The Green Bay Packers intercepted 20 passes during the 2019 season but failed to return a single one for a touchdown.
The Packers haven’t produced an interception return for a touchdown since late in the 2018 season, and it came from an unlikely player who only made a brief appearance in Green bay.
The last Packers’ interception return for a touchdown: Bashaud Breeland’s 22-yard return for a touchdown off a pass from Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan during Week 14 of the 2018 season.
Breeland interception, his second with the Packers, gave Green Bay a 17-7 lead and helped propel the Packers to a 34-20 victory at Lambeau Field on Dec. 9, 2018.
Here’s video of the play:
.@Bree2Land6 takes the INT to the HOUSE! #ATLvsGB #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/pbP3uT0mqQ
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 9, 2018
Breeland jumped the out-breaking route, caught Ryan’s poorly thrown pass in stride near the sideline and ran into the end zone untouched for the score, prompting an obligatory Lambeau Leap.
Breeland landed in Green Bay after an unfortunate injury situation and played only seven games with the Packers during the 2018 season. In 2019, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and eventually started in the Super Bowl.
After intercepting three passes for touchdowns during the 2014 season, the Packers have produced just four pick-sixes over the last five years. Quinten Rollins and Damarious Randall both had one in 2015, and Randall added another in 2017.
The Packers had an incredible streak of 17 straight seasons (1996-2012) with at least one interception return for a touchdown. They’ve produced a pick-six during just four of the last seven seasons.
Ascending young cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Kevin King and speedy safety Darnell Savage figure to be the Packers’ top candidates to find the end zone off of an interception during the 2020 season.
