GREEN BAY – One week removed from giving up the lead in the fourth quarter against the Steelers, the Packers stared another late game loss in the eyes this weekend at Lambeau against the Chargers.
This time, though, quarterback Jordan Love and the Green Bay offense didn’t blink.
Instead, Love found receiver Romeo Doubs open in the back left corner of the endzone to re-take the lead with 2:33 left in the final frame. And after a Justin Herbert pass was swatted incomplete by Kenny Clark, the 23-20 win was sealed.
“The message in the second half was ‘Just go finish'” said Love after his 27-40 day passing with 322 yards and two scores. “The defense balled out, they stepped up big right there to finish off the game.”
That defense did show some holes at times, with the Chargers’ Justin Herbert connecting for two touchdowns of his own including a 10-yard strike to Keenan Allen in the fourth to retake the lead. But Los Angeles also had multiple critical dropped passes, including one right off the chest of the usually sure-handed Allen, and a Quentin Johnson would-be touchdown for the lead on the final drive.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur acknowledged the defense “bailed me out for the conservative calls at the end of the game.” He also pointed to continual growth on both sides of the ball as the team dealt with some key injuries throughout the day.
Those injuries will impact the team as they prepare for a Thanksgiving Day match-up in Detroit. Running back Aaron Jones left the game with a knee injury and had to be carted off the field and into the locker room, followed by fellow back Emanuel Wilson. Despite the grotesque appearance of the injury, LaFleur said he doesn’t believe Jones will be out long-term.
