By Wes Hodkiewicz & Mike Spofford
JACKSONVILLE – Two weeks, two walk-off field goals for K Brandon McManus.
Sunday at EverBank Stadium, it was just a chip shot from 24 yards out that gave the Packers a 30-27 victory over the Jaguars to improve to 6-2.
The Packers lost QB Jordan Love to a groin injury early in the third quarter. QB Malik Willis replaced him, and with the help of a defensive turnover deep in Jacksonville territory, Green Bay built a 27-17 lead in the fourth quarter.
Jacksonville roared back with a field goal and touchdown to tie the score, leaving just under two minutes for Green Bay’s final drive.
Willis hit WR Jayden Reed for 51 yards down the near sideline on third down to get the Packers into field-goal range, and from there they ran the clock all the way down to walk it off with McManus
For the Packers, Love was 14-of-22 for 196 yards with an INT and 73.3 passer rating before getting injured. Willis was 4-of-5 for 56 yards with a TD.
RB Josh Jacobs had 25 carries for 127 yards and two TDs, while TE Tucker Kraft had three catches for 78 yards and a TD, WR Romeo Doubs had three catches for 72 yards, and Reed had two for 55.
For the Jaguars (2-6), QB Trevor Lawrence was 21-of-32 for 308 yards with two TDs, one INT and a 104.7 rating. RB Tank Bigsby had 18 carries for 78 yards, while WR Brian Thomas Jr. had three catches for 60 yards and a score.
WR Christian Kirk (two catches) and TE Brenton Strange (five catches) both had 59 yards receiving, and TE Evan Engram had four catches for 36 yards and the game-tying TD
The Packers won the opening coin toss and elected to receive. Green Bay picked up an early first down with a 9-yard pass to Tucker Kraft but punted after two holding penalties.
Quarterback Jordan Love was limping slightly after an incompletion on third-and-9 but remained in the game. Jacksonville took over at its 17 after a 45-yard Daniel Whelan punt.
The Jaguars went three-and-out but punter Logan Cooke boomed a 73-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Green Bay 2. The Packers went three-and-out after Jayden Reed couldn’t bring in a third-and-5 pass from Jordan Love on a crossing route.
Jacksonville started at midfield after Whelan’s 43-yard punt. The Jaguars advanced the ball just two yards (after a false start penalty) and went three-and-out for the second straight series.
Love had time to throw from the pocket on first down and found Romeo Doubs for 29 yards on a post. Jacobs and Chris Brooks combined for a first down with carries of seven and five yards, respectively.
Doubs moved the ball across midfield with an 18-yard catch off a slant to the Jacksonville 33. A 4-yard pass to Reed set up third-and-8, as the first quarter came to a close.
Jarrian Jones picked off Love on an out route, as the Jaguars retook possession at the Jacksonville 6. Safety Xavier McKinney got the ball right back with his sixth interception in eight games this season.
Xavier McKinney’s six INTs through the first eight games are the most by a Packers player since Willie Buchanon had six in 1978.
Green Bay converted the takeaway into points, starting with Romeo Doubs drawing a 22-yard defensive pass interference penalty on third-and-7. On the next play, Jacobs pounded in a 3-yard touchdown to put the Packers up 7-0 with 11 minutes, 31 seconds left in the first half.
Jacksonville failed to generate a first down for the fourth straight possession after Bigsby was tackled for a 1-yard loss on a third-and-2 reception.
Love bought time and went rolled right before finding a wide-open Tucker Kraft in the middle of the field. Kraft avoided a tackle to extend the play into a career-long 67-yard catch to the Jacksonville 9.
The drive stalled after an illegal shift on first down and Green Bay settled for a 31-yard Brandon McManus field goal to extend its lead to 10-0 with 6:03 left in the half.
The Jaguars picked up their first first down on a 33-yard pass to Christian Kirks with just under six minutes left in the first half. An 18-yard pass to Brian Thomas Jr. moved the Jaguars into the red zone.
Lawrence punched the ball in on a designed QB draw to cut the Packers’ lead to 10-7 with 2:37 left in the first half.
Love opened the next series with a 12-yard slant to Watson, as the first half reached the two-minute warning. On second-and-10, Love put a perfect ball on Doubs for a 25-yard completion down the Packers’ sideline to the Jacksonville 33.
Green Bay worked the ball to the 28 before Love’s third-and-5 pass for Bo Melton went incomplete. McManus initially went out for a 46-yard field goal but the Jaguars were called for defensive delay of game to give the Packers five yards and a first down.
Green Bay picked up three more yards before sending McManus back out for a 38-yard field goal, pushing the Packers’ lead to 13-7 with 54 seconds left in the half.
. Jacksonville charged back with a 23-yard pass to Parker Washington and a 28-yarder to Thomas to the Green Bay 21 with 16 seconds left in the half.
Little made a 39-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 13-10 at halftime.
