New England Patriots vs. Green Bay Packers Final Score: Pats Fall 26-21

The New England Patriots had won seven in a row coming into this game, and looked like they would never lose again. On the other side, the Green Bay Packers had won seven of their last eight, and were absolutely destroying opponents on their home turf.

Something had to give, and today, it was our New England Patriots. Tom Brady and company fell behind early, and their late rally fell just short, as the Packers won what may very well be a Super Bowl preview, 26-21.

Green Bay came out firing, as they put up 13 points in the first quarter, while the Pats struggled to get anything going, picking up one first down on their first series, and then followed that up with a quick three-and-out. You will hear a lot of praise given to Aaron Rodgers and that offense of his over the next few days, but it was Green Bay’s defense that stole the show. They held Brady and company 320 total yards, 236 of which were through the air, and only 21 points.

New England never really got into a groove offensively, and that really cost them the football game. Yes, the defense struggled in the first half, and on third downs, but the bottom line is they gave up three points in the second half. They gave this team a chance to win the game, and the offense just couldn’t come through. The stats won’t look pretty for Bill Belichick’s defense, but that secondary played their butts off, constantly being forced to cover for five seconds or more, and still made life tough for Rodgers.

It came down to the front four not getting enough pressure on Rodgers, and the offensive line struggling to give Brady enough time to operate. That is why Green Bay won, and the Pats lost.

But in the big picture, this loss is not bad at all. The Packers are a legit force in this league, and the Patriots just went into their house, and lost a tough game by a mere five points. New England is fine. They will learn from their mistakes, and they will get better.

Rematch?