{image1} Brett Favre might have said it best after learning the Packers had made the playoffs: "I find it hard to crack a smile and say we're in the playoffs."

The reason Favre and the Packers weren't celebrating is they lost, 28-25, to the Jacksonville Jaguars before a disappointed crowd of 70,437 at Lambeau Field.

It was yet another sloppy performance by the Packers, who turned the ball over five times, committed 12 penalties for 101 yards and made mental mistakes.

"I think anyone who watched the game knows what cost us -- turnovers, penalties, mistakes," Favre said. "I was amazed we were still in the game. Give Jacksonville credit. They made less mistakes than we did and that was the difference. But, it's stuff that shouldn't happen from our standpoint."

So, how did the Packers make the playoffs on a day they stunk up the field? The Cowboys, Giants, Lions and Panthers all lost, thus eliminating themselves in the mediocre NFC.

The Packers still need to win at Minnesota Friday to win the NFC North. If they lose, the Vikings will win the division and the Pack will go into the playoffs as a wild card team.

"Somebody told me we were in the playoffs before I came in here," Favre said in the post-game media conference. "I don't know how much that says about us or how much about the other teams. It's not about who we play. It is about what we do. If we correct what we do and play up to our standards, I like our chances, but that wasn't the case today."

Jacksonville, fighting for a playoff spot in the AFC, got good games from Fred Taylor, who gained 165 yards on 22 carries, Jimmy Smith, who caught four passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns, and cornerback Rashean Mathis, who had two interceptions.

But, the Packers were taking most of the blame for their loss. "When you have opportunities to win the game and you don't, it's frustrating," coach Mike Sherman said. "We are down in the red zone on three occasions and don't take advantage of the points. Defensively, we let them have two big runs on us, that was frustrating, and the penalties are frustrating because they have been talked to and scolded during the course of this week on what we can't do."

Players of the Game

Taylor gets the main honor for his explosive running. Mathis deserves the defensive honor for his two interceptions.

For the Packers, Javon Walker gets the honor after catching 11 passes for 152 yards. Favre completed 30 of 44 passes for two touchdowns, but also deserves at least one goat horn for his three interceptions.

Plays of the Game

Greg Jones' one-yard touchdown run on a fourth and goal in the fourth quarter turned out to be a huge gamble that paid off for the Jaguars. It gave Jacksonville a 28-17 lead and turned out to be the difference after Favre led the Packers to a late TD.

Favre's three interceptions hurt the Packers. The 12 penalties by the Packers, especially the defensive holding and pass interception infractions on the secondary were killers.

After the Packers scored late, they tried an onsides kick that was grabbed by the Jaguars. If the Packers had recovered the ball, they might have had a chance.

A cheap clothesline shot by Donovan Darius on Robert Ferguson sent the Packers' wide receiver to the hospital and earned Darius an ejection.

On the plus side for the Packers, Darren Sharper pulled off a heads-up play in the second quarter, when Jacksonville quarterback Byron Leftwich fumbled, on what the Jaguars thought was an incomplete pass.

Lineman Vince Manuwai casually picked up the ball, but Sharper, realizing the whistle had not blown, took the ball from the dumbfounded 312-pounder and ran 15 yards for a touchdown. The Jags challenged the play, but it stood as a fumble recovery and TD.

Goats of the Game

Darius deserves the biggest set of horns for his cheap shot on Ferguson, who didn't have feeling in his legs when he was taken from the field. He did have the feeling back and was doing better in the hospital.

Ahman Green gets a set of horns for two fumbles. Favre gets one horn for his three picks.

"I only have to look in the mirror," Favre said. "That interception I threw on the one yard line was a bad, bad play. I hope I never throw one like that again."

Each member of the Green Bay secondary also gets horns for their penalties and inability to stay with Smith and other receivers.

Next Week

The Packers go to the Metrodome for a match-up between two 8-6 teams that don't really deserve to be champs of any division. The Vikes moved to 8-6 Sunday only after the Lions muffed an extra point in the closing seconds that would have tied their game at 28-28.

Favre and the Packers have struggled overall in the Dome, but they did get a win there last season. Neither the Vikings nor the Packers can stop many teams on defense, but Daunte Culpepper will probably throw the ball 50 times. So, the Packers' porous secondary will be challenged.

"Our mission, our goal is to win the division, and that is still out there," Sherman said. "That is what we are working toward. We certainly didn't help ourselves today, but we still have to go through Minneapolis to do it."

Because of the Christmas holiday, look for the next On the Pack on Monday, Dec. 27. It will review the Packers-Vikings game and preview the regular season finale against the Bear in Chicago.