Green Bay Packers 19 Baltimore Ravens 17: Defense rules the day

Green Bay Packers running back

rushed for 120 yards today against the Baltimore Ravens.

With veteran Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby striking 4-of-5 field goals and Aaron Rodgers hitting wide receiver Jordy Nelson on a 64-yard touchdown bomb in the second half, the Packers put together a dynamic defensive performance in defeating Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens today, 19-17.

Marred only by the 60-plus yard pass play late in the fourth quarter on a 4th and 21 play, the Packers defense came to play. Highlighted by three sacks from none other than A.J. Hawk, the Packers defense shut down the Ravens offense time and again throughout the day.

The Ravens converted only 2-of-14 third down attempts as the Packers forced the Ravens to punt nine times. On the flip side, the Packers offense wasn’t much better. The Packers converted just 6-of-17 third down attempts, but came up with the biggest of the game inside of two minutes when Aaron Rodgers scrambled and found a wide open Jermichael Finley over the middle for 52 yards to extend the drive and allowed the Packers to run out the clock and secure the hard-fought win over the Ravens.

Rodgers was a quiet 17-of-32 for 315 yards, while Eddie Lacy continued his stellar play by rushing 23 times for 120 yards. He had a long run of 37 yards in the Packers first possession of the game.

For Baltimore, Flacco hit 20-of-34 for 345 yards and two touchdowns, while the Packers held the Ravens’ running game in check all day. The Ravens rushed the ball as a team 22 times for only 47 yards. That’s tough run defense.

Below is a rundown of the first half that was published here at the half.

Below that are today’s final stats, courtesy of SI.com

First half highlights

If you thought you were transported in time back to 1960, you weren’t the only one while watching the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens this afternoon.

In a first half that saw the Packers leave the field at halftime with a 6-0 lead, the punches were hard and were landing on both teams. We saw a blocked punt and bungle by the Packers; we saw a goal line stand by the Packers and we saw Packers kicker Mason Crosby go 2-for-3 in field goal attempts to give the Packers the lead.

Both teams’ defenses came to play today as three-and-outs on both sides of the ball dominated the play.

Of most note for the Packers were the injuries: Randall Cobb, James Jones, and Nick Perry were all banged up in the first half. Jones went out early in the game with a leg injury, Cobb was hit down on the 10-yard line after a catch near the end of the half and on the final defensive play of the first half Perry went down when Baltimore QB Joe Flacco fumbled the ball and it was picked up by rookie Datone Jones who carried down inside the 10.

Just three plays before that, Mason Crosby had missed from 44 yards and then redeemed himself with the chip shot on the final play of the half after Jones’s fumble recovery and return.

Rodgers is 10-of-21 for 116 yards; Eddie Lacy has 65 yards on 8 carries; and Randall Cobb has four catches for 53 yards to lead the Packers.

Final offensive Statistics, courtesy of SI.com

Packers

Ravens

Defense

Packers

Ravens

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/gameflash/2013/10/13/5461/index.html#ixzz2hdcXuFlk