= Cheesehead Nation '13-'14 =

Injuries, untimely turnover cost Pack late, fall to 'skins
By M. Patton

AP Wire: Green Bay Packers - 21, Washington Redskins - 23

The Packers entered RFK Stadium to take on the 2-1 Redskins with high hopes, having matched that win total, and only three shy of last year’s final total. Only on this day, fate intervened, bringing with it a dark cloud of uncertainty on the foreseeable future.

The offense came out flat in the first after winning the coin toss, but the defense carried the team for the first ten minutes. Led by newly minted starter at inside linebacker Brad Smith, the Packer defense swarmed around the ball, and held the Redskins scoreless for much of the first quarter, before giving up a touchdown late. The second quarter read much like the first, as both Packer rookie signal-caller Nile Turner, and the oppositions Andrew Parris failed to find any consistently through the air. The Packers went down thirteen just before half, after an errant pass by Turner was picked by Carlos Rogers (one of two on the game), leading to a strike over the middle to Jacob Davis (a Gano extra point was missed wide right).

“Despite our early injuries, I think the defense recovered and had a strong half. The offense just has to pick up this second half. We’ve got a hole to dig out of, but I told my boys in the locker room to just picture a particular Kluneberg painting, and be the bird, not the mountain!” Head Coach Xero exclaimed in a sound byte upon heading onto the field before the start of the third quarter.

Whatever the returning coach said worked, as the defense held strong on the first possession of the second half, allowing Nile Turner to see quick action. Turner’s play read as a tale of two halves, as he came out strong, finding his receivers on several patterns, led by Free Agent acquisition Dwayne Bowe. The drive was capped off by a miracle pass to Andrew Quarless, who entered the game for an injured Jermichal Finley. The rookie quarterback saw immediate pressure after the snap, and was forced out of the pocket, rolling right and hurling the ball across his chest towards the back left corner of the end zone, where Quarless leapt up and came down with. The play was challenged by Redskins leader Lock_Down, but was upheld, bringing the Packers within six.

Once more the defense held steady, and Nile Turner orchestrated another consistent drive, as the Packers scored once more to take a one point lead on a Roscoe Spooner one-yard run. After being held scoreless in an error-filled first half, the Packers came out and scored fourteen in just over five, in the third quarter.

With the game ultra-competitive heading into the fourth, the Redskins found momentum on their side. Parris was able to drive down the field, into the redzone, before settling on a Graham Gano field goal to go up 16-14. Green Bay immediately came out ready to respond, until pressure caused Turner to lob a pass off to fullback John Kuhn in the flats. The ball hit the fullback in stride and was ruled a backwards pass, being scooped up by Washington’s John Abraham and returning it 32 yards to extend the lead to nine, with just under five minutes to play.

After being injured much of the second quarter, and all of the third, Packers tight end Finley came up on a pair of plays on the ensuing drive, putting the exclamation point on the drive by hauling in a five-yard touchdown to reignite the hope of cheese heads nation-wide. On what would be the final drive of the game, Green Bay had Parris and the ‘skins backs against the wall facing a 3rd and 10. What would ultimately seal the victory, and bury the Packers was an Andrew Parris pass over the middle, batted by inside linebacker Brad Jones before hitting strong safety Morgan Burnett and landing in Zach Miller’s hands for sixteen yards. After that, with no time outs remaining, the Packers were forced to watch Washington kill the clock and celebrate a hard-fought victory.

Game Notes:
- Nile Turner ended the game with just under three-hundred yards, a pair of touchdowns, and three interceptions. He was also sacked twice.
- Turner had just a 54% completion percentage, beating out Parris’ 33%. The pair combined to go 29-for-64, in what was a a shaky day for quarterback play.
- Redskins halfback Ben Tate was a staple of the offense, running consistently for over four yards per carry average, fighting off a number of tackles.
- Jermichael Finley of the Packers led all receivers, this day, with six receptions for seventy-two yards and a score late. His opposition, Redskins TE Zach Miller also led his team with five for sixty-two and a score of his own.
- Green Bay moved outside linebacker Brad Jones inside, starting him over A.J. Hawk and ending Hawk’s consecutive games started streak.
- Already down DE Cullen Jenkins, the Packers lost Keith Rivers to broken ribs. He will miss four weeks. Cornerback Charles Woodson were also hurt during the game, but were able to return to action.
- Next week the Packers(2-2) travel to Minnesota for a divisional battle with the Vikings (2-2), as the Redskins (3-1) travel to Chicago to face the Bears (0-4).

Tempers flare as one of the league's most famous rivalries conclude. Meanwhile a referee sings the title track from Evita.

Defense strong but offense falters in 10-17 loss to rival Vikings
By M. Patton

Another week, another heartbreaking loss for the Packers, dropping their third straight game to fall under .500 on the year. Green Bay (2-3) traveled to Minnesota after doubling them up in week two, with hopes of re-establishing a hold in the division. Once more, it was a costly Nile Turner interception late that did the team in.

Coming out of the box, the Packers worked at establishing their defensive hold, forcing consecutive three and outs, holding the Vikings to a scant 14 yards from scrimmage in the first quarter. The stalemate continued early into the second quarter, when Nick Collins picked off a Donovan McNabb pass intended for tight end Mochie Cosh. Three plays later the Packers cashed in with a forty yard pass to Dwayne Bowe, putting the Pack up 7-0.

Green Bay continued to hold on defense, as a twelve play Viking drive stalled out at the Packer seven, denying a touchdown to a strong rushing attack. The Vikings Adam Coker would kick a chip shot field goal, and on the ensuing drive Mason Crosby would add one of his own from fifty-one to go into the half up 10-3.

Green Bay would come out hot, as Clay Matthews would pick up one of his two sacks on the day, dropping McNabb to start the third quarter. Minnesota would not be denied this time, as a long sustained drive would end in a one-yard Adrian Peterson touchdown to tie it up at 10-10.

It was all defense from there, as teams traded errant passes and failed third-down conversions. The Packers had a shot at taking the lead midway through the final quarter, but Mason Crosby missed a fifty-yard field goal just outside the left goal post, giving the Vikings favorable field position. Minnesota would capitalize on that seven plays later, as Green Bay’s defense would prove ineffective in stopping Michael Turner who ran seemingly unnoticed for an eighteen-yard score to put the Purple People Eaters up 17-10 with just two minutes to play.

All hope was not lost, however, as Coker kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, putting the Packers at the 40 to start their drive, but just two plays later Nile Turner would throw the game-clinching interception to Richard Marshall, on a pass intended for Dwayne Bowe. Minnesota would eventually kneel out the clock for their second win of the season, moving to 2-2, and percentage points ahead of Detroit for the division lead.

Green Bay now heads for its bye week, searching for answers on how to right the ship before the season is lost. Minnesota will host the Lions next week in a match up for the outright division lead.

Game Notes
After an opening play that went for nine yards was nullified by a holding penalty, Felix Jones rushed the ball for nine yards, totaling one yard… Clay Matthews lead the team in tackles with four, three of which were for loss, two of those being sacks… Nick Collins interception on McNabb in the second quarter gives him four on the year… For the second straight week the Packers were able to hold the opposition to under 150 yards passing and under 100 yards rushing.