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Rodgers, Packers hang on to beat Patriots

Dec 1, 2014 - 3:12 AM Green Bay, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers remained perfect at home with a win over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Rodgers threw for 368 yards and two touchdowns and kept two NFL-record streaks alive in a 26-21 win on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

The Packers (9-3) improved to 6-0 at home this season, tying the NFL's best mark shared by New England and three other teams.

"We've been great at home," said Rodgers. "The fans have been excellent with the noise and we've got a good advantage with it. We've just got to keep rolling."

The Patriots (9-3) had a seven-game winning streak snapped, losing for the first time in more than two months.

The Packers, with Rodgers carving out another precise passing game, took a 13-0 lead in the first quarter and hung on down the stretch after Tom Brady threw his second touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell to get the Patriots within 23-21 early in the fourth quarter.

After Mason Crosby kicked his fourth field goal of the game for Green Bay to make it 26-21 with 8:41 remaining, Stephen Gostkowski had a rare miss for New England at the other end of the field.

The Packers then picked up a final first down when Rodgers hit Randall Cobb for a 7-yard gain on 3rd-and-4. The Patriots were left without any timeouts and Rodgers kneeled out the remaining two minutes to snap Green Bay's two-game losing streak to New England.

"I just wish we won this one. I think we put a lot into it," said Brady. "It was a great test for us and I think the guys knew how important it was for our season. You hate to have the ball at the 20-yard line with under three minutes left and a chance to go ahead and not do it. That sucked."

Rodgers was 24-of-38 and has thrown 360 consecutive passes with 31 touchdowns since his last interception at home, extending both NFL records.

Eddie Lacy rushed 21 times for 98 yards and caught two passes for another 17, stretching his Packers running back record to four consecutive games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage.

Davante Adams had six receptions for 121 yards and Cobb made seven catches for 85 as the Packers ran their winning streak to four games since their bye week.

Brady was 22-of-35 for 245 yards and the two touchdown passes to LaFell. Rob Gronkowski had seven catches for 98 yards and Brandon Bolden added a 6-yard touchdown run in the loss, New England's first since falling 41-14 in Kansas City on Sept. 29.

After a scoreless third quarter New England pulled within 23-21 on LaFell's 15-yard touchdown catch with 13:51 remaining in the fourth.

On the ensuing possession, Adams dropped a sure touchdown pass on third down from the 10-yard line and Crosby kicked a 28-yard field goal to give the Packers their five-point lead.

Gronkowski nearly made a diving catch in the end zone at the other side of the field, but the ball hit the ground and Gostkowski missed a field goal for only the fifth time in the last two seasons, pushing a 47-yard try wide-right for New England.

The Packers' last two home games were blowout wins -- 55-14 over Chicago and 53-20 over Philadelphia in consecutive weeks -- and this one looked to be headed that way early on.

Their first two possessions of the game totaled 20 plays and 124 yards but ended in two Crosby field goals for a 6-0 lead.

The third went for 85 yards and seven points on just four plays. Rodgers' 32- yard touchdown pass to Richard Rodgers was set up by his 45-yard pass to Adams down the left sideline.

Bolden's first touchdown of the season, on a slashing 6-yard run early in the second, got the Patriots within seven points before Crosby's third field goal of the game gave the Packers a 16-7 lead.

Brady and LaFell hooked up from two yards to cap an 80-yard New England drive, but the Green Bay ended the first half with a 23-14 lead after Jordy Nelson's 45-yard catch-and-run touchdown was upheld upon review with 14 seconds left.

Nelson stretched the ball inside the left pylon before going out of bounds after darting across the field to out-run Darrelle Revis and safety Devin McCourty.

Game Notes

LeGarrette Blount rushed for 58 yards on 10 carries in his second game since re-joining the Patriots ... Denver, Philadelphia and Arizona are also 6-0 at home ... Crosby missed a 40-yard field goal try wide-left in the third quarter ... Rodgers' left hand was bleeding after it was stepped on by a Patriots defender at the end of a 17-yard scramble in the first quarter ... Packers cornerback Sam Shields (concussion) and linebacker Jamari Lattimore (ankle) left the game in the first half ... The Packers tied the all-time series between the teams at 5-5 ... In the last game between the teams in Green Bay, Brady passed for 244 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-0 win on Nov. 19, 2006 ... The Patriots play in San Diego next Sunday night ... The Packers host Atlanta for Monday Night Football on Dec. 8.