Whenever a backup quarterback finishes the game for you, either something really good or really bad happened. Thankfully, in Green Bay’s case, it was good news on Sunday. The Packers dominated the New England Patriots through turnovers and their passing game, to the point that backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor entered midway through the fourth quarter when the score was 45-21.
The game ultimately ended at 45-26, after the Patriots punched in a score against the Packers’ junior varsity unit. On the day, quarterback Jordan Love completed 23 of 29 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns, good for a 153.2 passer rating. Most of those yards ended up going to Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, who had 171 and 164, respectively. They had no issue with Christian Gonzalez, the Patriots’ All-Pro cornerback who allowed less than 200 yards through the air coming into this matchup for the entire 2026 season.
On defense, the Packers picked up four turnovers, three of which were Drake Maye interceptions. Isaiah McDuffie and Evan Williams had one each, while Xavier McKinney picked off Maye twice.
In the kicking game, rookie Trey Smack was 3-for-3 on field goals and 4-for-4 on extra points. All in all, it was a butt-kicking in all three phases of the game.
Injuries will be a big story coming out of this game, as running back Josh Jacobs left with a hand injury and never returned to action. Without Jacobs, the leading rusher was Kaleb Johnson, who was only activated today because MarShawn Lloyd was hurt. In total, the Packers’ backs combined for 26 carries for 95 yards. Including rushes from Love, receiver Savion Williams and tight end Tucker Kraft, Green Bay hit 129 yards on the ground.
Linebacker is another major question mark moving forward, too. Zaire Franklin and Edgerrin Cooper (IR), the team’s preferred starters, both missed this game. Both backups, Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper, left the game with injuries, forcing special teamers Nick Niemann and Kristian Welch into action. Niemann played the majority of the game for Hopper, while McDuffie dropped out late.
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