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Green Bay Packers at New York Giants - 01/06/02
Game Summary - Packers Win 34-25
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| Brett Favre was sacked by Michael Strahan in the 4th quarter of Sunday's game. |
Both teams came out of Green Bay's 34-25 win over the New York Giants accomplishing their respective goals for the game. The Packers secured a home playoff game next week against San Francisco with the win. The Giants' Michael Strahan set the NFL record for sacks in a single season with his takedown of Brett Favre late in the fourth quarter.
Strahan had been unable to pressure Favre for most of the day and it seemed as if the Packers (12-4) would just run out the clock as the fourth quarter wound down. On a keep pass, where Favre fakes a handoff to Green and tries to roll out the other direction, Favre ran right into the pursuit of Strahan and slid down as the defensive end promptly fell on top of him.
"It put something on this season," Strahan said in a post-game interview with Fox's Pam Oliver, "because this season has been very tough on everyone."
The Giants' defensive end recorded 22 1/2 sacks on the season to break the 1986 record of 22 held by the New York Jets' Mark Gastineau. The former record-holder was on hand at Giants stadium to witness the event.
The Packers' Billy Lyon quietly added one sack for the Packers to bring the team's record total on the season to 52.
The Packers started off fast jumping out to a 14-0 lead with less than seven minutes played in the first quarter. New York (7-9) went three-and-out on its first possession and then Green Bay pieced together a 4-play, 62-yard drive to get on the board first.
Favre hit Pro Bowl tight end Bubba Franks for a 23-yard gain on the first play. The veteran quarterback then found a wide-open Bill Schroeder three plays later for a 26-yard score.
On the ensuing New York drive, Darren Sharper made his sixth interception of the season when he stepped in front of a Kerry Collins pass near midfield. after a reception by Schroeder for a first down, running back Ahman Green carried twice breaking a 25-yard touchdown run to give the Packers a double-digit lead on the third play of the drive.
The Giants answered the score with three minutes left in the first quarter when wide receiver Ike Hilliard made a spectacular catch in the back of the end zone, just getting both feet down before going out of bounds.
Former University of Wisconsin star Ron Dayne recorded a career-long 61-yard run in the second quarter to set up a 26-yard Morten andersen field goal that cut the lead to four points. The run was also the longest of the season by any Giants player.
Ryan Longwell had a chance to answer that score, but missed wide right on a 45-yard attempt. He did connect on a 44-yard attempt as time expired in the first half and then from 43 yards out in the third quarter.
With 10 points on the afternoon, Longwell became the first player in club history to score 100-or-more points in five consecutive seasons.
Running back Dorsey Levens sparked the Packers' special teams with a 53-yard kickoff return to open the second half. It was a career-high for Levens and also the longest kickoff return on the season for the Packers. Levens averaged 34.5 yards a return to give Green Bay an average starting field position on their own 44 yard-line compared to New York's average starting field position on their own 24.
Following the Levens return, the Packers put together a 5-play, 31-yard drive that culminated in a one-yard touchdown run by Green. He finished the day with 23 carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
For the Giants, Dayne had 81 yards and one score on 10 carries. Tiki Barber recorded 65 yards and a touchdown on 9 carries in addition to 5 receptions for 79 yards.
Green had his seventh 100-yard rushing day on the season to tie the club record set by Jim Taylor during the 1962 season. Green finished with 101 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. He also had two receptions for 19 yards giving him 1,981 total yards on the season finishing just shy of becoming the first player in team history to surpass the 2,000 total-yard barrier.
Defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday recovered a fumble in the third quarter after Lyon sacked Collins forcing the ball loose. Three plays later Favre hit wide receiver Corey Bradford for a 54-yard score.
Bradford finished the afternoon with 3 catches and 111 yards to pace the Packers. Schroeder also cracked the 100-yard barrier nabbing 5 receptions for 102 yards and one touchdown. It was the second time this season that the Packers have had two receiver break the 100-yard mark in one game.
As a team the Packers scored 130 points off turnovers on the season to rank in the top two of the league.
While Strahan broke the sack record in the fourth quarter, Collins tied another NFL record in the third when he fumbled for the 21st time this season. He shares the record for fumbles in a season by a quarterback with Tony Banks who mastered the feat with the Rams in 1996.
Favre was not immune to the fumble either. He had two fumbles and recovered one of them. He lost a fumbled snap that was recovered by Lance Legree with Green Bay on New York's one-yard line on a second-and-goal.
Favre completed 15 of 30 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the season just missing the 4,000-yard mark with 3,921 yards passing and 32 touchdowns. Collins went 36-of-59 for 386 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
The Packers finished the season as the top Wild Card in the NFC with Chicago's 33-13 win over Jacksonville that gives the Bears the last-ever NFC Central Championship.
Notes: Linebacker Nate Wayne (back) and wide receiver Antonio Freeman (ribs) were held out of action for most of the second half as a precautionary move to rest their injuries...Rookie safety Bhawoh Jue left the game with a mild concussion and linebacker Na'il Diggs had a sprained ankle, but GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman expects to have both players available for next week's playoff game at Lambeau Field...Defensive tackle Gilbert Brown was not active, but is expected to play next week.
Packers-Giants archived complete game broadcast
(Real audio)
Post-Game / Locker Room audio Clips
GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman (Realaudio)
DT Santana Dotson (Realaudio)
QB Brett Favre (Realaudio)
WR antonio Freeman (Realaudio)
RB ahman Green (Realaudio)
DE Vonnie Holliday (Realaudio)
WR Bill Schroeder (Realaudio)
S Darren Sharper (Realaudio)
T Mark Tauscher (Realaudio)
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
GBP: B.Schroeder 26 yard pass from B.Favre (R.Longwell kick)
GBP: A.Green 25 yard run (R.Longwell kick)
NYG: I.Hilliard 8 yard pass from K.Collins (M.anderson kick)
2nd Quarter
NYG: M.anderson 27 yard Field Goal
GBP: R.Longwell 44 yard Field Goal
3rd Quarter
GBP: A.Green 1 yard run (R.Longwell kick)
GBP: R.Longwell 43 yard Field Goal
GBP: C.Bradford 54 yard pass from B.Favre (R.Longwell kick)
4th Quarter
NYG: T.Barber 10 yard run (O.Pachman kick)
NYG: G.Comella 7 yard pass from K.Collins (2 point conversion)
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