The Green Bay Packers beat the New England Patriots 45-27 on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. The turnover column decided it: Green Bay never gave the ball away, and New England gave it away 4 times.
That gap fed a Packers offense that was already efficient. Green Bay averaged 7.5 yards per play and turned 4 of its 5 red zone trips into touchdowns. Hand an offense that efficient extra possessions and the result looks like this.
How It Happened
Jordan Love opened the scoring himself with a 13-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter. Midway through the quarter he found Matthew Golden for a 5-yard score, and the Packers had control before New England found its footing.
Trey Smack added a 41-yard field goal early in the second. The Patriots finally broke through when Drake Maye hit Rhamondre Stevenson for a 30-yard touchdown. Kaleb Johnson answered with a 2-yard run for Green Bay, and Maye found Efton Chism III from 8 yards late in the half.
The third quarter is where Green Bay pulled away. Love hit Savion Williams for a 10-yard touchdown, Smack made a 51-yard field goal, and Love then found Christian Watson for a 39-yard score before running in the two-point conversion himself. Maye's 22-yard touchdown pass to Mack Hollins late in the quarter only trimmed the margin.
Smack's 38-yard field goal early in the fourth kept the Patriots at arm's length. Corey Kiner scored on a 4-yard run with 3:54 left, but the two-point pass failed.
Key Performers
Jordan Love: TD passes to Matthew Golden (5 YDS), Savion Williams (10 YDS) and Christian Watson (39 YDS); 13-yard TD run; two-point conversion run
Packers passing: 23/29, 349 net YDS, 10.9 YDS per pass, 0 INT
Trey Smack: Field goals of 41, 51 and 38 YDS
Drake Maye: TD passes to Rhamondre Stevenson (30 YDS), Efton Chism III (8 YDS) and Mack Hollins (22 YDS)
Patriots passing: 22/41, 293 net YDS, 6.5 YDS per pass, 3 INT
The passing lines tell the story. Green Bay completed 23 of 29 throws without an interception. New England completed barely half and threw 3 interceptions on top of a lost fumble.
The Patriots ran efficiently, nearly 6 yards a carry, but only 16 times. Green Bay held the ball for 35:01, and the giveaways left New England few chances to lean on that ground game.
What It Means
Green Bay moves to 6-3 and 3-2 on the road. Winning in Foxborough with a clean turnover sheet and only 3 penalties is the profile of a team that does not beat itself.
New England falls to 5-4. The Patriots remain a different team at home, 3-1 at Gillette against 2-3 away, but that edge did not survive a day like this. That many giveaways are more than home field can cover against an offense like Green Bay's.