[3rd September 2000 – 4:19 PM, Lambeau Field, Wisconsin]
[Q1 — 6:02 | 1&10, NYT 25 | Packers 7 – Tigers 0]
The Packers' touchdown punched a hole through the Tigers' sideline energy. Even over the roaring crowd, the frustration was audible—helmets slapped, coaches barking corrections, defenders shaking their heads as they huddled. Testaverde jogged back onto the field, his expression more serious as he scanned the field.
The first play was a handoff to Martin, who hit the line hard and fought for five yards before being swarmed by Packers defenders.
[2&5]
Testaverde dropped back, looked for Ward on a comeback route, and fired—but the throw was high, forcing Ward to leap and barely tip it with his fingertips for an Incomplete.
[3&5]
Testaverde took the snap, dropped back five steps, and immediately felt pressure collapsing. Jason Fabini, the left tackle, had been beaten inside, and a Packers linebacker was barreling toward the quarterback. Testaverde stepped up, eyes downfield, saw Coles breaking open on a dig route across the middle and fired off a bomb of a throw.
The ball left his hand just as the linebacker hit him, driving him into the turf. The throw wobbled slightly but stayed on target, and Coles caught it at the forty-two, turned upfield, and picked up nine yards before being tackled.
"First down!" Buck announced. "And Vinny Testaverde took a shot to deliver that one."
[Q1 — 5:30 | 1&10, GB 45 | Packers 7 – Tigers 0]
Testaverde got up slowly, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, and jogged back to the huddle. The drive continued—another handoff to Martin for four yards, a screen pass to Richie Anderson for six, a quick slant to Ward for seven. They methodically moved into Packers territory, eating clock and keeping Favre on the sideline.
By the time they reached the Green Bay thirty-one, it was second and eight with five minutes left in the first quarter. Testaverde dropped back, saw Anthony Becht running a seam route up the middle, and delivered a strike. Becht caught it at the twenty, broke a tackle, and rumbled down to the fourteen before being brought down.
"Now we're moving!" Charlie Weis shouted from the sideline, pumping his fist.
Two plays later, Martin punched it in from the three-yard line, lowering his shoulder and dragging two defenders into the end zone with him. "Touchdown Tigers," Buck exclaimed, "That was a fourteen-play, eighty-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock. Impressive execution."
[End of First Quarter: Packers 7, Tigers 7]
The first quarter ended tied, and both teams headed to their sidelines for the brief break. On the Tigers' bench, the mood was cautiously optimistic—they'd survived the opening onslaught and answered back.
~~~
[Q2 — 14:45 | Packers 7 – Tigers 7]
The second quarter opened with Green Bay's offence back on the field, and Brett Favre wasted no time reminding everyone why Lambeau was his kingdom. On first down, he pump-faked left, froze Urlacher for half a second, then whipped a laser to Bill Schroeder on a crossing route. Schroeder caught it in stride and raced twenty-three yards before Victor Green dragged him down at the Tigers' forty-one.
"Favre coming out swinging," Aikman said. "One look froze the linebacker, and he exploited it."
Two plays later, Ahman Green took a draw play up the gut, slipped through a gap created by the Packers' massive offensive line, and burst into the second level. Urlacher shed a block late but couldn't catch him—Green was gone, racing thirty-two yards before Robinson finally hauled him down at the Tigers' nine.
"And just like that," Buck said, "Green Bay's in the red zone again."
On the next snap, Favre rolled right on play-action, waited for Bubba Franks to clear into the back corner of the end zone, and floated a touch pass that dropped perfectly into the tight end's hands. "Touchdown Green Bay!" Lambeau exploded.
[Packers 14, Tigers 7]
~~~
[Q2 — 10:22 | 1st & 10, NYT 23 | Packers 14 – Tigers 7]
The Tigers' offence took the field, and this time, the urgency was palpable. On first down, Martin took a toss left and followed Richie Anderson's lead block around the edge, cutting upfield for eleven yards and a first down. The next play was a quick slant to Coles, who made the catch and turned it into a seven-yard gain before being tackled.
