GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers were on the field for 2,982 plays combined on offense, defense and special teams in 18 games, including playoffs, during the 2015 season. Most of those will be forgotten, but some will be remembered for years to come.
As we review the season that ended with an overtime playoff loss for the second year in a row, we will look back on 10 plays (in reverse order) that most shaped the season.
Here’s No. 10:
Game: Packers vs. Chargers, Week 6
Date: Oct. 18, 2015
Location: Lambeau Field
The play: Damarious Randall’s diving pass breakup with 15 seconds remaining
Why it mattered: The rookie showed why GM Ted Thompson picked him at No. 30 overall last spring. Randall made a savvy play to knock away what would have been a game-tying touchdown when Philip Rivers tried to throw to running back Danny Woodhead in the right flat. In zone coverage, Randall said he actually pretended like he didn’t see Woodhead in order to entice Rivers to throw that way. When Rivers did, Randall broke on the ball and made a driving breakup. The 27-20 victory sent the Packers into their bye week with a 6-0 record. Shortly after, Randall became a full-time starter and had a strong season despite the blown coverage on the first play of overtime in the playoff loss at Arizona.
Quotable: “Honestly, I was just trying to bait him a little bit,” Randall said after the game. “And, he actually threw a better ball than what I thought he could, and I just knocked it down, and I just made a play, and we’re 6-0.”
