Packers at Bengals: Green Bay leads sloppy Cincinnati, 16-14 at halftime

Well, things didn’t exactly go as planned in Cincinnati to start, but the Green Bay Packers are right back into the game against the Bengals as the home team hasn’t been able to hold on to the football. Four straight Cincinnati turnovers were a catalyst in the Packers’ 16-14 halftime elad.

Andy Dalton and his team didn’t take long to get on the board as they capped a 10 play, 80 yard opening drive with a Gio Bernard three-yard run to go up 7-0. It was quickly 14-0 as a muffed punt by Jeremy Ross was recovered by Cincinnati at the 2, leading to a short Benjarvus Green-Ellis TD run.

But the Packers defense would make it a ballgame once more. Late in the first quarter, a Sam Shields interception led to a Mason Crosby field goal to cut it to 14-3. A fumble early in the 2nd, the third turnover in as many drives for Cincy, was run back by M.D. Jennings to make it a 14-10 Bengals lead. A fourth straight turnover, caused by Clay Matthews, led to a Mason Crosby field goal to slice it to 14-13.

The momentum gained by Green Bay looked to help a slow-starting Aaron Rodgers, as he led the Packers to the red zone before the Bengals D kept them out of the end zone; but Crosby’s field goal as time expired put his team ahead 16-14. That was in spite of a 7-14, 64 yard performance by Rodgers.

The Packers were dealt a big loss in the first quarter as Jermichael Finley departed after suffering a concussion. He was shown struggling to get to the sideline before eventually walking off under his own power.