Week 16
December 22, 2013 - 3:25 p.m. - CBS
Lambeau Field
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Packers 31 - Steelers 38
Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers put a damper on the Packers playoff hopes defeating Green Bay at snowy Lambeau Field. In a rematch of Super Bowl 45, the Packers and Steelers would play a wild one.
The path was set. Defeat the Steelers and beat the Chicago Bears in Week 17 and the Packers would be crowned 2013 NFC North champions. Matt Flynn and the Packers would strike first with a back shoulder touchdown to Jarrett Boykin. The Steelers would respond with a strike of their own tying the 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.
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| Photo credit: packers.com |
Unlike the previous two games, the Packers did not get off to a slow start. In the second quarter, Eddie Lacy continued his 'Rookie of the Year' campaign with a 14-yard helicopter dive-into-the-end-zone touchdown. Lacy would also, later in the game, pass John Brockington to set a Packers franchise record for the most rushing yards in a rookie season. Lacy already holds the record for most rushing touchdowns as a rookie and added to his record with a pair touchdowns against the Steelers.
After the Packers took a 14-10 lead into the locker room, the Steelers opened the second half with a six play touchdown drive that included a successful conversion of a fake punt. The next sequence was once of the craziest I've ever seen. After a Tim Masthay punt downed at the 2-yard line, the Steelers Le'veon Bell coughed the ball up on the 3-yard line and Tramon Williams recovered to put Green Bay in business. Bell was ruled down by contact, but the play was reviewed and overturned. The Steelers defense kept the Packers out of the end zone and blocked Mason Crosby's field goal attempt, however, as the ball was rolling on the ground, a Steeler batted the ball forward in an attempt to keep it from going out of bounds. The officials in game ruled the bat of the ball occurred without a change in possession, therefore was a penalty on Pittsburgh and an automatic first down for Green Bay. The ruling was incorrect on the field as a change in possession did occur as a Steeler did pickup the ball prior to the ball being batted. With a changed in possession, the penalty would have been half the distance to the goal and a first down for Pittsburgh. Mike Tomlin, head coach for the Steelers, tried to challenge the possession change, however, that is not a reviewable play. Nevertheless, Green Bay got the football after a block field goal at the 2-yard line. And then Eddie Lacy pounded it into the end zone giving Green Bay the 21-17 lead. An absolute crazy sequence of plays and rulings all benefitting the Packers.
To add to the craziness of this game, the Steelers preceded to drive the field again resulting in another touchdown giving the Steelers the 24-21 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Micah Hyde returned the kickoff 39 yards to the 40-yard line. On the Packers first play from scrimmage, they ran a run pass option. Flynn elected to pass the bubble screen to Jarrett Boykin, however, Andrew Quarless ran into Flynn as he was throwing the football causing him to throw a floating duck. The pass was intercepted by Pittsburgh's Cortez Allen and returned 40-yards for the touchdown giving the Steelers the 31-21 lead late in the third quarter.
The Packers did not give up. After a Mason Crosby field goal, the Packers tied the game with just over seven minutes left with a John Kuhn two-yard touchdown run. And with the game tied, the Packers had an opportunity to win the game with three minutes left. On a third and eight from the Green Bay 10-yard line, Flynn attempted to rush for the first down. Flynn came up short and fumbled the football. The defense held the Steelers to a three and out, however, Nick Perry went offside on the field goal attempt on fourth and three giving the Steelers a first down. In order to save time, the Packers let the Steelers into the end zone giving them the lead with around ninety seconds remaining. Micah Hyde gave the Packers new life with a 70-yard kickoff return to the Pittsburgh 31-yard line. Flynn passed the offense to the Pittsburgh 1-yard line with the clock running at 20-seconds. At this point, Don Barclay committed a false start. Because Green Bay had zero timeouts, the Packers were accessed a 5-yard penalty and a 10-second run off. Another factor, the clock began ticking on the officials signal. The Packers did not snap the ball until 5-seconds remained. Flynn's pass to Boykin was incomplete and the game was over.
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| Photo credit: packers.com |
Poor clock management on the final drive, horrific special teams all day long, and turnovers cost the Packers in this football game. The season could be over depending on the result of the Bears vs Eagles game on Sunday Night Football.
The defense for the Packers was holding up against the Steelers despite so many injuries. Some bad news, Clay Matthews sacked Roethlisberger in the second quarter and came up grimacing. Matthews was holding his thumb that he injured back in Week 5 and missed four games. Matthews went to the locker room and did not return. Eddie Lacy was also was hurt in this matchup. Lacy re-aggravated his sprained ankle and left the game in the third quarter and did not return.
Matt Flynn finished the day with 232 passing yards including a touchdown and an interception. Eddie Lacy rushed for 84 yards and added two rushing touchdowns. James Jones led the team in receiving with nine catches for 84 yards. Ben Roethlisberger only threw for 167 yards, but had two touchdowns and threw an interception (A.J. Hawk). Rookie running back Le'veon Bell dashed the Packers defense for 124 yards and a touchdown. And Antonio Brown led the Steelers receiving with 105 yards on six receptions.
There was a lot of discussion during the week that Aaron Rodgers would make his return from his broken collarbone, but Rodgers has still not been medically cleared to play football.
UPDATED: The Chicago Bears have lost on Sunday Night Football vs the Philadelphia Eagles. This means the Week 17 matchup between the Packers and the Bears will be for the NFC North division crown.
#LifeWithoutAaronRodgers
Chicago Bears 8-7
Green Bay Packers 7-7-1
Detroit Lions 7-8
Minnesota Vikings 4-10-1
