The Packers were dealt a pretty good hand for Week 4, and their cards got even better early in Sunday's game at Lambeau Field.
The Patriots traveled to Green Bay dealing with a trio of key injuries, as wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, cornerback Jalen Mills and quarterback Mac Jones all were sidelined for New England's tilt with Aaron Rodgers and company. But The Brian Hoyer Show in Green Bay only lasted a few minutes, as a head injury took the veteran signal-caller out of the game and prompted the NFL debut of third-stringer Bailey Zappe.
Despite all of those factors going against the Patriots, they took the Packers to the brink. The three-time defending NFC North champions needed overtime to defeat a hobbled New England team that also wasn't playing very good football at full strength.
Although it was a game Green Bay absolutely should have won, head coach Matt LaFleur didn't diminish the significance of his team's latest victory.
"Hey, man, I'll tell you what. It's always a great lesson, right?" LaFleur said, per team-provided video. "It's never easy in this league and it's not always how you start. It's not always how you start, but it's how you finish. That was a damn good win, great group effort. Here's what I'm so proud of in this room: We came in here at halftime, right? We said, 'Don't flinch, stick together' and we did that. We did that for 30 minutes plus another 10. Whatever it takes to get it done. I think these wins are absolutely character-defining wins."
The gritty win surely will make the Packers' long voyage across the pond much easier to get through. Green Bay will kick off the league's Week 5 Sunday slate with a battle against the 3-1 New York Giants in London.
