CINCINNATI, OH (WTAQ) – If you’ve been watching NFL football for as long as I have, you’re bound to see a game that leaves you scratching your head until it bleeds.
As they used to say on Monty Python’s Flying Circus, “And now for something completely different!”
That would be the Green Bay Packers improbable 25-22 overtime victory against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium before 64,195 palpitated fans on a sunny, 80 degree afternoon. How else can you explain one of the most bizarre field goal kicking exhibitions in history? There were five consecutive missed field goals from the final 2:16 of regulation and into overtime before the weary 37 year old Mason Crosby finally split the uprights from 49 yards out for the win.
Crosby, who after the first Green Bay touchdown, bounced the PAT off the left upright, made three straight field goals to run his franchise record up to 27 in a row, had a chance to give the Packers the lead just outside the 2 minute warning. His 36 yard attempt sailed wide left.
The Bengals got rookie Evan McPherson in position for a potential game winner 57 yarder with :26 to play but it doinked the right upright.
Just as they had in San Francisco, Aaron Rodgers found Davante Adams for 20 yards over the middle with time running out. The offense was able to spike it with :03 to play. Crosby’s 51 yarder for the win…..missed to the left again and on to overtime it went.
On the first offensive snap of the overtime, Bengals young quarterback Joe Burrow threw over the middle but his receiver stopped his route and the ball floated directly into the hands of De’Vondre Campbell who returned it 13 yards to the Cincinnati 17. Game over, right? Wrong. The Packers couldn’t punch it in and Crosby missed a third straight from 40 yards away.
A 21 yard hook up from Burrow to rookie Ja’Marr Chase gave the Bengals another crack at victory. McPherson’s 49 yard try started fine, in fact he celebrated what he thought was the game winner. But the ball stayed high and drifted left, close enough to tickle the red ribbon at the top of the goal post.
The Packers then got a 20 yard catch and run from Marcedes Lewis but Rodgers was sacked to force a third and 16. His throw to Randall Cobb looked close to the yard to gain, but after a replay review, was spotted inches short. With a 4th and less than one decision and a veteran kicker on shaky mental ground, the sideline got busy.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur went directly to Crosby. “Can you do this?” he asked. Crosby answered yes, “then do it”, the coach told him. Aaron Rodgers sought out special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton who said he had no doubt Mason would deliver. Davante Adams who looked down at the ground in superstition for the earlier misses, decided to peek at the scoreboard video screen instead.
The 49 yard boot was true all the way and the Packers improved to 4-1 on the season.
LaFleur on the wildest of walk off wins.
The Packers had a shaky start offensively as Rodgers had a 0.0 passer rating at the end of the first quarter. That included a rare interception on a back shoulder throw to Adams that was a bit too far inside and Chidobe Awuzie picked it off, returning it 42 yards. The defense on the other hand, came in fired up and got a quick stop thanks to a sack from Krys Barnes.
A 3 and out for the Packers and a poor, 31 yard punt by Corey Bojorquez set up the Bengals at midfield. Cincinnati has a talented young offense and Burrow moved them 51 yards in 10 plays, converting a 4th and 3 along the way, to take the lead. He found running back Samaje Perine alone in the right flat for a 4 yard strike and a 7-0 lead.
The Packers had a snappy answer though as Rodgers started heating up with Adams. Completions for 17 and 34 yards were just the start for Davante’s career best day, 11 catches for a personal best 206 yards. Running back A.J. Dillon capped the drive with a tough catch in the left flat and bruising finish at the goal for a 12 yard touchdown. Crosby’s PAT hit the left upright and the Bengals still led 7-6.
Sacks from Preston Smith on the next series and Dean Lowry and T.J. Slaton for another forced quick punts and Green Bay converted both times. A 44 yard field goal from Crosby made it 9-7 and then Rodgers and Adams finished off a 9 play, 81 yard drive with a floating five yard strike at the left of the end zone giving the Packers a 16-7 advantage with just over a minute left in the half.
Burrow and Chase, college teammates at LSU, then connected on Cincinnati’s biggest play. Burrow scrambled left and then right and bought enough time for Chase to break from the deep left sideline, all the way across the field to pull down a long throw. Darnell Savage, giving chase, just missed the deflection and when Chase pulled it in, it was a stroll the final 25 yards for a 70 yard scoring strike to make it 16-14 at the half.
To open the third, Burrow made a forced throw that Adrian Amos intercepted up the sideline and the Packers had to settle for Crosby’s second, 44 yard field goal to make it 19-14.
Early in the 4th quarter, Adams got behind the defense down the middle for a spectacular 59 yard play to the six but the offense, record setting good in the red zone a year ago, fizzled again and Crosby’s 27th consecutive field goal was good from 22 yards.
The Bengals put together another strong drive, converting another 4th and 2 and Joe Mixon capped it with an 8 yard burst off right tackle, juking rookie Shemar Jean-Charles to the ground along the way. Burrow then found Tee Higgins crossing the back on the end zone against Issac Yiadom for the game tying 2 point conversion with 3:27 left in regulation.
That set up the madcap kicking display to the finish.
The Packers outgained the Bengals 466-367. Rodgers finished 27 of 39 for 344 yards and two scores with a pick and a passer rating of 102.9. Adams was magnificent again with his 11 catches on 16 targets and 206 yards with a score, the first time he’s topped 200 in his career. Aaron Jones had 103 yards rushing on 14 carries including a 57 yard scamper late in regulation before Crosby’s first, ill-fated miss. Dillon contributed 79 total yards, 30 rushing and impressively, 49 on four receptions with his touchdown.
De’Vondre Campbell led the defense again with 8 tackles and his second interception of the season. The unit came up with three sacks and Dean Lowry had two batted balls in the first half but the Bengals proved to a difficult out.
Burrow finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards and 2 scores with 2 picks and a rating of 85.5. On a scramble in the second half, he took a hard hit from Darnell Savage and got up slowly. He was checked in the medical tent but returned. After the game, it was reported Burrow was taken to a hospital to have a throat contusion checked out. This second year player has talent around him as Chase caught 6 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown. The Packers gave up 103 yards rushing on 24 carries with Perine picking up 59. Joe Mixon, battling an ankle injury all week, had 10 carries for 33 yards.
On Saturday, the Packers put Jaire Alexander on injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least three weeks with that shoulder injury. Both Elgton Jenkins and Josh Myers were among the inactives for the game as the starting offensive line was Yosh Nijman, Jon Runyan, Lucas Patrick at center, Royce Newman and Billy Turner.
Several new arrivals on defense saw significant snaps like Issac Yiadom and La’Darius Hamilton.
Aaron Rodgers said afterwards it’s remarkable this team is finding ways to win when 4 Pro Bowl players from a year ago, didn’t even dress.
The celebration in the locker room at Paul Brown was so boisterous, reporters waiting in the adjacent interview room could hear the whooping and hollering that went on for several minutes.
Why not after a game that both teams won and lost several times over down the stretch, leaving it to the old man of the hour, Mason Crosby to cherish the redemptive feeling of a wild walk off win in Ohio.
Next up for the Pack, a date with the 3-2 Bears at Soldier Field and a chance to strengthen their hold on the NFC North.
