Week 17 vs. Detroit Game Release.indd - NFL.com
Week 17 vs. Detroit Game Release.indd - NFL.com
Week 17 vs. Detroit Game Release.indd - NFL.com
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yards, a 54.0 avg. (42.5 net)...Got both kicks off in the face of intense pressure<br />
as San Diego attempted to fight their way back late in the contest...<br />
Also held for Crosby’s successful 47-yard FG.<br />
<strong>vs</strong>. Minnesota Vikings (11/14): Punted twice for 99 yards (49.5 avg., 43.0<br />
net), limiting Minnesota to just 13 return yards.<br />
<strong>vs</strong>. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11/20): Had three punts for 163 yards (54.3<br />
avg., 42.3 net), landing one inside the 20 and seeing one roll through the<br />
end zone for a touchback...Also recorded his first career carry, tucking<br />
the ball to keep it from being blocked on the Packers’ first possession<br />
of the game...On the play, LB Jacob Cutrera came free on a rush, forcing<br />
Masthay to pull it down and run...Cutrera punched the ball out, but<br />
Masthay recovered it in stride and advanced 6 yards for a first down...<br />
The offense assumed the possession and scored a TD 10 plays later to<br />
take an early 7-0 lead...Had his final punt downed by CB/S Jarrett Bush at<br />
the Tampa Bay 9-yard line late in the third quarter, his eighth kick to land<br />
inside the 20 in 2011.<br />
at <strong>Detroit</strong> Lions (11/24): Punted five times for 207 yards (41.4 avg., 37.8<br />
net), dropping a season-high four punts inside the <strong>Detroit</strong> 20-yard line,<br />
a key factor in the Packers winning the game’s field position battle by<br />
more than 150 yards...Average starting position for the Lions following his<br />
five punts was their own 16-yard line and he was instrumental in limiting<br />
explosive return man WR Stefan Logan to just one return that resulted in<br />
a 2-yard loss.<br />
at New York Giants (12/4): Earned NFC Special Teams Player of the <strong>Week</strong><br />
honors for the second time in his career after punting five times for 221<br />
yards (44.2 avg., 44.2 net), landing four of his kicks inside the 20-yard<br />
line for the second consecutive week, and not allowing the Giants a single<br />
return...Became the first punter in franchise history to drop four or more<br />
punts inside the 20 in back-to-back games since the statistic began being<br />
recorded in 1976...<strong>Game</strong> marked the second time in his career that he did<br />
not allow a return (at Atlanta, Nov. 28, 2010, two att.)...The Giants’ average<br />
starting position following his five punts was at their own 13-yard line and<br />
their possessions that followed his punts ended with an INT, three punts<br />
of their own and a FG...Best kick came late in the third quarter when his<br />
49-yard boot was downed by Bush at the Giants’ 1-yard line.<br />
<strong>vs</strong>. Oakland Raiders (12/11): Was limited to just one attempt as the offense<br />
engineered eight scoring drives (four TD, four FG) during the game...First<br />
true attempt was a safety punt after QB Matt Flynn was sacked in the end<br />
zone in the fourth quarter...Ball traveled 57 yards and was returned by RB<br />
Rock Cartwright for no gain...Lone punting attempt went 40 yards and was<br />
downed...Also held for each of Crosby’s season-high tying four FGs and<br />
five PAT attempts.<br />
at Kansas City Chiefs (12/18): Punted five times for 267 yards (53.4 avg.,<br />
46.2 net), dropping three inside the 20 and seeing his career-long 71 yard<br />
kick <strong>com</strong>e in the second quarter...The gross and net averages were both<br />
career highs (min. four attempts) and ranked No. 4 and No. 3 respectively<br />
in franchise history (since 1976)...Also drew a roughing the kicker penalty<br />
on WR Jeremy Horne, extending the Packers’ opening drive of the game<br />
with a fresh set of downs.<br />
<strong>vs</strong>. Chicago Bears (12/25): Had four punts for <strong>17</strong>6 yards (44.0 avg., 42.3<br />
net), landing three of them inside the 20 and helping to limit the always<br />
dangerous Hester to just two returns for 7 yards (3.5 avg.)...Also had<br />
punts downed at the 10 and 19-yard lines, holding the Bears’ to an average<br />
starting position following his four kicks at their own 16 and playing<br />
a key role in helping the Packers win the overall field position battle by<br />
150 yards.<br />
52 Clay Matthews, LB, 3rd Year, Southern California<br />
2011 Season: Dynamic All-Pro defender, voted a Pro Bowl starter for<br />
the the NFC for the second consecutive season, be<strong>com</strong>ing the first Packer<br />
since RB John Brockington to be named to the all-star team in each of<br />
his first three professional seasons...Has continued to punish opposing<br />
offenses in 2011, both as a pass rusher, against the run at the line of<br />
scrimmage and in coverage where he has set new career highs with three<br />
INTs and nine passes defensed...Has started all 15 games at LOLB and<br />
has 69 tackles (49 solo), while also leading the team with six sacks and a<br />
