Packers remain undefeated at Lambeau, set sights on home-field advantage
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- OK, so it wasn't a 33- or 41-point victory like the Green Bay Packers reeled off in their previous two home games. But by beating the New England Patriots, 26-21, on Sunday, the Packers remained unbeaten at home and did so by defeating a team that was on a seven-game winning streak.
Along with the Arizona Cardinals' loss Sunday at Atlanta (their second straight), Green Bay is now tied for the NFC lead at 9-3. If the Packers and Cardinals continue to trend in the opposite directions they're headed, the path to the Super Bowl could go through Lambeau Field.
With four games to play, quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn't afraid to say that's exactly what his goal is over the final month of the season.
"We would love home-field advantage," Rodgers said.
When asked how much he'd love home-field advantage, Rodgers smiled and said, "A lot."
Green Bay has come a long way since its early-game struggles Week 2 in the home opener against the New York Jets. Early in the second quarter, the Jets (yes, the now-2-9 Jets) led the Packers, 21-3. Green Bay came back to win that game, and that began a stretch that has Lambeau Field being viewed as a venue where opposing teams come to lose.
The Packers had a 42-0 lead on Minnesota, a 38-3 lead on Carolina, a 55-7 lead on Chicago and beat Philadelphia (yes, the 9-3 NFC East-leading Eagles) 53-20.
New England had a chance to end Green Bay's impressive home streak Sunday, being within two points of the Packers' lead in the fourth quarter. Instead, the Patriots were added to the list of teams that couldn't win in Green Bay.
"I think this year, more than any other year, we've really played exceptional at home," Rodgers said. "It's a combination of obviously knowing the footing, the crowd noise, the energy, the surroundings and being very efficient. It wasn't the type of blowout we've had the last four weeks (at home), but nobody expected that."
There are many impressive statistical aspects of what the Packers have accomplished on their way to being 6-0 at home so far this season. None, however, can top their 79-0 lead in first quarters over the past five games. That includes going up 13-0 on New England before the second quarter began.
Considering it was a Patriots team led by future Pro Football Hall of Famers Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, not to mention elite players like tight end Rob Gronkowski and cornerback Darrelle Revis, this win wasn't like the ones prior.
"You look for these games," said wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who had a 45-yard touchdown with Revis in coverage. "You want to play the best teams in the league. We've had them and honestly haven't played the best football against the best teams. It's good for us to go out, play some good football, continue to win at home, which is one of our goals to win these games at home in front of our fans. It's big for us. You want to keep the momentum.
"You want to win, but when you're playing a great team like New England you always probably enjoy these a little more."
Some might think now that Green Bay will beat any opposing team at home. Whether it's the Detroit Lions in Week 17 or the surging Seattle Seahawks in a potential playoff matchup (two teams that beat the Packers on their home fields earlier this season), it could easily be argued that there would be a dramatic difference -- in Green Bay's favor -- with the game played at Lambeau Field.
Defensive lineman Mike Daniels, however, sees a much different picture of what the home-field dominance means going forward.
"Everybody is going to want to come in here," Daniels told FOXSportsWisconsin.com. "They say everybody wants to be the team to come in and get it done. That's what we've created now. We didn't create any fear in anybody. People are actually going to start foaming at the mouths when they say, 'Oh, we actually go to Lambeau this year and they're winning at Lambeau. We have to stop them.' And we have to make sure we do our best to play our best football and defend our home turf and get after it every single play, just like we did in this game."
That's one way of looking at it.
Head coach Mike McCarthy called it an "excellent Lambeau Field win" and described the crowd as "phenomenal." And while it's true that the Packers lost at home in the postseason in 2013 (to the San Francisco 49ers) and in 2011 (to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants), this has been a series of games this year in which it seems Green Bay can do no wrong.
The Atlanta Falcons will get to try their hand on Monday Night Football next week, and the NFC North could be on the line when the Lions are in town Week 17. But it remains to be seen whether any team can do what two 9-3 teams (New England and Philadelphia) couldn't do. And that's leave Green Bay with a victory.
"We've been great at home, we're 6-0 at home, the fans have been excellent with noise," Rodgers said. "We've got a good advantage going right now with our winning the home games. Have to keep rolling at home."
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