GREEN BAY, Wis. — Down to rookie Bailey Zappe — their third and final quarterback — the New England Patriots took the Green Bay Packers to the end of overtime before falling 27-24 at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
The Patriots improbably had a chance to win in overtime, stopping quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the opening possession and taking over at their 49-yard line.
But they went three-and-out and Rodgers drove the Packers 12 plays, from their own 10-yard line, to set up Mason Crosby‘s 31-yard winning field goal with the clock hitting zero.
Veteran Patriots backup Brian Hoyer, who started in place of the injured Mac Jones, was knocked out on the second series after taking a hard hit on a sack. Hoyer was evaluated for a head injury, and at the start of the second quarter, the team announced he wouldn’t return.
Zappe, the fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky, took over for Hoyer. He finished 10-of-15 for 99 yards, with one touchdown, and was sacked three times.
The scoring pass was a 25-yarder to DeVante Parker in the third quarter and was the first TD pass by a rookie in the NFL this season.
On the play Hoyer was injured, Packers linebacker Rashan Gary surged off the edge against right tackle Isaiah Wynn and barreled into the 36-year-old QB.
Hoyer went into the pop-up blue medical tent on the sideline and, after about five minutes, emerged from the tent and walked to the locker room for further evaluation.
Hoyer had directed a 10-play, 56-yard opening drive that culminated in a 37-yard field goal to give the Patriots an early 3-0 lead.
He was playing in place of Jones, who suffered a high left ankle sprain at the end of a Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Patriots don’t have any other quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. One of their emergency options, receiver Jakobi Meyers, was inactive Sunday because of a knee injury.
Hoyer wasn’t the only Patriots player to leave the game because of an injury, as tight end Jonnu Smith limped off late in the second quarter and went to the locker room for evaluation. He was ruled out with an ankle injury in the third quarter.
Also Sunday, Packers safety Adrian Amos was ruled out in the first half with a concussion.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.