Sorry.......missed it buy a couple <g>
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Doug Pederson made his strongest pitch yet for the backup job behind Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre.
Pederson led the Packers on four scoring drives and Ryan Longwell added five field goals in their 22-7 preseason victory over the Denver Broncos on Monday night.
Favre and the Packers were held out of the end zone in the first half thanks to a heavy blitz package by Broncos defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes, who made his first trip to Lambeau Field since his firing 20 months ago after just one season as head coach of the Packers.
The injury-depleted Packers were without their top two tailbacks -- Ahman Green (groin) and Dorsey Levens (hand) -- who were among a dozen players who were held out.
And their top receiver, Antonio Freeman, got a concussion just before halftime when he was hit by cornerback Eric Brown. He didn't return. Nor did Broncos defensive tackle Chester McGlockton, who sprained his left knee in the first half.
The Packers trailed 7-3 at halftime but quickly took the lead in the third quarter behind Pederson, who led Green Bay to scores on all four of its third-quarter possessions, including field goals of 31, 39 and 49 yards by Longwell, who also hit from 29 yards in the fourth quarter.
Pederson finished 8-of-12 for 112 yards and one touchdown.
A nine-year journeyman who was Favre's backup in 1998, Pederson is winning the battle with Billy Joe Tolliver for the No. 2 job.
They will return to practice Wednesday facing a fresh challenge from Michael Bishop, who was waived by New England.
Bishop, a third-year pro who was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy while at Kansas State in 1999, will join the mix Tuesday. Bishop was 3-for-9 for 80 yards, with one touchdown and one interception in two seasons with New England.
Favre means to make the issue moot -- he's started 155 consecutive games, including 14 in the playoffs, the most ever for an NFL quarterback.
On the first play from scrimmage after Longwell's 31-yard field goal made it 7-6, Broncos running back Mike Anderson was stripped by Donny Spragan and linebacker Donte Curry recovered for Green Bay.
Pederson promptly hit Donald Driver for a 19-yard TD and a 13-7 lead. Pederson hit Driver for 34 yards on Green Bay's next possession, setting up Longwell's 39-yarder.
The Broncos took a 7-3 lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter when Brian Griese faked to Anderson and hit fullback Patrick Hape for a 1-yard fingertip TD catch on fourth down.
The 15-play, 80-yard drive was kept alive by Packers cornerback Tod McBride's unnecessary roughness flag for hitting receiver Rod Smith with his helmet three steps after the pass fell incomplete on third-and-long.
Corey Bradford had two of his three dropped passes on the Packers' next possession. But the real fiasco came when Longwell lined up for a 48-yard field goal and Rob Davis snapped it over his holder's head. Bill Romanowski recovered for Denver at the Packers' 44.
McBride, starting in place of Tyrone Williams (groin), bit on a pump fake by Gus Frerotte just before halftime and the result was a 34-yard pass to Travis McGriff. But Jason Elam was wide left on a 46-yard field goal attempt.
Cornerback Mike McKenzie, who was bothered by injuries to both knees last year, made two big plays to end Denver's first two drives with an interception and a forced fumble.
Freeman was injured in a scary collision in which he was running full speed over the middle and had just caught Favre's pass when Brown's helmet-to-jaw hit sent him plunging to the grass head first.
While Brown and Ian Gold high-fived, Freeman lay still and Brown was flagged for unnecessary roughness. |