career-high three forced fumbles.<br />
<strong>vs</strong>. New Orleans Saints (9/8): Started at his familiar LOLB post, recording<br />
five tackles (three solo, one for loss), and was a integral part of a shortyardage<br />
defensive stand to help preserve a victory in the season opener<br />
for the second consecutive year...Was also credited with five QB hits and<br />
a pressure by the coaching staff...Tackle for loss came on an impressive<br />
play when he beat what was a designed double team...Got a strong initial<br />
punch on RT Zach Strief, freeing himself up to bounce TE David Thomas<br />
backwards and then met RB Mark Ingram in the backfield for a 2-yard<br />
loss...Forced a turnover on downs late in the third quarter when he made a<br />
move to beat Strief, penetrating the backfield and teaming with DE Jarius<br />
Wynn to pressure QB Drew Brees into throwing the ball away on fourth<br />
down...On the game’s final play, got clear of T Charles Brown and fought<br />
off a block from Thomas to lay the initial hit on Ingram at the goal line...Got<br />
help from S Morgan Burnett, stopping Ingram’s progress as time expired<br />
and preserving the win.<br />
at Carolina Panthers (9/18): Finished the game with seven tackles (four<br />
solo, one for loss), a sack and a pass defensed, again making one of the<br />
game’s more impactful plays when he forced a turnover on downs with a<br />
critical tackle in the fourth quarter...Fourth-down stop came with Carolina<br />
threatening for the game-tying score inside the Green Bay 10-yard line...<br />
On fourth-and-4, spun his way toward the back of the pocket, forcing QB<br />
Cam Newton to step forward...Disengaged from a block by RT Byron Bell<br />
as Newton stepped up to run, chasing the QB down and tackling him after a<br />
3-yard gain, short of the first down...The Packers assumed possession and<br />
on the second play of the ensuing drive, QB Aaron Rodgers hit WR Jordy<br />
Nelson for an 84-yard TD to extend the lead to 30-16...Was credited with a<br />
zero-yard sack when in the fourth quarter, he played a containment technique<br />
designed to keep the elusive Newton in the pocket...Chased the QB<br />
to the sideline where he was run out of bounds for no gain...Saw his pass<br />
defensed <strong>com</strong>e in the third quarter when he jumped up at the line of scrimmage<br />
to knock down a Newton pass intended for TE Jeremy Shockey...<br />
The next play, a third-and-long, Newton was intercepted by S Morgan<br />
Burnett...Part of a stingy red-zone defense that yielded just two TDs in six<br />
trips, stuffed a stretch run to his side early in the first quarter...On the play,<br />
fought off a block from Shockey and dropped RB DeAngelo Williams for a<br />
loss of two yards at the Green Bay 15, forcing a FG two plays later...Was<br />
not awarded the sack but was the first to pressure Newton when he came<br />
free on a third-down rush in the second quarter...The QB spun away from<br />
him, but slipped and was touched down by LB Desmond Bishop for a loss<br />
of 13 yards that forced a punt.<br />
at Chicago Bears (9/25): Despite not recording a sack, was a menace<br />
against the run from the opening whistle and was one of the most active<br />
members of a front seven that limited Chicago to 13 yards on 12 rushing<br />
attempts (1.1 avg.), tied for the fourth-lowest single-game net yardage<br />
total in franchise history....Was credited with five tackles (all solo, four for<br />
loss) and six QB hits...Set the tone for what was a dominating performance<br />
up front when on the Bears’ first play from scrimmage, he shot off the ball<br />
unblocked into the backfield, slipping past and beating pulling LG Chris<br />
Williams inside to engulf RB Matt Forté for a 1-yard loss...Also beat RT<br />
Frank Omiyale to the inside to help trip up Forté four plays later, teaming<br />
with Bishop for another 1-yard loss...Later in the first quarter, similar to<br />
the first play of the game, immediately identified a run and exploded across<br />
the line unblocked, again beating a pulling Williams and TE Kellen Davis<br />
to wrap up Forté and slam the RB for a 4-yard loss...Early in the fourth<br />
quarter, stunted between C and RG, drawing a holding penalty against RG<br />
Chris Spencer...Two plays later, chased QB Jay Cutler out of bounds after<br />
a 2-yard gain to force a third-and-long and a subsequent punt on fourth<br />
down.<br />
<strong>vs</strong>. Denver Broncos (10/2): Credited with three tackles (one solo) and four<br />
QB hits despite once again being the focus of Denver’s various protection<br />
schemes...Late in the third quarter, finally came free on a rush when he<br />
invaded the pocket before RB Knowshon Moreno could get over to pick<br />
him up...Just missed QB Kyle Orton, who stepped up at the last moment,<br />
but was ultimately sacked by Bishop for a loss of 8 yards.<br />
at Atlanta Falcons (10/9): Did not trigger the sack column, but once again<br />
made significant contributions that helped dictate the positive out<strong>com</strong>e<br />
of the game...Tallied four tackles (three solo) and four QB hits, helping