Neither legendary coaches Curly Lambeau nor Vince Lombardi won as many home games in a row as the Packers of Mike Holmgren. Their 17-7 victory Sunday over the St. Louis Rams pushed the record to 21, a streak that began after the Rams upset them in the 1995 opener.
They named the stadium for Lambeau and the street where it sits for Lombardi. Holmgren got his name on a side street this year, but at the moment he owns the town.
Maybe they should pass a law. Or change Holmgren’s name to Homegrown.
The Holmgren Law is the local counterpart to Murphy’s Law. Anything that can go right will. Anything Brett Favre throws can be and usually is caught. Favre enjoyed his first 300-yard passing day of the year Sunday, finding Antonio Freeman seven times for 160 yards and a touchdown to subdue a feisty Ram bunch.
“To be part of another little slice of the history of the Green Bay Packers, personally, it’s fun,” Holmgren said. “It’s a tough thing to accomplish. Our fans get a lot of credit. One thing we’ve tried to do is establish this is a tough place to come into and play.”
The Rams tried to take the law into their own hands, committing 15 penalties for 110 yards, exposing coach Dick Vermeil’s team as much less disciplined than he sounds. The 2-8 Rams are the most penalized team in the NFL. Their incredible string of transgressions Sunday lured both the 8-2 Packers and referee Tom White’s crew into sloppy performances.
The Packers matched their season high with nine penalties. So many flags were flying that White’s crew must have been temporarily blinded. Safety Eugene Robinson was robbed of an interception, Favre was called for a phantom delay and the Rams’ Ryan McNeil could have sworn he had two interceptions instead of one.
“The penalties were a problem,” said former TV commentator Vermeil. “The officiating had a rough day.”
For the Packers, it was another day at the office. They nursed a 3-0 lead in the first half, disappointing to the crowd but not threatening. Nine Rams possessions resulted in only one drive across midfield, and that ended in a blocked field goal.
The Packers marched 80 yards after the second-half kickoff for their first touchdown when Favre and Freeman burned cornerback McNeil. With Mark Rypien replacing quarterback Tony Banks, who sat out the second half with what was announced as a strained back, the Rams answered with their only scoring drive. But the Packers responded with a 79-yard TD drive highlighted by a 45-yard throw to Freeman and capped by Favre’s 7-yard touchdown run.
The Rams blitz and play man-to-man coverage with their corners, which invited Favre to throw deep.
“It probably surprised them a little because we don’t go deep that much,” Favre said.
“Brett made some great throws,” Freeman said. “When I got separation, the ball was right there.”
The score was not artistically satisfying, but the Packers remember they were 8-3 last year. The challenge now is taking the Holmgren Law on the road. They play four of their last six away from Lambeau and already trail the 8-1 San Francisco 49ers for home-field advantage in the playoffs. The 49ers, who play at Philadelphia Monday night, get four of their last six at home.
“We feel comfortable whenever we play anyone, but there’s just something about playing here that’s different,” Favre said. “Road games are just part of it. We won in Chicago and in New England our last two and neither one was easy. I feel good about it.”
The Packers travel to winless Indianapolis next week before getting the Cowboys in Lambeau. Then they travel to Minnesota, Tampa and Carolina the first three weeks of December before finishing at home with Buffalo.
“The three in December is typically a good time for people to come in here, but we have to win on the road at some point. It will just have to be later than normal,” Holmgren said.
Coach and quarterback agree the Packers have not peaked.
“We’re still coming. Our best football is still ahead of us,” Holmgren said.
Favre said he has “no idea” why the offense has scored only 23 points in 10 first quarters.
“I do know we’re 8-2 and there’s always room for improvement. We all know we can play better,” Favre said. “I don’t want to make excuses, but the Rams played hard. Their linebackers were the best we’ve faced this year.”
So accustomed to celebrating, the relatively quiet crowd saved its biggest cheer of the day for the fourth-quarter Bears-Vikings score. The ensuing groan when the final was posted only deepened local dislike for their hapless Chicago rivals.
