Green Bay Packers’ 12-Play Drive from Own 2 Set Tone at New England
GREEN BAY — Packers.com reported Nov. 9, 2026, that a 12-play, 75-yard possession that began at the Green Bay Packers’ 2-yard line produced a field goal early in the second quarter of Green Bay’s 45-27 victory at New England. The sequence stretched the lead to three scores and consumed 6 minutes, 36 seconds, the report said. It was the longest drive of the game for Green Bay in both plays and time, according to Packers.com.
The drive featured a third-down sideline conversion when quarterback Jordan Love hit wide receiver Christian Watson to convert on third-and-7 from the 5. A few plays later, New England was flagged for offside on third-and-5 from the 20, giving the Packers a new set of downs, Packers.com reported. After a 4-yard run by running back Pierre Strong Jr. and a 9-yard completion to wide receiver Matthew Golden, Love went deep to Golden for a 43-yard gain as Golden beat cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who stumbled as the ball arrived.
Reaching the red zone did not produce a touchdown after Love was sacked on third-and-5 from the 14, but rookie kicker Trey Smack converted a 41-yard field goal to push the margin to 17-0, Packers.com said. The drive began after a punt pinned Green Bay at its own 2-yard line, the report added. Packers.com also noted the series was one of four scoring drives of 69 yards or more in the game.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Packers.com highlighted that the 12-play march from the shadow of the goal line illustrated Green Bay’s ability to sustain drives and control the clock at New England. Long, methodical possessions such as this one limited New England’s chances to swing momentum and helped preserve the Packers’ early advantage. Key third-down conversions and the 43-yard connection to Matthew Golden set up the field-goal opportunity that Smack finished, showing the value of complementary play between the offense and kicking game. The drive’s length in plays and time underscored an offensive approach that relied on sustained execution rather than one-off big plays.