Christmas at Lambeau Field

Brett Farve, back to pass…long throw…caught by Driver! He’s rushing, he’s at midfield – he’s stopped at the 30-yard line!

At was at that moment that victory looked – if only for a second – like a reality for a Green Bay. Brett Farve, who according to the little box on the screen, had 35 career comebacks. It was up to him once again, and victory was more then just a field goal away. They needed a touchdown, and they needed it fast. The clock, already low on time, was ticking away steadily (Green Bay had already used up all their timeouts)… He drops back to pass – to let lose with one final pass, one final win at home, just one more catch for the game…

Christmas-time in Green Bay is always comes in the dead of winter, when the snow is coming down hard and the wind is bone-chilling… the Packers defence thrives in weather like this, as their opponents wither up and die in the cold as Green Bay’s infamous defence smothers them. This is how Green Bay defeated Carolina, how they beat the Cowboys, how they made it to the Super Bowl year after year in the 1990s.

But that was then; this is now. Green Bay’s chances of a Super Bowl ended long, long ago. Their defence is a lowly # in the league and their lone bright spot this season is out for the season with a torn MCL. Brett Farve, once one of the best Quarterbacks in the league is in what will surely be his final season – his best days having long since passed.

But things can change – at once point today, on Christmas Day of all days, the Chicago Bears were ahead by 17 points. But Brett Farve had some of his old self left in him to give…

It was about halfway through the third when Antonio Chatman received a punt deep in his own end and returned it – 85 yards – for a touchdown. 24-14. Slowly the minutes passed in Lambeau Field…the score remained the same. But, as the game began to wind and a Packers victory began to look impossible, Green Bay drove over 60 yards into Chicago’s territory and Ryan Longwell kicked a much-needed field goal to bring the game within reach. 24-17. Green Bay went for the onside kick – Chicago recovered – but had to punt it away with over a minute left. It was all up to Farve, once again.

And on the first play it went a-okay – Brett Farve completed a long pass to Donald Driver, who ran the ball up to the Chicago 30 yard line. It was within reach for Green Bay now – they were just one play away from the game-tying touchdown. But first they had to spike the ball, as they had no timeouts left. Second down – Farve gets sacked for a loss. Third down – Farve is sacked yet again as the clock keeps ticking down towards zero. Fourth down.

Farve drops back to pass…has time…long throw down the right side of the field into a crowd…and it’s picked off!

Suddenly, with one catch, with no time on the clock, Chicago is into the playoffs with a first round bye as Green Bay is left at the bottom of the league, waiting for Draft Day. They’re not down far enough to get the Reggie Bush pick, but they should get high enough that they can draft a decent QB.