Their momentum was killed on the next play on second and three, when Testaverde dropped back and felt immediate pressure from a defensive blitz. Todd Wade had been beaten again—this time by a twist stunt that left a Green Bay linebacker charging free up the middle. Testaverde tried to step up, but there was nowhere to go.
The linebacker drove him into the turf, forcing a fumble. The ball squirted loose, bouncing twice before a Packers defensive tackle fell on it at the Tigers' thirty-eight. "Fumble recovered by Green Bay!" Buck shouted. "And the Tigers just gave Brett Favre a short field."
On the sideline, Belichick's face remained stoic, but his jaw tightened. Rex Ryan slammed his clipboard against his thigh. "Come on, defence! We need a stop!"
~~~
[Q2 — 8:47 | 1st & 10, NYT 38 | Packers 14 – Tigers 7]
The Tigers' defence jogged back onto the field, and this time, they looked sharper. On first down, John Abraham exploded off the edge, beating his man clean and forcing Favre to throw early. The ball sailed incomplete, nowhere near anyone.
On second down, Favre tried a screen pass to Green, but Julian Peterson sniffed it out, shed his blocker, and dropped Green for a three-yard loss. Third and thirteen, the crowd noise reached a fever pitch as Favre took the snap in shotgun. He had time—plenty of time—as the Tigers' rush couldn't get home.
He scanned, scanned, then fired deep down the left sideline to Freeman, who had a step on Marcus Coleman. The ball spiralled beautifully, dropping into Freeman's hands at the five-yard line. He caught it, turned, and dove for the pylon. "Touchdown! Antonio Freeman!" Buck exclaimed. "Favre finds him again, and Green Bay is pulling away!"
[Packers 21, Tigers 7]
~~~
[Q2 — 4:12 | 2nd & 6, GB 47 | Packers 21 – Tigers 7]
The Tigers' offence desperately needed a response, and they came so close. Testaverde took the snap, dropped back, and hit Ward on a quick out route for six yards and a first down. Then came a deep shot—Testaverde planted his feet and launched it to Coles, who was streaking down the right sideline.
The ball hung in the air, and for a moment, it looked perfect. Coles extended his arms, the ball arriving just as he reached the ten-yard line—But Darren Sharper came out of nowhere again, this time knocking the ball loose at the last second, forcing the Incomplete.
"That was close," Aikman said. "Coles almost had it, but Sharper's timing is impeccable." The drive stalled at midfield, and Tom Tupa came out to punt. The ball sailed deep, pinning Green Bay at their own eighteen with just under two minutes left in the half.
~~~
[Halftime: Packers 21, Tigers 7]
The teams jogged off the field to a chorus of boos for the Tigers and cheers for the Packers. In the locker room, Belichick stood at the front, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
"Gentlemen, we're not out of this," he said flatly. "But we need to execute better. Offence, protect the football and start moving the chains. Todd, you're getting beaten too much. Take a rest and reflect, because that's not good enough. Machado, you in?"
The room went silent as Belichick eyed Todd, but the latter simply nodded. "Defence, you're playing soft. Tighten up the coverage and get after Favre, he's strolling out there. We've got thirty minutes to show what we're made of."
Rex Ryan took over. "Listen up! Favre's picking us apart because we're giving him time! Abraham, Peterson, Lewis, and Willie McGinest—I need you guys to get home! Urlacher, stop biting on fakes! We're better than this!"
"For the rooks, you all made mental errors in the first half. Well, welcome to the league. Now you go out there and prove why you belong here; otherwise, we will have to reconsider our plans. That's how this works, you're only as good as your last play." Belichick added with a frown. "You need to show us why we should continue to build upon our defence, cut out simple errors and make them sweat for every inch. My offence is doing well, connecting more and getting us some touchdowns."
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To Be Continued...