East Rutherford, N.J. — The Green Bay Packers looked as though they might be heading toward a third straight loss on Sunday — especially when quarterback Jordan Love absorbed a hard hit to his left shoulder and left the field for medical evaluation.
“It’s not a great feeling,” coach Matt LaFleur admitted.
Fortunately for Green Bay, the concern didn’t last. Love soon returned and sparked the offense, throwing two touchdown passes as the Packers fought past the New York Giants 27–20. Backup Malik Willis added a touchdown toss of his own while stepping in during Love’s brief absence, helping the Packers rebound in a game they desperately needed.
Green Bay’s 27 points surpassed their combined output from the previous two weeks.
“Exactly what we needed,” Love said afterward. He described his shoulder as sore but manageable. “The mindset was simple: it’s going to be a battle, whatever it takes. Just find a way to get a win. It’s never perfect — this is the NFL. You’ve got to grind out these games.”
Love delivered his biggest moments on the decisive fourth-quarter drive. Facing third-and-10, the quarterback hit rookie Savion Williams for a 32-yard gain while under pressure. Moments later, he found Christian Watson in the end zone from 17 yards out, giving Green Bay the lead with 4:02 to play. A successful 2-point conversion to Emanuel Wilson brought loud “Go, Pack, Go!” chants from the many Packers fans in the Meadowlands crowd.
But the win didn’t come without setbacks. Starting running back Josh Jacobs left in the second quarter with a knee injury and was ruled out after halftime.
“Anytime a player of his caliber can’t finish, you worry,” LaFleur said.
Even so, the Packers (6–3–1) took advantage of New York’s struggling run defense — ranked 31st in the NFL — and piled up 106 of their 128 rushing yards in the first half. Wilson punched in a touchdown during the series Willis completed while Love was undergoing evaluation.
“We don’t win that game without Malik,” LaFleur said. “He made a lot of plays for us today.”
Love finished 13 of 24 for 173 yards with touchdown passes to tight end Josh Whyle and Watson. His stat line didn’t reflect several dropped passes that stalled drives.
“So gritty and tough,” LaFleur said. “He was under pressure a lot, and he kept giving guys chances to make plays.”
Despite offensive progress, Green Bay nearly let the game slip away through errors in every phase — including two missed extra points and multiple penalties. The defense, strong in recent weeks, surrendered its first opening-quarter touchdown of the season and later allowed a lengthy 15-play, 85-yard Giants drive that put New York ahead 20–19.
Love’s late scoring drive and Evan Williams’ interception of Jameis Winston in the end zone with 36 seconds left ultimately preserved the victory.
Winston, making his first start in nearly a year, finished 19 of 29 for 201 yards with a touchdown sneak and two rushing scores from running back Devin Singletary helping New York (2–9) stay competitive. Winston lost a fumble on the game’s final play.
“I really wanted to get a win for these guys,” Winston said. He praised interim coach Mike Kafka — elevated after Brian Daboll’s firing — for the energy he brought. “He has that player’s perspective, that leadership.”
Packers’ kicking woes continue
Lucas Havrisik, filling in for injured kicker Brandon McManus, missed two extra points — one wide right, one wide left. Counting field goals, Green Bay now leads the league with nine failed kicks this season.
Injuries
Packers: LB Quay Walker left with a stinger in the third quarter.
Giants: Rookie CB Korie Black departed in the second quarter with a hand injury. CB Paulson Adebo was scratched after experiencing knee discomfort in warmups and has now missed nearly a month.
What’s next
Packers: Host the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday.
Giants: Travel to Detroit next Sunday.
