By Eric Goska
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| Keisean Nixon (shown earlier this season) had a fumble that was turned into a TD by the Giants. (photos by Eric Goska) |
Stumbling, bumbling, fumbling!
The Packers lost more than a game Monday night at MetLife
Stadium. In falling 24-22 to the Giants, Green Bay also took a step backward in
the race to reach the playoffs.
In winning 6 of their first 12 games this season, the Green and Gold had all but
eliminated turning the ball over as a result of a fumble. While the team
committed 15, only two wound up in opponents’ hands.
So secure was the team that Green Bay played 11 of its
first 12 games without losing a fumble. The lone exception occurred in early
November when running back Aaron Jones and receiver Dontayvion Wicks each lost
one in a 20-3 victory over the Rams.
This stretch with just two lost fumbles included 732 offensive
plays and scores of special teams snaps. The run remained intact despite road
trips to Chicago, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Denver, Pittsburgh and Detroit.
Only once in the past 100 seasons (1923-2022) has Green Bay
seen something similar. Coach Bart Starr’s 1980 squad lost only two of its
first 15 fumbles as it started out 3-4-1.
On average, the Packers lose about half of their first 15 fumbles in any given year. The 1952 and 1966 editions went above and beyond by coughing up 13 of their first 15.
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| Coach Matt LeFleur earlier in 2023. |
Gift wrapping fumbles hasn’t been as prevalent under coach
Matt LaFleur. Since 2019, Green Bay has given away 35, the fourth fewest in the
league behind the Cardinals (32), Rams (33) and Saints (34).
How out of character was it to hand over two in one game?
Monday night was just the seventh time in 79 regular-season games under LaFleur
in which the team surrendered more than one.
Jordan Love gave up the first. Taking off on a designed run
from the New York 27-yard line, the quarterback ran into Jason Pinnock and
Kayvon Thibodeaux. The latter forced Love to fumble and Xavier McKinney
recovered for the Giants.
New York did not put up points as the result of the turnover
– Saquon Barkley was held to no gain on
fourth down a couple of minutes later – but the Giants prevented Green Bay from
putting up points of its own had Love not fumbled.
The second fumble was actually two on one play and the miscue
proved more costly. Keisean Nixon muffed Jamie Gillan’s first punt of the
second half, recovered, then fumbled again after attempting to get to his feet and
make a return. Benton Whitley pounced on the loose ball and, three plays later,
Barkley sliced in from a yard out to put New York up 14-10 early in the third
quarter.
Nixon’s bobble was the first time this season that a Packers’
fumble was turned into points.
The Giants also lost two fumbles. Bobby McCain muffed a
Daniel Whelan punt in the third quarter and Barkley led go of the ball without
having been touched late in the fourth.
Anders Carlson followed up the first recovery with a 32-yard
field goal that cut New York’s lead to 14-13, and Love capped the second with a
6-yard TD pass to Malik Heath that put Green Bay up 22-21 with 1 minute, 33
seconds remaining.
The fact that New York turned the ball over twice on fumbles
is less surprising than the Packers’ mishandles. The Giants have given it away
54 times in that manner since 2019, second most in the league behind the
Jaguars (58).
Since 2019, regular-season games in which Green Bay’s opponent scored the most points as the result of Packers fumbles.
Pts. Date Opponent Result
7 Sept. 26, 2019 Eagles GB lost 27-34
7 Nov. 24, 2019 49ers GB lost, 8-37
7 Nov. 15, 2020 Jaguars GB won, 24-20
7 Jan. 9, 2022 Lions GB lost, 30-37
7 Nov. 13, 2022 Cowboys GB won, 31-28
7 Dec. 11, 2023 Giants GB lost, 22-24
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