After a two-game winning streak, the Packers came head-to-head with notorious rival competition, the New England Patriots. 

Prior to the Sunday game, the Packers and the Patriots had an all-time 5-6 record going up against each other. 

To say that Wisconsinites were on the emotional rollercoaster of a lifetime on Sunday, Oct. 2 is, mildly put, an understatement. 

Last week, we discussed the Packer offense, or lack thereof, in the second half of the game at Tampa Bay. The second-half shutout made this game dependent on the defense. 

We see this same defense-dependent struggle this week, but with an opposite outcome. In the first half, Packers scored only once and had two turnovers. 

After an apparent shift in performance, the second half began with two back-to-back touchdowns and a field goal for Green Bay. 

Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard, otherwise known as VIP, is responsible for getting the ball rolling in the second half. In the second half, opening third-down, Lazard executed a diving 32-yard catch. 

This was followed by tight end Robert Tonyan’s 20-yard touchdown grab for the first points on the board of the second half. 

Despite this seemingly refurbished offense, there were a few hiccups throughout the game. At the 40-yard line on third-and-eight, Packer fans lit up with a cheesy exclamation when the end-zone pass to wide receiver Romeo Doubs painted the picture of success. 

Head coach Matt LeFleur was under the same impression. After the pass was ruled incomplete, LeFleur challenged the call with a mere 2:02 left in the fourth quarter of the game. 

Doubs lost control of the ball upon hitting the ground in the end zone, making the pass incomplete. This play prevented the Packers from winning the game against the Patriots in regulation, and ultimately carried the game into overtime. 

Contributing to team ‘hiccups’, the game started out with the Patriots playing their already backup-quarterback, Brian Hoyer. After the second series, Hoyer exited the game because of a head injury.  

For the remainder of the Lambeau Field game, rookie quarterback and fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe stepped in. 

Despite being a third-string quarterback, Zappe played through two ties and two lead changes against the Packers in the second half. 

Second-year Chemistry student Brayden Dennis said after watching this game, something needs to change with our offensive setup. While playing against third-string quarterback Zappe, Rodgers threw the fourth pick-six of his career. 

Rodgers also had a passer rating of 11.2, the lowest of any half of the total 210 games that he has started. 

To say there was a lot happening in Lambeau is an understatement. One thing that did go right, though, was placekicker Mason Crosby pulling through with the game-winning field goal in overtime. 

Nearing the end of an afternoon filled with cheering (and yelling) at the tv, clutching our cheeseheads, Wisconsinites could finally breathe lightly again when Crosby landed the tie-breaking 31-yard field goal for the Packers. 

The game-winning field goal secured a 27-24 win for Green Bay, making the Packer vs. Patriot historic record 6-6. 

Dennis said that his game highlight was watching Crosby hit the game-winning field goal, and that it was great to see him rally for the win come the second half. 

The Packers play an early morning 8:30 a.m. kickoff on Oct. 9 against the New York Giants, who have the same competitive 3-1 record as the Packers. 

Schoenemann can be reached at [email protected].