JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — David Garrard squeezed through a hole, sliced left and found an open lane to the end zone. He was closing in on the goal line when Will Blackmon caught him from behind and slapped the ball away.
It bounced right back into Garrard’s arms as he fell to the ground, giving Jacksonville a much-needed break and leaving Green Bay with another familiar-feeling loss.
Garrard threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 31 yards Sunday as the Jaguars snapped a four-game losing streak with a 20-16 victory over the Packers.
“It’s been awhile,” Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. “It was a happy locker room.”
The Jaguars (5-9) won at home for the first time since September, ended Green Bay’s slim playoff chances and left the Packers (5-9) arguing, pointing fingers and searching for answers after another fourth-quarter collapse.
“We shouldn’t be having this miscommunication in Week 15 of the season,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “Disappointing. You get an opportunity to win the game down the stretch and can’t do it.”
Rodgers finished 20-of-32 passing for 278 yards and a touchdown.
The Packers might have had reason to bicker. After all, they lost on a late drive for the third consecutive week. Carolina beat Green Bay 35-31 two weeks ago with a 55-yard drive in the final two minutes. Houston kicked a field goal as time expired in last week’s 24-21 victory.
The latest one came courtesy of Garrard, Dennis Northcutt, Maurice Jones-Drew and several missed opportunities.
The Packers entered the final quarter with a 13-7 lead, poised to snap a three-game slide, but Garrard directed two scoring drives that gave Jacksonville its second win in eight games.
The turnaround started with the first play of the fourth. On fourth-and-1 at the Jacksonville 44, the Jaguars stuffed fullback John Kuhn up the middle. It was one of many problems the Packers had in short-yardage situations.
“That was the turning point in the game,” Jaguars defensive end Paul Spicer said. “The momentum could have gone either way.”
Defense was the Packers’ biggest problem — again. Green Bay failed to generate much pressure on Garrard, and defenders spent much of the fourth quarter squabbling with each other and pointing fingers.
“We had opportunities and didn’t capitalize on those opportunities,” safety Charles Woodson said. “I don’t know what you do. At this point, we’re not good at all. We’re just not very good.”
