On September 30, 2007 against the
Minnesota Vikings he became the first Packers punter to rush for a first down since
David Beverly did so against the
Houston Oilers on December 14, 1980.
[5] His rush attempt that resulted in a gain of 7 yards came on a fake punt that was originally intended to be a pass, however, he did not hear the coaches call it off at the last minute.
[6] He ran with the ball when he realized he had no one to throw to and ran into several of his blockers in the process because they did not know he was running with the ball.
On December 23, 2007 Ryan had two of his punts blocked by the
Chicago Bears, including one that was returned for a touchdown. He also had a nine yard punt during the game and bobbled a snap on another that lead to a turnover on downs. Before this, the Packers went 929 punts without a blocked punt, dating back to September 11, 1995.
On December 30, 2007 during a 34-13 victory over the Detroit Lions, Ryan kicked a 72-yard punt in the fourth quarter, the longest punt at Lambeau Field since
Don Chandler's 90 yard punt in 1965.
[7][8] The punt tied for the second longest in franchise history - set by
Sean Landeta September 20, 1998 at Cincinnati.
[9]
During the 2007 season, Ryan posted a net average of 37.6 yards, 12th in the NFL and the finest in Green Bay since 1969. His gross mark of 44.4 was the fourth-best in club history.
[10]
Ryan was released by the Packers on September 1, 2008, a move that was considered by many Packer fans to be a mistake and bewildering as Ryan boasted the best punting statistics the team had seen in years.
[11]