Upon Further Review: Packers overcome quiet second half, stack up another victory
Saturday’s 24-16 win over the Carolina Panthers certainly was not the Green Bay Packers’ most complete performance.
The Packers (11-3) raced to a 21-3 halftime lead over the Panthers. Aaron Rodgers delivered Robert Tonyan’s 10th touchdown reception of the season then dashed in for a six-yard scoring scamper on Green Bay’s first two drives of the game.
Green Bay rookie linebacker Krys Barnes forced Carolina quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to fumble, Kevin King scooped it and returned it to the Panthers’ 47-yard line and Aaron Jones scored on one of the easiest touchdown runs ever a few plays later. Everything was sunshine and rainbows for the Cheeseheads.
Packers Coverage
Then the second half started and with it came an anemic Packers offense and a heck of a lot more fight from the Panthers (4-10). Green Bay had five drives in the second half (not counting the kneel down series) and of those five, all but one ended with a punt. Those drives resulted in only 55 yards and its one scoring drive was not exactly elegant, since it featured a third-down sack from Carolina defensive end Efe Obada that lost the Packers eight yards and forced a 51-yard field goal attempt from Mason Crosby. It was one of five sacks for the Panthers.
Thankfully for the Packers and the general well-being of their fanbase, Crosby sent it through the uprights and Green Bay went up 24-13 with 3:39 left on the clock. That put the Panthers down by two scores and finally quelled their resurgence in the second half.
Rodgers went 20 of 29 for 143 yards and his touchdown pass to Tonyan was his 40th of the season, which made him the first quarterback in NFL history to have three seasons with at least 40 touchdown passes. Jones went off for 145 rushing yards, Allen Lazard led all Packers receivers with five catches for 56 yards and Davante Adams hauled in seven catches for 42 yards.
Green Bay’s defense was not perfect either, but it got three sacks, forced four punts and held Carolina to its lowest point total of the season.
This was a classic trap game for the Packers. The Panthers are a well-coached team with a capable quarterback and some talented weapons and Green Bay caught them sandwiched between a division game and a primetime matchup against the Tennessee Titans. There will be plenty to critique on film but a win is a win and it kept the Packers on the inside track to the No. 1 seed.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Jones made his presence felt, especially in the first half.
He exploded through the line for a 46-yard burst on the Packers’ first drive of the night and punched in his eighth rushing touchdown of the season in the second quarter.
Jones’ 145 rushing yards is the most he’s recorded in a game since Week 2 against the Detroit Lions when he finished with 168 yards and two scores on the ground.
SHOWTYME@Showtyme_33 already with 114 rushing yards 😳
Via @packers
— FOX Sports Wisconsin (@fswisconsin) December 20, 2020
DON’T FORGET ABOUT ME
Barnes really stood out on Saturday. Not only did he make the play of the game by forcing Bridgewater to fumble at the goal line, his six tackles were second-most on the Packers.
Barnes’ other great play from this game was when he wrecked a screen pass to Carolina running back Mike Davis early in the third quarter. He diagnosed the screen immediately, tracked Davis down and dropped him for a six yard loss. Not bad for a rook.
Krys Barnes blew it up 🔥 @KrysBarnes @packers
📺 #CARvsGB on @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/zRM1PnH4yD
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 20, 2020
THAT MOMENT
Bridgewater’s fumble at the one-yard line on a quarterback sneak in the second quarter completely changed the course of the game. With 7:39 left until halftime, Bridgewater jumped up and tried to stretch the ball over the goal line but it was knocked out by Barnes.
King then picked up the ball and returned it all the way to Carolina’s 47-yard line. The Packers punched it into the end zone on their ensuing drive and it was 21-3 just like that.
If the Panthers had scored it would have been 14-10 at that point, and with the way both teams played in the second half, it very well could have been the difference in the game.
Ya gotta be quicker than that!#GoPackGo
Via @thecheckdown
— FOX Sports Wisconsin (@fswisconsin) December 20, 2020
THIS NUMBER
16 – Crosby has made 16 field goals this season. He has attempted 16 field goals. The Packers’ marksman is one of two kickers (Seattle’s Jason Myers) to make 100% of their kicks (min. 10+ attempts). Even more impressive is that Crosby has made all four of his kicks from 50 yards or more, including last weeks’ 57-yard boot against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter.
Mason Crosby is
A👏U👏T👏O👏M👏A👏T👏I👏C
Via @packers
— FOX Sports Wisconsin (@fswisconsin) December 20, 2020
THEY SAID IT
“I’m a Sagittarius. December football is definitely, it’s when it’s time to turn it up.” – Jones.
“We just know that type of football in the second half is not gonna get it done in the playoffs.” -Rodgers.
“It definitely there was more pressure on our quarterback tonight than we’ve seen probably since the Tampa Bay game. It seemed like once it started to snowball, we could just never get out of the rut.” – Packers head coach Matt LaFleur on Rodgers getting sacked five times.
“This is the time in the season where you want to start playing your best ball leading into the playoffs, getting that momentum into the playoffs and being stout on defense. Because that’s what matters a lot at the end of the season, playoff time, how your defense is playing.” – Packers safety Adrian Amos.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Packers will stay at Lambeau Field for a highly-anticipated game against the Titans on Sunday Night Football. Tennessee (9-4) leads the AFC South and will likely need a win over Green Bay to stay atop the division. Should be a fun matchup.
