A horrible start was just setting the scene as the Green Bay Packers rallied from a 21-3 deficit to beat the New York Jets 31-24 Sunday at Lambeau Field.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers took over the No. 2 spot on the team's all-time passing yardage list, and receiver Jordy Nelson had a career-best day, in the victory.
“They have grit,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “That’s something we’ve always felt. I really like the character and makeup of our players. Everyone wants to talk about talent, measurables, experience and production. But this group, they’re wired the right way, they work the right way and we improved as a team today.”
The 18-point comeback victory was a career-best for Rodgers, who was 25 of 42 for 346 yards. Rodgers (24,734) eclipsed Bart Starr (24,718) on the franchise’s career passing yards list and now only trails Brett Favre (61,655).
Rodgers’ favorite target was Nelson, who had the best day of a Packers receiver in a decade, catching nine passes for 209 yards, including an 80-yard, third-quarter touchdown that broke a 24-24 tie.
“Jordy spoils us,” McCarthy said. “He plays that way all the time. He practices the same way. He’s just a clutch, clutch player.”
The tide seemed to turn late in the second quarter. The Packers (1-1) trailed 21-9, with the offense settling for three Mason Crosby field goals, including a Lambeau Field-record 55-yarder in the second quarter. The Jets (1-1) were threatening at the Green Bay 27-yard line with 2 minutes to play, when Packers defensive end Mike Daniels got in Jets quarterback Geno Smith’s way on a deep throw down the sideline to tight end Zach Sudfeld. The ball hung in the air long enough for Packers cornerback Tramon Williams to get turned around and make a leaping interception in front of Sudfeld.
“It was a big play at the time,” Williams said. “They were close to scoring again, possibly. We were able to get the turnover.”
The Packers’ offense, in the 2-minute drill, quickly moved down the field, going 97 yards and scoring on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to receiver Randall Cobb, who finished with five catches for 39 yards and two touchdowns.
“In years past we’ve needed a big play to get us going at times,” Rodgers said, “and at times it’s had to be an offensive big play. But today it was the interception by Tramon that gave us some hope, and then we put together a good drive to pull within five there at halftime.”
In the second half, the Packers took the lead on a 67-yard drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Cobb.
When the Packers made the two-point conversion, the Jets’ Muhammad Wilkerson was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected. That seemed to begin a downward spiral for the Jets.
“Nobody feels worse than Mo about it,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “He’s apologized to the team. He feels he let his team down. It’s an emotional game, but having someone take a swing is not acceptable. Mo will be the first one to say it.”
After the Jets engineered a field goal drive to tie the game, the Packers needed just one play to score -- a beautifully executed play-action fake to running back Eddie Lacy that left Nelson wide open over Jets corner Dee Milliner. Nelson hauled in the ball and ran around a safety to score the 80-yard touchdown that put the Packers ahead 31-24.
While neither team would score the rest of the way, it appeared the Jets tied the game on a fourth-and-4 play late in the fourth quarter when Smith went deep to Jeremy Kerley, who caught a ball in the end zone over Williams. The play was negated, though, when referees informed the crowd that the Jets had called a timeout before the snap of the ball.
“Just telling you I didn’t call it,” Ryan said. “I don’t know if (offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg called it or Geno called it. I just know they were blowing it dead. … It would be our fashion that we would score a touchdown and there would be a timeout.”
The comeback erased a nightmarish start for the Packers, who fumbled away the ball on their first offensive play of the game. The Packers' defense was punchless throughout most of the first half, allowing the Jets to gash them with options and quarterback scrambles.
Smith began the day’s scoring with a 1-yard foot race to the north end zone’s right pylon. Later in the quarter he capped an 84-yard drive with a 29-yard pass to Eric Decker.
Smith finished with 16 completions on 32 attempts for 176 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Decker caught four balls for 63 yards and a touchdown. Chris Ivory was held to 43 yards on 13 attempts.
Eddie Lacy was also held to 43 yards on 13 attempts as the Packers’ running game continued to struggle.
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