There's no killing off the Packers

GREEN BAY, WIS. - Where's my darn shovel? I have to unbury the Green Bay Packers, who not only are alive, but suddenly tied for the third-best record in the NFC.

A lot of us called the green and gold's time of death at 3 p.m. a month ago today. They had fallen to 4-4 with a loss in Tampa to a pitiful Buccaneers team that still has only that one victory.

It was over. Or so we thought.

A month later, the Packers aren't the same team that Brett Favre toyed with twice in five weeks earlier this season. They aren't dominant, but they protect the passer better, run the ball better, call plays for quicker passes and play well on third down both offensively and defensively.

They've also won four in a row, stand at 8-4 and hold the sixth seed in the NFC after escaping with a 27-14 victory over the Ravens at Lambeau Field on Monday night in a weird game that had nine pass interference penalties and a Packers franchise record for most penalty yards by both teams (310). It also was tied for the second-most penalty yards in NFL history, trailing only the 374 by the Bears and Browns in 1951.

Also, the Packers' 175 yards in penalties just missed the record of 184 set against the Boston Yanks in 1945.

If the season ended today, the Packers would play at No. 3 seed Arizona in a wild-card playoff game. The Packers finish the regular season with three road games in four weeks, including the season finale at Arizona.

Yes, the Packers have beaten only one team that now has a winning record (Dallas). But the same could be said of the Vikings, who beat the Packers twice. In their only other game against a team that currently has a winning record, the Vikings were smoked 30-17 at Arizona on Sunday night.

The Packers took the opening kickoff and drove 47 yards to take a 3-0 lead on Mason Crosby's 28-yard field goal.

The Packers took a 10-0 lead on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Jermichael Finley over safety Tom Zbikowski, a second-year pro who started in place of injured All-Pro Ed Reed (hip), with 4:35 left in the first half. The Ravens also were without outside linebacker Terrell Suggs (knee).

The Packers' eight-play, 83-yard drive was aided by a 25-yard pass interference penalty on cornerback Frank Walker. Rodgers, who went into the game with a league-best 135.5 passer rating on third downs, also connected with Finley on a 14-yard pass on third-and-7 from the Baltimore 16.

An 8-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver with 32 seconds left gave the Packers what appeared to be a comfortable 17-0 halftime lead.

Crosby missed a 38-yard field goal with 14:50 left in the game, giving the Ravens even more momentum.

Joe Flacco completed a 46-yard deep ball to Derrick Mason on third-and-17, but it became a third-and-32 and a punt after Mason was called for a questionable pass interference call on Charles Woodson and then flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for complaining about the call.

The Ravens turned a long kickoff return into another scoring chance as the ninth pass interference of the game -- this one on Tamron Williams covering Demetrius Williams -- gave the Ravens the ball at the Green Bay 1. But Tamron Williams quickly intercepted Flacco in the end zone and helped the Packers hang on.

Barely.