Packers’ Favre Takes Care of Latest Jaguar Collapse

Down two touchdowns in the third quarter, then tied late in the fourth, the Green Bay Packers felt confident.

They had Brett Favre on their side and the Jacksonville Jaguars on the other.

Favre threw three touchdown passes and ran six yards for the game-winner with 1:30 left, rallying the Packers from a 14-point deficit for a 28-21 victory over the Jaguars--the masters of the late-game collapse.

Favre rolled around left end on a bootleg, then barely squeezed into the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead score. It was his first rushing touchdown since Oct. 25, 1998, ending the longest drought of his career.

“I wasn’t going to throw the ball unless someone was absolutely wide open,” Favre said. “I figured I was the last guy the Jaguars would figure to run with the ball.”

Mark Brunell led the Jaguars (3-8) to midfield on their late desperation drive, but was sacked on second down, and two plays later fumbled, ensuring yet another close defeat.

Favre threw for 362 yards to help the Packers (8-3) stay one game behind Chicago for the NFC Central lead with the teams set to play Sunday.

“It was one of the better wins I’ve been associated with,” Favre said.

The Jaguars blew a late lead for the fourth time in six games, and added another distraction to a bunch that includes Jimmy Smith’s recent positive test for cocaine and Tom Coughlin’s potential candidacy for the Notre Dame coaching job.

They looked bad doing it, committing 111 yards in penalties, enough to nullify Smith’s 116 yards receiving.

“It’s unfortunate, when you are in a battle for your life, and you’ve got to get a win, then you put yourself in a position where the penalties are forthcoming,” Coughlin said. “You’d like to think there’s a little more poise. But then you look around and see what’s going on.”

With the score tied, 21-21, Mike Hollis had a chance to give the Jaguars the lead, but his 42-yard field goal hit the left upright, a fitting moment for Jacksonville’s star-crossed season.

Before that, Favre rallied the Packers from a 21-7 deficit.

Most of the damage came at the expense of cornerback Fernando Bryant, one of Jacksonville’s many distractions as the most outspoken critic of the soft-zone defenses the Jaguars have used to blow all the leads.

Given the chance to play in the man-to-man coverage he likes, Bryant surrendered a 45-yard touchdown to Bill Schroeder to make the score 21-14.

The Jaguars fumbled on the ensuing kickoff, and Favre looked Bryant’s way again, hooking up with Antonio Freeman for a 29-yard gain to set up the tying touchdown.

The Jaguars went ahead, 21-7, early in the third quarter when end Tony Brackens sacked Favre and forced a fumble that Ainsley Battles scooped up for a 60-yard touchdown return.

Favre opened the third quarter with a 63-yard completion to Freeman, who beat Bryant on a sideline pattern to give Green Bay first and goal from the 10.

But the Packers lost a yard on the next three plays, then Marcus Stroud blocked Ryan Longwell’s 29-yard field goal attempt.

Brunell threw for 311 yards.

Green Bay improved to a league-best 26-6 in December since 1994.