Preview: No. 1 seed on the mind as Packers host Panthers
The Green Bay Packers’ path to the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs is straightforward.
Win their final three regular-season games, and the Packers (10-3) have the opportunity to earn a Super Bowl berth without leaving Lambeau Field. That’s a tantalizing possibility for a franchise that has lost on the road in three of the past six NFC championship games.
The conference’s top seed only has to win two playoff games at home to make it to the Super Bowl. The Packers, who already have clinched the NFC North title, will try to take one more step toward earning that No. 1 seed when they host the slumping Carolina Panthers (4-9) on Saturday night.
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“Winning two football games at home and then playing in the Super Bowl, that’s crystal clear,” Packers wide receiver Davante Adams said. “That’s kind of the message we’ve had for the past week or two.”
The Packers follow up the Carolina game by hosting Tennessee (9-4) and visiting Chicago (6-7). The Packers and Saints (10-3) share the same record, but Green Bay owns a tiebreaker advantage after winning at New Orleans on Sept. 27.
Green Bay has won three straight thanks in part to the potent passing combination of Adams and Aaron Rodgers. Adams has 14 touchdown catches to tie Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill for first place among all NFL players. Rodgers has thrown an NFL-leading 39 touchdown passes.
Rodgers’ play has impressed Panthers coach Matt Rhule, who remembers watching tape of the two-time MVP while working as a New York Giants assistant offensive line coach in 2012. Rhule says Rodgers has the same physical skills now that he possessed then.
“He hasn’t aged,” Rhule said. “He’s unbelievable.”
Rodgers will be facing a Carolina defense that has struggled lately against lesser quarterbacks as the Panthers have dropped six of their past seven games.
The Panthers are coming off a 32-27 loss to Denver in which they allowed Drew Lock to throw for 280 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Two weeks earlier, Carolina fell 28-27 to Minnesota as Kirk Cousins threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns without getting picked off.
CAROLINA’S CLOSE CALLS
Three of the Panthers’ past four losses have been decided by a total of eight points. In seven of Carolina’s losses, the Panthers had the ball late in the fourth quarter with a chance to win or send the game into overtime.
“It’s definitely a hump that we want to get over,” Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said. “We are capable of getting over it, but we have to execute when that situation comes. And that starts with me being better in those situations.”
MVP TIMES THREE?
Rodgers’ big season has raised hope that he could earn a third MVP honor after previously winning the award in 2011 and 2014. Rodgers and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes are considered top contenders.
“There’s not many guys that have won three, so that would definitely mean a lot,” Rodgers said. “I feel like I’ve been in the conversation, you know, a number of years outside of the two that I’ve won. We’re talking about in ’12 when A.P. (Adrian Peterson) went nuts against us in the last game of the year. I had a pretty good year that year. Obviously in ’16 we made a run and led the league in passing touchdowns. Didn’t really get a sniff for some reason that year. But, you know, I definitely felt like I was in the conversation. You know, it’s nice to be back in the conversation.”
Tom Brady earned his third MVP honor in 2017. Peyton Manning holds the record with five MVP selections.
ADAMS’ STREAK
Adams has caught a touchdown pass in eight straight games. Only two players in the Super Bowl era have longer such streaks within the same season.
Hall of Famer Jerry Rice had a touchdown catch in 12 straight games in 1987. Cincinnati’s A.J. Green caught a touchdown pass in nine consecutive games in 2012.
MOORE TO RETURN
While Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (thigh) is expected to miss his 11th game this season because of injury, wide receiver D.J. Moore should return this week after missing the Broncos game while on the COVID-19/reserve list.
Moore had also injured his ankle late in a Week 14 loss, but Rhule said he should be fine. Moore has 50 catches for 924 yards and four touchdowns this season.
STRUGGLING SPECIAL TEAMS
The Packers will try to avoid the special-teams breakdowns that have hampered them lately.
In its past two games, Green Bay has allowed a 73-yard touchdown punt return to Philadelphia’s Jalen Reagor and a 71-yard kickoff return to Detroit’s Jamal Agnew. Earlier this season, Green Bay gave up a touchdown on a 91-yard punt return to Jacksonville’s Keelan Cole.
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CAROLINA (4-9) at GREEN BAY (10-3)
Saturday, 8:15 p.m. EST, NFL Network
OPENING LINE — Packers by 9 ½
RECORD VS. SPREAD — Panthers 7-6, Packers 8-5
SERIES RECORD — Packers lead 10-6
LAST MEETING — Packers beat Panthers 24-16 in Green Bay on Nov. 10, 2019
LAST WEEK — Panthers lost to Denver, 33-27; Packers beat Detroit, 31-24
AP PRO32 RANKING — Panthers No. 25, Packers No. 2
PANTHERS OFFENSE — OVERALL (19), RUSH (20), PASS (15).
PANTHERS DEFENSE — OVERALL (21), RUSH (13T), PASS (23).
PACKERS OFFENSE — OVERALL (2), RUSH (10), PASS (4).
PACKERS DEFENSE — OVERALL (8), RUSH (11), PASS (12).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — The Panthers have lost seven of their last eight games. … Despite being eliminated from playoff contention, coach Matt Rhule says he will continue to play all healthy starters because he doesn’t think having a “tryout” during the season sends the right message to his players. … Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater has lost seven games this season when he’s had the ball in his hands with a chance to win or tie in the final four minutes. Bridgewater is 3-9 as the team’s starting QB. … RB Christian McCaffrey is expected to miss his 11th game this season with a thigh injury, Rhule said. … RB Mike Davis rushed for two touchdowns last week against Denver. … WR Robby Anderson needs 4 yards receiving to reach 1,000 on the season. … Carolina’s defense allowed Denver’s Drew Lock to throw for 280 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in a 32-27 loss to the Broncos last week. … Panthers S Jeremy Chinn leads all rookies with 91 tackles and has two fumble returns for touchdowns, a sack and forced fumble in the last two games. … Carolina has been penalized 84 times, tied for sixth in the league. … Green Bay has won three straight games. … Green Bay WR Davante Adams has caught a touchdown pass in eight straight games, the third-longest such streak within a single season in the Super Bowl era. Jerry Rice caught a touchdown pass in 12 straight games in 1987 and A.J. Green did it in nine straight games in 2012. … Adams missed two games with a hamstring injury this season, but he still has 14 touchdown catches to tie Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill for the NFL lead. … The Packers have clinched the NFC North title and share the NFC’s best record with New Orleans. The Packers own a tiebreaker advantage over the Saints after winning 37-30 at New Orleans on Sept. 27. … Green Bay has scored an NFL-leading 31.5 points per game. … The Packers also lead the league in average time of possession (33:02). … Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has an NFL-leading 39 touchdown passes this season. … Rodgers is the first quarterback in NFL history to throw at least 39 touchdown passes and fewer than five interceptions in the first 13 games of a season. … Packers TE Robert Tonyan has caught a touchdown pass in four straight games to increase his season total to nine. … The Packers have committed only nine turnovers to match Tennessee for the lowest total of any NFL team. … They have 14 sacks over their last three games. … K Mason Crosby has made 17 straight field-goal attempts over the last two seasons. He’s 15 of 15 this season and made a 57-yarder against Detroit. He has missed three extra-point attempts. … Fantasy tip: Carolina allowed Lock and K.J. Hamler to connect on touchdown passes of 37 and 49 yards last week. The Panthers’ issues in the secondary could result in a big night for Marquez Valdes-Scantling, whose speed makes him a dangerous deep threat.
