This one would have been embarrassing if it went the way it looked like it was going, wouldn’t it have? In the end, another overtime, another gut-retching win for the Green Bay Packers, this time over the winless Cleveland Browns.
I’ll say this. Brett Hundley may not be a good NFL quarterback, but he certainly does come through in the clutch. Two weeks in a row, the Packers had to trust Hundley to win a game and two weeks in a row, he delivers a walk-off win.
Hundley was 35-of-46 for 265 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. He took care of the ball and the Packers used a variety of short passes to make the scoring drives they needed.
The biggest detriment to the Packers in this game was once again the lack of a pass rush. That’s been a recurring theme. The Packers had just two sacks on the day.
However, Clay Matthews, who has been playing balls out lately, made perhaps the biggest play of the game. The Browns took the ball to start overtime and on a third-down throw, Matthews hit Browns QB DeShone Kizer as he was throwing. The ball popped up in the air and safety Josh Jones was there to pick it off.
That set Hundley and the Packers up at the Browns’ 42. Ultimately, Hundley looked to the guy he always looks to — Davante Adams.
Adams was the main offensive weapon on the day, catching 10 balls for 84 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner. It wasn’t much of a play, but Adams broke several tackles on the way to a 25-yard touchdown on the game-winner.
Hell of a play by Adams. This guy is getting paid and deservedly so.
At times, the Packers’ defense looked downright pathetic, but toward the end they got the stops they needed. At no time was anyone confident that would happen, but then it did. Great game by Matthews applying pressure, especially in the absence of Nick Perry, which was noticeable. Great game by Blake Martinez making stops, but that’s nothing new.
Martinez belongs in the Pro Bowl. He belongs on the list of the best inside backers in the league.
That said, we are not going to pretend the Packers can stop the run. Isaiah Crowell ran for 121 yards on 19 carries — more than six yards per. That could have been the difference in the game. However, the D showed up when it needed to. The Packers got the win they needed. And now, we roll with the big man. Aaron Rodgers returns next week. He has to be hungry. He has to be chomping at the bit. There’s no guarantee the Packers will make the playoffs even if they win out. But if they do, the guy who is clearly, now without a doubt, the best player in the league, they’ll be fun to watch.
And thank god the Browns are still the Browns.