History Lesson (Week 3, 1992): Packers 24, Bengals 23
A comeback for Brett Favre?
No. I’m not here to start rumors. But with the league’s most prolific passer firmly entrenched in retirement, it was time to finally go back and look at the strong-armed quarterback’s coming-out party.
Flash back to Week 3 of the 1992 NFL season. The Cincinnati Bengals, led by new head coach David Shula, have won their first two games. The Green Bay Packers, led by new head coach Mike Holmgren, are 0-2.
So when the clubs met at Lambeau Field, it wasn’t really a surprise that Bengals’ quarterback Boomer Esiason had staked his team to a 17-3 lead in the fourth quarter. Cincinnati’s two touchdowns came via a 95-yard punt return by wide receiver Carl Pickens and a 17-yard TD connection from Esiason to running back Eric Ball.
So far, Holmgren’s team had been limited to only a field goal. But the Packers were having bigger problems as starting quarterback Don Majkowski was injured roughly five minutes into the game. Enter Favre, who had seen some mop-up duty the previous Sunday in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The final numbers for the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, obtained in a trade by the Packers during the offseason, would be very impressive. Despite being sacked five times, Favre completed 22-of-39 passes for 289 yards and a pair of touchdowns. And final is the key word as the gutsy signal-caller saved his best for the final quarter.
Still, it would be the Green Bay special teams that would jump start the comeback. Rookie cornerback Terrell Buckley got the Packers within seven points of a tie with a 58-yard punt return for a score. After the Bengals answered with a field goal, Favre led an eight-play, 88-yard drive that culminated with a five-yard touchdown pass to wideout Sterling Sharpe.
But Shula’s team was bound and determined to stay unbeaten. Forced to punt on their next possession, the Bengals got a break when Buckley fumbled away the return. It would set up a short field goal by kicker Jim Breech and Cincinnati would own a 23-17 lead with 1:07 to play.
And then it was Favre…and company. Green Bay would take over on its own eight yard line. It took the Pack five plays to come all the way back thanks to four Favre completions, including a 42-yard strike to Sharpe to get the ball into Cincinnati territory. Three plays later at the Bengals’ 35-yard line, Favre lofted a pass to wide receiver Kittrick Taylor for a score with 13 seconds to play and the subsequent PAT gave Holmgren his first win, 24-23.Want to see more great memories from a great player? Check out that game-winning play and more from Favre here.
