It’s not good that Brandon McManus has an injury that Matt LaFleur describes as a “major concern” ahead of the Packers’ Week 6 game — but it is appropriate. Why? Because the last time the Packers and Bengals got together, there was a kicking meltdown of epic proportions.
On paper, the Packers’ 25-22 win over the Bengals in 2021 is barely noteworthy. Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams did the things that made them famous in Green Bay, the Packers’ 2021 defense did the stuff that made us wonder for a while
if Joe Barry might actually be good at his job, and the Packers’ ultimately won in overtime.
But in reality, this game was wild and stupid in ways that I don’t think anybody has seen before or since.
It all started when Mason Crosby missed a PAT in the second quarter, putting the Packers one point behind the Bengals at 7-6 instead of putting them even. The Packers ended up building a 22-14 lead, but the Bengals scored with just over three minutes to go in the game to pull to within two points. And that’s when things got a little crazy.
The Bengals converted their two-point conversion to tie the game at 22 points, putting the Packers in position to win the game with a field goal. When Aaron Jones ripped off a 57-yard run on the first play of the Packers’ drive, it looked like they were in good position to do just that. But a run for no gain by AJ Dillon and two incomplete passes ended the Packers’ drive, but Crosby was still well positioned to put the Packers’ up three with a 36-yard field goal.
Except he missed, opening the door for a Bengals win in regulation.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals set to work. Starting from their own 26-yard line with 2:12 on the clock, the Bengals drove 32 yards in eight plays to set Evan McPherson up for a game-winning 57-yard field goal. McPherson, who had missed just one field goal in the first four weeks of that season, couldn’t convert. It wouldn’t be the last time.
With just 21 seconds left in regulation, the Packers were back in business. Aaron Rodgers hit Davante Adams for 20 yards, then Rodgers spiked the ball with a second left to put Crosby back on the field for his second game-winning field goal attempt in a little over two minutes, this time from 51 yards.
He missed. You see where this is going?
On to overtime, where the Bengals got the ball first. On their first play, Joe Burrow dropped back to pass and delivered a perfect strike to…De’Vondre Campbell! Campbell returned the interception 13 yards, setting the Packers up on the Cincinnati 17-yard line. Aaron Jones lost four yards on his first rushing attempt, then the Packers put Mason Crosby back on the field for his third attempt at a game winning field goal.
But 40 yards wasn’t close enough. Crosby missed again.
But — spoiler alert — so would Evan McPherson. The Bengals’ next drive petered out at the Packers’ 32-yard line, and McPherson came back for his second attempt to win the game — and missed from 49 yards.
That set the table for another Packers’ attempt. Marcedes Lewis provided a 20-yard catch and Randall Cobb added another 15 yards to put the Packers’ on the Cincinnati 32-yard line. This time, finally, mercifully, Mason Crosby banged it through.
In around 10 minutes of game time, the Packers and Bengals attempted six game-winning field goals, missing all but one. Whatever craziness could be in the works for Sunday because of Brandon McManus and his balky quad, it seems unlikely to be anything like that.
