughout the game and especially in the first half. They carried the ball eight times for seven yards in the first half and finished the game with 37 yards on 21 carries. Ahman Green was held to 31 yards on 17 attempts.

“They were just very quick getting off the ball,” Green admitted after the game. “The crowd noise early on, we couldn’t get the cadence and hear the call.”

The Jaguars added to their lead in the second quarter after Ryan Longwell missed a 53-yard field goal try. A 23-yard pass to Jimmy Smith helped set up a 29-yard touchdown pass from Brunell to Elvis Joseph. The Packers trailed 10-0.

Hollis booted another field goal with 2:00 left in the half to make it 13-0 Jacksonville. This one was from 30 yards out.

Brett Favre Leads the Packers to a Thrilling Comeback Win Over the Jaguars: A Spark Before the Half

Favre engineered a drive before the half that got the Packers on the board. Back-to-back pass interference calls on Fernando Bryant were the key plays including one that wiped out an interception by Bryant. The drive ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Favre to Green with 29 seconds left in the half. The score at the break was 13-7 Jaguars.

The Pack Falls Further Behind

The Packers couldn’t get out of their own way for most of the third quarter. A 63-yard pass from Favre to Antonio Freeman helped the Pack reach the Jacksonville 11, but Longwell’s 29-yard field goal attempt was blocked, and the score remained 13-7.

Later in the quarter, the Packers reached the Jaguars 30, but Tony Brackens sacked Favre and forced a fumble. Aisley Battles scooped up the loose ball and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown. The Jaguars added a two-point conversion and led 21-7 with just 3:45 left in the third quarter.

Brett Favre Leads the Packers to a Thrilling Comeback Win Over the Jaguars: The Packers Respond

The Packers responded quickly. Favre found Bill Schroeder for a 43-yard touchdown on the next drive that made the score 21-14 after three quarters. The touchdown animated Favre who gave the team a pep talk on the sideline.

“Everyone saw it,” defensive end Vonnie Holliday said. “He was like, ‘Let’s go guys, let’s go.’ That’s why he’s the leader of this team.”

On the ensuing kickoff, Chris Gizzi caused a fumble that was recovered by Torrance Marshall at the Jacksonville 32. Three plays later, Favre found tight end Bubba Franks open in the end zone on a one-yard touchdown pass and the game was tied.

The Jaguars reached the Green Bay 15 on their next drive but cornerback Tyrone Williams intercepted Brunell to snuff out that threat.

The Winning Drive

Neither team could move the ball for the rest of the fourth quarter. The Packers got one last chance when they took over at their own 44 after a short punt by Chris Hanson.

Favre went to work. First, he found Donald Driver for 10 yards and a first down. Then, he passed to Green for 42 yards which got the ball all the way to the Jaguars 4.

After a run lost two yards, Favre carried the ball around the left end on a bootleg for the go-ahead score. It was his first rushing touchdown since October 25, 1998, the longest drought between rushing touchdowns in his career until that point.

“I wasn´t going to throw the ball unless someone was absolutely wide open,” Favre said. “I figured I was the last guy the Jaguars would figure to run with the ball.”

The Jaguars got near midfield but then sacks by Holliday and Jamal Reynolds ended their final threat and the Packers had a 28-21 win.

Brett Favre Leads the Packers to a Thrilling Comeback Win Over the Jaguars: The Aftermath

The Packers were thrilled to come away with the victory, even if it wasn’t their best all-around performance. “I feel we beat a team on the road that I felt going into this game was a good football team,” head coach Mike Sherman said after the game. “They have good receivers, a great quarterback, a defense that’s given up 16 points a game average. So, I feel like we were fortunate in beating a good football team. I feel like we accomplished something today.”

“This is sweet,” Holliday added. “Early in the game, we had some things go wrong, but we battled back.”

“We did make it extremely difficult, but that’s why this one ranks as one of the best wins I’ve been a part of,” said Favre. “Road win, tough environment, Monday Night Football, [third] road win in a row; I can’t stress enough how important it was that we got this win.”

“It puts us in position to control our own destiny,” defensive tackle Santana Dotson said. “That’s the only thing we wanted.”

The Pack finished the season with a 12-4 record and returned to the playoffs as a wild card team. But they may not have gotten there without this thrilling comeback win that was vintage Favre.

 

 

 

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