Mike Vandermause column: Painful second half sours Green Bay Packers' big win
November 22, 2009
It should have gone down as a resounding, confidence-boosting performance that placed the Green Bay Packers smack-dab in the middle of the NFC playoff picture.
Instead, the Packers hung on for dear life to claim a 30-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Lambeau Field, and a dark cloud hovers over the team with the likely loss of defensive starters Al Harris and Aaron Kampman for the rest of the season with serious knee injuries.
It ruined what had been shaping up as a perfect late-November day for the Packers.
They were dominating the 49ers from stem to stern on a gloriously sunny, 53-degree afternoon. They built a 20-point halftime lead with uncanny ease. The offense rolled up an astounding 362 total yards in the first two quarters, while the defense held the 49ers to minus-7 yards passing and one first down.
The rout was on, and the Packers were beginning to resemble a major NFC postseason player.
Then, with a resounding thud, those hopes crashed and burned in the second half when first Kampman, and then Harris, sustained what is believed to be season-ending knee injuries.
One play after Kampman was carted to the locker room in the third quarter, the 49ers scored their first touchdown. Two plays after Harris went down in a heap early in the fourth quarter, the 49ers scored their second touchdown. On the next series, the 49ers scored another touchdown to turn what had been a 30-10 rout into a nail-biter.
It was no coincidence the wheels came off the defensive wagon once Kampman and Harris departed. Assuming they are lost for good, it doesnt bode well for the rest of the season.
The Packers face the grim prospect of trotting out Jarrett Bush as their nickel back and rookie Brandon Underwood as the next-best cornerback option. Opposing quarterbacks are salivating over the prospect of padding their passing stats at the expense of the Packers.
If Alex Smith, one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL, can light up the wounded Packers defense, whats going to happen when Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger, Jay Cutler and Kurt Warner get their hands on the ball over the final six weeks of the season?
When asked if the injuries put a damper on the victory, quarterback Aaron Rodgers replied: You never want to see one of your guys go down, especially those two guys who are a big part of not only our defense but our locker room, our leadership and stuff.
Considering their plight, the Packers might have to rely on Rodgers and the offense to win some shootouts in the coming weeks.
The offensive line and running game sparkled, and the return of tight end Jermichael Finley from injury gave Rodgers the freedom to open things up.
In the end, it was the offense that won the game when the Packers were on the verge of staging a second-half collapse on par with the debacle against Tampa Bay two weeks ago.
The Packers held the ball for the final 5 minutes, 56 seconds with a gutty display of in-your-face football. They ran off 10 plays, picked up two first downs and never gave the 49ers the ball back.
Thats what football is all about, tackle Mark Tauscher said. Weve been much maligned, but I think when were able to finish that game off, that obviously is going to help us build confidence.
The offense will need all the confidence it can get. With the defense badly wounded, someone will have to pick up the slack.
Mike Vandermause is sports editor of the Press-Gazette.