Continuing a series begun a year ago, Packers.com has again compiled a series of "Favorite Fives," various Top 5 lists of big plays from this past regular season.
Each list will be accompanied by a brief description of the context, plus video clips of the plays. The Packers Fan Poll on the left side of the page will allow fans to vote for their favorite. A new "Favorite Five" will appear each week for the next several weeks, with a new corresponding poll.
After all the lists have appeared, votes will be tabulated to compile a final "Favorite Five," and Packers.com visitors can then vote for their favorite play of the year for 2008.
The third installment is the Top 5 run plays in road games. In chronological order, they are:
Kregg Lumpkin, 19 yards at Detroit (Sept. 14)
It turned out to be the non-drafted rookie free agent's only carry of the season, but Lumpkin gave a glimpse of what he can do when he took a handoff around the left side for 19 yards, which tied for the team's longest run of the day. The big gain, late in the first quarter behind a solid lead block from fullback John Kuhn, gave the Packers a first-and-goal on the 10, and three plays later Aaron Rodgers hit James Jones for a 9-yard TD pass to get the offense on the board.
Lumpkin added three pass receptions out of the backfield for 22 yards in the game, but about a week later injured his hamstring and ended up on injured reserve. He was a surprise inclusion on the 2008 roster, and fully healthy he could compete for a spot again in 2009.
Brandon Jackson, 19-yard TD at Detroit (Sept. 14)
The Packers had just taken a 27-25 lead over the Lions in the fourth quarter when Charles Woodson intercepted Jon Kitna's pass intended for Calvin Johnson, giving the Packers a first down on the Detroit 40-yard line. Jackson gained 12 yards to pick up a first down and then, after a 9-yard pass to Donald Driver, he cut inside a great clear-out block by tight end Tory Humphrey on safety Daniel Bullocks and sprinted around the right side for a key touchdown to give the Packers a two-score lead.
On a day Ryan Grant struggled with just 20 yards on 15 carries, Jackson's 61 yards on just seven rushes significantly helped the ground game, including the longest TD rush of his two-year career.
John Kuhn, 1-yard TD at New Orleans (Nov. 24)
Midway through the first quarter on Monday Night Football, the Packers had first-and-goal on the Saints' 1-yard line. Kuhn tried to plow in over the right side, but was stopped, making it second-and-goal. But Kuhn got another chance, again off the right side, and this time he left his feet and the 260-pound fullback cleared the mini-pile at the goal line to get into the end zone for the first and only rushing touchdown of his career. It gave the Packers a short-lived 7-0 lead in the game.
Aaron Rodgers, 10-yard TD at New Orleans (Nov. 24)
Trailing 21-14 in the second quarter, the Packers put together a methodical 83-yard touchdown drive to tie the score. The 14-play march took 6 minutes, 35 seconds, off the clock and Rodgers, who was 5-for-6 passing on the drive, finished it with a 10-yard scramble for a touchdown. It came on a third-and-6 play, and the first-year starter who had injured his shoulder two months earlier showed some guts by turning upfield, using a pump fake to avoid safety Kevin Kaesviharn and diving across the goal line with less than two minutes left in the half.
Matt Flynn, 6-yard fake punt, at Chicago (Dec. 22)
Technically, of course, this was a special teams play, but it was good enough to include here. In a scoreless game in the second quarter, the Packers faced fourth-and-2 at the Chicago 37-yard line when they kept their punt team huddled on the sideline until the last minute and then rushed out with Flynn, the backup quarterback, lining up as the up-back in front of the punter. Flynn took a direct snap, rolled right, and after not finding either of his tight ends open, turned upfield for a 6-yard gain and a first down.
Five plays later the Packers were in the end zone for their first touchdown of the game and a 7-0 lead. It was the third fake punt run during the Mike McCarthy era, and all three have been successful.
So there you have it, another "Favorite Five" of 2008, with more to come. Don't forget to watch the video of all five plays, and to vote in the fan poll on the left side of the page.
Last week's results
In the voting for Top Pass Plays At Home, Donald Driver's 71-yard touchdown vs. Detroit earned 51 percent of more than 18,000 votes cast. Next was Greg Jennings' 56-yard gain vs. Minnesota in the season opener (22 percent), followed by Jennings' 63-yarder vs. Houston (9 percent), Driver's 44-yard touchdown vs. Atlanta (8 percent), and Korey Hall's 1-yard touchdown vs. Minnesota (7 percent).
