Packers’ Crosby emotional week ends on high note

GREENBAY, WIS. (AP) >> Mason Crosby smiled as he left the field.

It was quite the week for the Green Bay Packers’ veteran kicker.

Crosby hit four field goals, including the winner from 27 yards as time expired to lift the Packers past the San Francisco 49ers 33- 30 on Monday night.

“This week was a grind, it was one of the tougher weeks of my career,” Crosby said.

It began with rare questions about Crosby’s reliability following four missed field goals and an extra-point try in a 31-23 loss in Detroit last week.

It ended with a perfect night against the 49ers. He also hit from 29, 39 and 51 yards, and made all three extra-point attempts.

“It’s very appropriate, what he went through last week, (for) the team to stick with him,” Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “And then he responded.”

The drive that led to Crosby’s winner was extended after cornerback Richard Sherman was flagged for illegal contact on thirdand-15 that wiped out a sack with 43 seconds left.

Rodgers rushed up the middle for a 21-yard gain on the next play. The twotime NFL MVP completed two more passes for 19 yards to set up Crosby’s winner for Green Bay (32-1).

“It doesn’t matter if you agree with the call. It’s not like, ‘ Oh, I didn’t agree with the call, they’re going to pick it up.’ They called it. I’ve got to find a way to do better,” Sherman said.

Other takeaways and key moments from the game:

CLUTCH RODGERS

Rodgers threw for 425 yards and two scores, both to Davante Adams. The second came with 1:55 left from 16 yards to tie it at 30.

The Packers didn’t waste a second chance to get into field- goal range after the penalty on Sherman.

After a spike to stop the clock with 19 seconds left following his 21-yard scramble to the Packers 45, Rodgers hit three straight passes to move Green Bay to the San Francisco 9. The receivers got out of bounds after each of play to buy more time.

“Just the time, and just really the menu (of plays) and the operation, that was a clinic,” coach Mike McCarthy said.

LATE PICK

C. J. Beathard passed for 245 yards and two long touchdowns to speedy receiver Marquise Goodwin for the 49ers (1- 5).

For a while it looked like they might hold on for their first victory since quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was lost for the year in Week 3 with a torn ACL.

Turnovers hurt them again — three more on Monday night, but none bigger than cornerback Kevin King’s interception of a deep pass down the middle at the Packers 10.

“Very disappointed. We had a chance to win that game,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “It hurts.”

A second- year cornerback, King was locked in 1- on-1 coverage with Goodwin, who had burned the secondary all night. This time, King kept up and pulled in a ball that looked slightly underthrown by Beathard.

King picked a nice time for his first career interception.

“I’ve just got to stay the course, keep doing your job, keep it going, and those types of plays are going to come,” King said.