NFL Recap (Baltimore-Green Bay)
Posted: Sun October 25, 1998 at 6:36 p.m. EST
GREEN BAY 28, BALTIMORE 10
GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (Ticker) -- Roell Preston returned a
punt 71 yards for a touchdown on the game's fifth play to set the tone and
Brett Favre accounted
for three scores as the Green Bay Packers broke a
two-game losing streak with a 28-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens (2-5) went three-and-out on the game's intial possession
and Kyle Richardson
lofted a punt that Preston hauled in at the Green Bay 29. The 5-10
returner sprinted towards the right sideline before cutting left at
midfield and racing into the left corner of the end zone, covering the
final 50 yards untouched.
For Preston, a third-year player from Mississippi, it was the third
time he has returned a kick for a score this season. He scored on a 99-yard
kickoff return in the season-opening win over Detroit and also brought one
back 101 yards for a score in a Monday night loss to Minnesota three weeks
ago.
"We didn't handle this ballgame today," said Ravens coach Ted
Marchibroda. "You are in a tough spot when you are down seven points early
in the game. We have to do better. We have to regroup. We have to play
better football. We have to get better on offense."
Favre, who had thrown nine interceptions in the last three games,
threw two touchdowns and rushed for another score. He gave the Packers a
14-0 lead with a four-yard scoring pass to Antonio Freeman late in
the first quarter and found Robert Brooks for a
28-yard touchdown early in the third.
Favre, making his 100th straight start, also completed the Packers
scoring by diving across the goal line for a four-yard TD 6:33 later. He
completed 22-of-41 passes for 260 yards but was picked off twice.
"It's going to end sometime," Favre said of his consecutive games
streak. "I just hope it ends when I say it ends. I am really proud of
that mark, more than anything else I've every done. I want to play every
week. There is nothing worse than not playing."
Despite the victory, Green Bay (5-2) remained two games behind the Minnesota Vikings in the
NFC Central Division. A 37-24 loss to the Vikings on October 5th started
Green Bay's brief skid.
"I don't think you can give up as many penalties as we did today and
expect to be in the Super Bowl," said Packers coach Mike Holmgren, whose
team was flagged nine times for 70 yards. "You need to run the ball better
than we've been running it the last couple of weeks."
Green Bay, which was facing the Ravens for the first time since the
franchise relocated from Cleveland in 1996, has not lost a home game to an
AFC team since it dropped a 24-14 decision to Miami on September 11th, 1994
at Milwaukee's County Stadium.
Neither team was able to build much on their next few possessions
following Preston's return, but the Packers mounted a 44-yard drive late in
the first quarter. Favre connected with tight end Tyrone Davis on a 25-yard
pass to the Baltimore 31, and after a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty
on linebacker Peter
Boulware, Favre found Freeman in the end zone for the short score.
"I think we can win games throwing the ball, but it puts an awful lot
of pressure on Brett," added Holmgren. "I think right now the big
difference is our injury situation because we do not have depth at wide
receiver. But as I've said many times before, the only one who really
cares about our injury situation is my mother."
Freeman caught nine passes for 103 yards, the third time this season
he has topped the 100-yard mark. Travis Jervey totaled 72
yards on 29 carries for the Packers.
Green Bay was flagged for clipping on the second-half kickoff and was
forced to begin from its own 11. But with the help of a 44-yard completion
from Favre to Freeman, it took the Packers just 2:13 to cover 89 yards and
they went up 21-0 when Favre lofted his 28-yard pass to Brooks.
Raymont Harris'
44-yard return on the ensuing kickoff set up the Raven's first score of the
day, a 38-yard field goal by Matt Stover. But the
Packers answered just under four minutes later when Favre dove into the end
zone at the left hashmarks on a draw play.
"It was a quarterback draw," said Favre. "I think I was supposed to
get in a little quicker than I got in. I'm telling you, the older I get, I
can't run it anymore. "
The Ravens finally scored their first touchdown in 10 quarters with
6:34 to play when backup Jim
Harbaugh lofted a 46-yard pass to Jermaine Lewis. Lewis
caught six passes for 79 yards.
"We're not down, we're in a slump," said Lewis. "We have to wake up."
Harbaugh was 9-of-20 for 174 yards and two interceptions in place of
ineffective starter Eric
Zeier, who connected on 8-of-19 for 34 yards.
"We just were not good all day long," added Zeier. "There's no excuse
for my passing. A few times the ball came out of my hands bad, but that's
not an excuse. We have to get on a roll. We have to go back to work."
Priest Holmes led
the Ravens in rushing with 41 yards on just 10 carries. He also had 25
yards on four receptions.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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