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GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (Ticker) -- Brett Favre has done that before. Ryan Longwell never had. After Favre put his team in position, Longwell kicked a 38-yard field goal with three seconds remaining as the Packers spoiled Andy Reid's return to Green Bay with a lackluster 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Under heavy pressure, Favre struggled most of the way and threw three interceptions but he was at his best in the waning moments. With the game tied, 3-3, the Packers took over on the their own 20 with 5:20 to play. The drive got off to an inauspicious start after Favre was sacked by tackle Hollis Thomas on first down. But Favre went to work, hitting Antonio Freeman with a 16-yard pass on second down. After Dorsey Levens ran nine yards for a first down, Favre hit tight end Tyrone Davis for 15 yards to move Green Bay into Eagles territory. Favre also had completions of 16 yards to running back Ahman Green and 12 yards to Freeman to set up Longwell's second field of the contest and first career game-winning kick. In 1997, Longwell missed a 28-yard field goal in the final seconds that would have given the Packers a win at Philadelphia. "The Philly game (1997) was one I blew," Longwell said. "It is ironic that the first one I make is against Philly." Favre went 4-for-4 for 59 yards on the final drive as he engineered his 17th career win in the fourth quarter with his team tied or behind. He finished 18-of-33 for 189 yards and was sacked five times. "You can call it an ugly win, but it's a win. Sometimes you have to win them like that," Favre said. "If anything, a game like that builds character, it'll bring a team together more than anything." The Packers avoided their first 0-3 start since 1988 despite not scoring an offensive touchdown at Lambeau Field for the first time since a 10-0 loss to the Chicago Bears on October 17, 1991. It also was the first win for Packers coach Mike Sherman, who took over this season after Ray Rhodes was fired. "I envisioned my first NFL win, would be us scoring 35 points, but I was pleased with the win," Sherman said. "But I'm realistic enough to know that we have problems to fix." Levens, who missed the first two games after undergoing knee surgery, bolstered the Packers' running game with 74 yards on 24 attempts. Without him, Green Bay had just 102 yards in the first two games. Without their offense sputtering, the Packers turned to their defense which limited the Eagles to just four first downs and 30 total yards in the second half. Green Bay also sacked Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb five times in the second half. "I was very pleased with the way the defense performed," Sherman said. "I was very pleased with the chemistry of the defense. I met with the defensive team on Wednesday and told them how proud I was of how they've gone through the season. I think it's a credit to our defensive coaches." Reid returned to Green Bay for the first time to face his old team. He served as an assistant coach under Mike Holmgren with the Packers from 1992-98 before becoming coach of the Eagles last season. "Anytime you have a quarterback that gets hit that many times, it's trouble," Reid said. Favre almost turned into the goat earlier in the fourth quarter. After a 15-yard face-mask penalty on linebacker Mike Caldwell put the Packers at the Philadelphia 43 with 10:19 left, Favre was picked off by Damon Moore at the 15 on the next play. Moore returned the interception 20 yards. After the Eagles picked up a first down, Green Bay's defense stiffened. A penalty cost the Eagles a chance to take the lead midway through the first quarter. Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter intercepted Favre inside the Green Bay 10, but the play was nullified when cornerback Troy Vincent was called for holding. The Eagles were able to produce their only offense late in the second quarter, driving 41 yards in 11 plays. McNabb kept the drive alive with an 11-yard completion to fullback Cecil Martin on 3rd-and-4. He also had a 10-yard completion to tight end Luther Broughton on the drive. David Akers gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead with two minutes left before halftime, connecting on a 43-yard field goal. McNabb completed 15-of-31 passes for 118 yards with an interception. He struggled in the second half, going just 6-of-13 for 21 yards. Philadelphia did its best to give the lead away in the waning moments of the first half, committing a pair of personal foul penalties in the final two minutes. However, Longwell missed to the left on a 40-yard field goal attempt. On their first drive of the second half, the Packers were aided by a couple more penalties. Facing a pair of 3rd-and-longs, Green Bay twice failed to convert but picked up first downs each time after penalties. Favre took advantage of those miscues and completed a 24-yard pass to Donald Driver that set up a 37-yard field goal by Longwell with 6:08 left in the third quarter. Penalties were a problem all day for the Eagles, who committed 12 for 115 yards. "The personal fouls were very costly. That was a big factor in this loss," Reid said. "Maybe they gave them more money than we did," Moore said laughing. Later in the third quarter, the Packers were hurt by a penalty. Former Eagle Allen Rossum returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown but the play was nullified after K.D. Williams was called for an illegal block. Duce Staley was the lone bright spot for the Eagles on offense. He carried 17 times for 60 yards and also had eight receptions for 62 yards.
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