It wasn’t always nice, but the Green Bay Packers came away with a victory in football on Saturday night. Aaron Rodgers had one of his least effective games of the year, averaging just 4.9 yards per try, and the offense as a whole sank after the break, but Green Bay eventually remained for a 24-game winning streak. -16 over the Carolina Panthers.
The Packers nearly brought a two-digit advantage in the second half, allowing the Panthers to score on three of the first four units after the break. Carolina even had a chance to drive for the tie, with 55 seconds left after her own Packers failed to make a first down, but the defense managed to get a stop before Teddy Bridgewater could build his way to the end zone.
The win improved the Packers record to 11-3, while lowering Carolina to just 4-10. The NFC North champions remain in first place at the conference and have the opportunity to secure their home advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, if they can do business in each of the next two weeks.
Why the Packers won
Their hot start was too much to overcome. The Packers scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives, and that was all they needed for victory. Aaron Jones started things off with a 46-yard run that set up a possible short touchdown catch by Robert Tonyan. Jones kept things going for the rest of the first half, bringing the Packers to the red zone to set up a short touchdown. run by Rodgers, then finding himself the final zone on the team’s third unit. It didn’t matter much that Green Bay then took five consecutive possessions. An early 21-3 lead essentially pushed the game away, even though it eventually got a little closer.
Why they lost the Panthers
They simply made everything too hard for themselves. Curtis Samuel had two drops. Teddy Bridgewater searched and took three bags. The defense was destroyed by Aaron Jones several times in the first half. All of these things combined to put the Panthers in an early hole and eventually it was too deep for them to get out of their offensive style, which emphasizes short, fast passes and doesn’t create much. large pieces. Beyond an early 37-meter finish for DJ Moore with a jump ball on the sideline, the Panthers had no game gain of more than 16 meters until Moore snatched a 40-meter catch just before the warning. minute in the fourth. (Matt Rhule also made some questionable decisions to hit targets when he could and probably should have tried touchdowns.)
Highlight the game
This was the escape that started the attack from the beginning of the game for the Packers.
Carolina stacked the box to stop the race on the third and 1st, but a simple jump from Aaron Jones allowed him to pass through a single open hole in the line and escape 46 meters down the field. Green Bay entered the final a few tracks later, preparing the stage for victory.
Turning point
In the middle of the second quarter, the Panthers were 14-3 behind. They enrolled the ball on the field, turning even a fourth and 1 on the 13-yard Green Bay line. At the first and goal from the Packers ‘1 yard line, Teddy Bridgewater tried to get a page out of his former teammate Drew Brees’ book. It didn’t work so well.
Krys Barnes, the packers’ defender, met Bridgewater at the top of the pile and took the ball out of QB’s hands before he could touch it over the goal line. Kevin King picked him up and returned him to the 47-meter Panthers line. Seven plays later, Aaron Jones woke up in the final zone and, instead of going 14-10, the Panthers went down 21-3. And that was all he wrote.
What’s next
The Packers are now 11-3 and will maintain their top spot in NFC North and NFC in general, no matter what happens on Sunday. Their two remaining games are at home against the Titans (December 27, Sunday Night Football) and on the road against the Bears. He controls his own destiny, so winning both will ensure the home ground throughout the NFC playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Panthers lower their record to 4-10. For now, they have the fourth worst record in the NFL, although on Sunday they could be tied with the Falcons, Texans and / or Cowboys. It is heading towards a top 10 selection in the project; the only question is exactly where it will land. Their two remaining games are on their way to Washington and then home against the Saints.
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