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Monday 24 deceMber 2018
Rodgers leads Packers to wild 44-38 overtime win over Jets

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. New York shouldn’t have practice squad — forced
AP Pro Football Writer happened. After the Pack- J’Mon Moore to fumble
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) ers won the OT toss and and Rashard Robinson re-
— Aaron Rodgers threw a elected to receive, Rodg- covered for the Jets at the
16-yard touchdown pass to ers took over — as he has Packers’ 18. Three plays
Davante Adams with 6:23 so many times throughout later, Darnold tossed a
left in overtime, leading his career. On third-and-10 short pass to McGuire, who
the Green Bay Packers to a from the Packers’ 40, Rodg- took off to the outside and
wild 44-38 victory over the ers got hit as he was throw- scampered down the side-
New York Jets on Sunday. ing and his pass to Marquez line into the end zone for
The victory was the Pack- Valdes-Scantling hung in a 20-yard touchdown that
ers’ first on the road this the air and fell incomplete made it 35-20 with 3:50 left
season — snapping a nine- — but Trumaine Johnson in the third quarter.
game skid away from Lam- was called for pass inter- Mason Crosby’s 38-yard
beau Field dating to last ference, putting the ball at field goal cut the Packers’
season — and it prevented the Jets’ 27. Moments later, deficit to 12 with 11:45 re-
them from becoming the a pass interference call maining in the game.
first Green Bay squad since on Buster Skrine gave the Rodgers’ 1-yard run with
1958 to go an entire season Packers the ball at the 6. 6:32 left made it 35-30,
without a win away from Rodgers ran it in — but right capping a drive that was
home. tackle Bryan Bulaga was helped by consecutive
And this one was all on called for holding. On the pass interference penalties
Rodgers, who was mas- next play, Rodgers found on Skrine and Jamal Ad-
terful in the fourth quarter Adams in the back of the ams to get the ball down
and the overtime period end zone for the victory. to the 1.
for the Packers (6-8-1). He That all came after Rodg- SPECIAL SPECIAL TEAMS
threw for 442 yards and two Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) is tackled ers went over a pile and Roberts returned a kickoff
touchdowns, and also ran by New York Jets strong safety Jamal Adams (33) during the reached past the goal 99 yards for a score late
for two scores. second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, in line for a go-ahead 1-yard in the first half, the second
The loss for the Jets (4-11) East Rutherford, N.J. touchdown with 1:13 left of his career, to highlight a
overshadowed a dazzling Associated Press in regulation, giving Green solid outing by New York’s
performance by rookie in overtime. It was likely were done in by penalties, Bay its first lead of the special teams unit.
quarterback Sam Darnold, the final home game for getting called for a whop- game. Rodgers then ran it Rontez Miles took a direct
who threw for a career- coach Todd Bowles, who ping 16 that cost them 172 in for the 2-point conver- snap on a punt on fourth-
high 341 yards with three is expected to be fired af- yards. Bowles was critical of sion to make it 38-35, finish- and-1 from the Jets’ 31 in
touchdowns — but never ter next week’s game at the officiating crew, saying ing off a terrific drive during the fourth quarter and ran
got a chance with the ball New England. The Jets some of the calls against that included a 23-yard run up the middle for 4 yards
to get the ball to the 1. and a first down. Wint also
Andre Roberts, selected had the forced fumble ear-
to his first Pro Bowl earlier lier in the game.
in the week, returned the The one hiccup came on
ensuing kickoff 51 yards to the opening drive of the
put the Jets in good shape. game, when Jason My-
Darnold completed passes ers — picked for his first Pro
of 9 and 14 yards to get the Bowl — was wide left on a
Jets to the Green Bay 15. 45-yard attempt.
But three straight passes fell LEO LOSES COOL
incomplete and New York During a 14-yard recep-
settled for a tying 33-yard tion by Equanimeous St.
field goal by Jason Myers Brown late in the first half,
with 17 seconds left in regu- Bulaga and Jets defensive
lation. end Leonard Williams got
Rodgers took a knee, send- into a shoving match —
ing it to overtime. and Williams was ejected
Darnold was 24 of 35 pass- for throwing a punch. That
ing with TDs to Robby An- gave the Packers the ball
derson, Chris Herndon and at the Jets’ 7.
Elijah McGuire, who also Jamaal Williams took the
ran for a score. ensuing handoff, cut down
With the Jets leading by the left sideline and was
one, Darnold marched hit by Jamal Adams. But
New York down the field he stayed in bounds and
on its first possession of the stretched his body — and
second half to stretch the the ball — over the goal
lead to 28-20 on a 5-yard line for a TD that made it
TD pass to a wide-open 21-14 with 1:33 left.
Herndon with 4:21 remain- INJURIES
ing in the third quarter. Packers: LG Lane Taylor
New York’s special teams hurt a knee in the first quar-
unit then came up big ter. ... CB Jaire Alexander
when Anthony Wint — injured his groin in the first
just promoted from the half and didn’t return.q