NFL Recap (Green Bay-Carolina)
Posted: Sun September 27, 1998 at 6:30 p.m. EDT
GREEN BAY 37, CAROLINA 30
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Brett Favre tied his own
team record with five touchdown passes, including three to Derrick Mayes, to overcome
three interceptions as the Green Bay Packers won a
37-30 shootout with the Carolina Panthers.
Favre completed 27-of-46 passes for 389 yards and recorded the third
five-touchdown game of his career. It is the sixth time in Packers history
that a quarterback has thrown five touchdown passes in a game.
Favre, who also recorded his 17th 300-yard passing game, also
completed scoring passes to tight ends Mark Chmura and Tyrone Davis. Mayes
finished with five catches for 87 yards in recording his first career
multi-touchdown game.
"Carolina is a good football team and we knew that coming in," said
Favre. "Derrick stepped up and played hard. It doesn't matter who you are,
if you get open make the play. Both Chmura and Derrick made plays.
"Once he starts scrambling its sandlot football player and I'm a
sandlot player," said Mayes.
The Panthers, who suffered their third loss in as many games, led 10-6
and 20-13. They also drew within 37-30 with just under five minutes left
and drove to the Green Bay 5 in the final five seconds, but Kerry Collins' last-second
lob pass into the end zone was deflected by a pair of defenders, including
cornerback Darren
Sharper.
"It's fourth down and nobody got off the line clean," said Collins,
describing the game's final play. "They had everyone back in coverage and I
tried to buy more time but nobody got open."
"They are a great team," said Carolina tight end Wesley Walls. "We just have
to keep working. We are struggling and its frustrating. It would be easy
to give up but we have to keep fighting. You have to give them credit."
Collins completed 20-of-53 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
Fred Lane added 52
yards on 14 carries for the Panthers, who were tied 20-20 at the half
despite recording just five first downs.
Green Bay, which improved to 4-0 for the first time in 32 years, hosts
division rival Minnesota in a Monday night contest next week.
The Panthers took the opening kickoff and turned it into three points
when John Kasay
converted a 42-yard field goal attempt. Favre then threw the first of his
three interceptions and Carolina quickly capitalized as Collins found Raghib Ismail with a
five-yard scoring toss.
Green Bay answered when Favre found Chmura with a 25-yard scoring
strike. But Ryan
Longwell's extra point was off the upright and the Packers trailed,
10-6.
"Brett was throwing a post and I turned around, grabbed it and got
in," said Chmura of his touchdown. "Our offense for the most part played
well. You have to appreciate where Brett puts the ball, especially when he
is on the run."
Favre's second touchdown pass of the game, 4:20 into the second
quarter capped an 82-yard drive and gave Green Bay its first lead of the
game, 13-6.
The Panthers battled back though as cornerback Eric Davis picked off a
pass by Favre and returned it 16 yards for a score. Kasay then pushed the
Carolina advantage to 20-13 with a 42-yard field goal.
Favre got Green Bay even with 66 seconds left in the half by finding
Davis, Chmura's backup, with a 20-yard touchdown toss. Favre's second
touchdown pass to Mayes and a 41-yard field goal by Longwell, just under
six minutes apart in the third quarter, gave the Packers a 30-20 lead
entering the final 15 minutes.
Longwell's field goal gave him 12 straight games with a field goal,
setting a new Green Bay record.
The Panthers got within a touchdown 1:56 into the fourth quarter on a
56-yard field goal by Kasay. The field goal was the longest of Kasay's
career and the longest ever against the Packers. But again Favre answered,
this time finding Mayes with a 33-yard scoring strike and a 37-23
advantage.
Collins attempted to rally the Panthers, moving the team 70 yards in
2:14, culminating in a 15-yard scoring strike to Muhsin Muhammad.
The Panthers, are 0-3 for the first time since they opened 0-5 in
their inaugural 1995 season.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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