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Green Bay vs. Buffalo
12/20/97 - Packers Win 31-21
The opening kick-off
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Getting assistance from an unexpected quarter, backup tight end Tyrone Davis -- and capitalizing on takeaways, the Packers converted three turnovers into 17 points to carry them past the Buffalo Bills in their regular-season finale at Lambeau Field Saturday, 31-21.
In closing out the '97 campaign with a fifth straight victory, the Green and Gold scored their first and final touchdowns -- and a field goal -- off takeaways.
The recovery of a Buffalo fumble in the end zone by backup tight end Tyrone Davis -- in the second minute of the game -- provided the first score and
Darren Sharper's 20-yard return of an interception in the fourth quarter concluded the Packers' scoring for the day with less than 5 minutes remaining in the game.
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Packers Radio Network with the call!
Tyrone Davis recovers the fumbled punt for a TD
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Davis, who thus scored the first touchdown of his NFL career, subsequently
made another "statement," snaring a 2-yard Brett Favre pass in the right corner of the end zone for the Packers' third touchdown.
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Packers Radio Network with the call!
Tyrone Davis scores his 2nd TD of the game
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The Packers' defense swarms over Antowain Smith
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Split end Antonio Freeman had produced the Packers' second TD on a 4-yard strike from Favre late in the first quarter.
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Packers Radio Network with the call!
Favre to Freeman for the TD
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Mike Prior's third quarter interception and 49-yard return to the Buffalo 18-yard line led to a 35-yard Ryan Longwell field goal, staking the Packers to a 24-0 lead before the Bills were permitted to score.
One exchange later, Buffalo posted its first score after the Bills'
Marcellus Wiley recovered a Steve Bono fumble and returned it to the Green
Bay 5-yad-line. Antowain Smith then went over right tackle for the score
on first down.
Smith scored again early in the fourth quarter, going in from one yard out
to cap a 6-play, 80-yard drive.
Sharper subsequently closed out the Packers' scoring with the 20-yard
runback of his second career interception.
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Packers Radio Network with the call!
Darren Sharper scores his third TD of the season
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Brett Favre takes a knee to end the first half
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With Head Coach Mike Holmgren substituting liberally during the late stages, the Bills drove 76 yards in 11 plays to make it a final, 10-point differential, Van Pelt scoring on a one-yard run with 2:05 left to play.
The final statistics revealed a somewhat surprising paradox. The Packers
won the time of possession argument by a substantial margin, holding the
football for 32 minutes, 8 seconds, to 27 minutes, 52 seconds for the
Bills, but Buffalo prevailed in the production of yardage, 325 to 272.
Both teams were heavily penalized, the Packers drawing 13 levies for 115
yards, the Bills 10 penalties for 93 yards.
Scoring Summary
- 1st Quarter
- GBP: Davis Fumble Recovery in Endzone (Longwell kick) (13:23)
- GBP: 4 yard TD pass; Favre to Freeman (Longwell kick) (3:19)
- 2nd Quarter
- GBP: 2 yard TD pass; Favre to Davis (Longwell kick) (7:26)
- 3rd Quarter
- GBP: 35 yard Longwell FG (3:38)
- BUF: 5 yard Smith TD run (2pt: Van Pelt to Riemersma) (:23)
- 4th Quarter
- BUF: 1 yard Smith TD run (2pt: Failed) (11:24)
- GBP: 20 yard Sharper TD INT (Longwell kick) (4:42)
- BUF: 1 yard Van Pelt TD run (Christie kick) (2:05)
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