Ahman Green ran for 119 yards and scored three touchdowns as the Green Bay Packers defeated the defending NFC Champion Carolina Panthers 24-14 in Carolina. Brett Favre threw for 143 yards and one touchdown to help lead the Packers to the victory on Monday Night Football.
“I don’t know if we’ve had a more complete game in all phases,” Packers head coach Mike Sherman said.
The Packers Were Determined to Have Ahman Green Run the Ball on the Panthers
Despite having a Hall of Fame quarterback, the Packers offense was built around Green and the ground game. The Panthers knew this coming into the game but couldn’t do anything to stop it.
“Those guys were pounding us,” admitted Panthers safety Mike Minter. “I believe [Green] is the best back in the game. We were trying to stop him first and then let Favre do his thing. We felt like we could do well if we got [Green] out of the game, and we didn’t do that.”
“I was surprised at how well we ran the ball,” Favre told reporters after the game. “Our philosophy is we’ll wear you down before you wear us down.”
Green had 33 carries and 35 total touches in the game. After it was over, the star running back needed intravenous fluids. “We basically showed what it takes to win games, which is a complete game,” Green said.
The low point of the game for the Packers occurred on the first drive for the defense when nose tackle Grady Jackson dislocated his knee cap. He missed the next five games as a result of the injury.
Ahman Green Starts His Big Day for the Packers
The Packers scored on their second drive of the game. Green carried five times while running back Tony Fisher caught a pass for 11 yards on 3rd-and-9 to keep the drive alive. Ryan Longwell booted a 41-yard field goal to put the Packers ahead 3-0.
The Panthers answered and took a 7-3 lead midway through the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme to running back Brad Hoover.
Favre and the Green Bay offense responded immediately. Passes to tight end David Martin and wide receiver Javon Walker led the Pack downfield. They scored on a 10-play, 72-yard drive which culminated with a six-yard touchdown run by Green to put the Pack up 10-7 at the half.
The Packers Defense Sets Up More Touchdowns for Ahman Green
The Packers defense came up with a big play on the opening drive of the second half. Aaron Kampman recovered a fumble by Hoover which gave the Pack the ball at the Carolina 31. An offensive pass interference penalty negated a Favre touchdown pass to Robert Ferguson, but Favre found Donald Driver for 16 yards to put the ball at the Panthers 3. Green ran up the middle for another touchdown to make it 17-7 Packers.
Carolina pushed the ball to the Green Bay 28 on their next drive, but the Packers defense came up with another big turnover. Delhomme threw for Steve Smith who got his hands on the ball but couldn’t catch it. Linebacker Nick Barnett made the interception and gave the Packers back the ball at their own 33.
Favre led the Pack on an 11-play, 67-yard drive that included four carries by Green for 33 yards and key passes to Bubba Franks and William Henderson. Favre tossed a three-yard touchdown pass to Green and gave the Packers a 24-7 lead.
Carolina made it closer on a 30-yard scoring pass from Delhomme to Muhsin Muhammad with 4:52 left in the game but that was as close as the Panthers could get, and the Packers won it 24-14.
The Aftermath of the Packers Win Over the Panthers
“It’s only one game, but what we did was impressive,” Favre said. “We played about as flawless as we could play. I hope people don’t lose respect for them, but I hope they will respect us a little more. I can’t think in recent memory of anyone dominating them in the running game. I was a little surprised how we ran. I can’t say enough about our offensive line.”
This was the first game for new Packers defensive coordinator Bob Slowik. He wanted the defense to be more aggressive and blitzed more often. The Packers managed two sacks, one by Barnett and another shared by safety Mark Roman and linebacker Hannibal Navies. The different looks and aggressive approach helped keep the Panthers off-balance.
“For the most part, we did what we wanted out there against a really good team,” left guard Mike Wahle said. “What a way to start – the NFC champions, ‘Monday Night Football,’ with the whole world watching.”
“It was a great win for us, but it’s one win – hopefully of many more,” Sherman added. The Packers finished the season 10-6 and won the NFC North title. Carolina fell to 7-9.
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