For a quarterback as talented Aaron Rodgers, the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player, truly puzzling decisions are few and far between. He operates at such a high level on offense, changing plays and manipulating defenses with his cadence, that you often feel as if he controls the entire game.
But on second and 9 from the 15-yard line, with 2:44 remaining in a game his team led by 10, Rodgers made a strange choice. He threw the football at a time when running out the clock seemed advisable. He flung a pass toward two defenders, and cornerback David Amerson made an easy interception.
Fortunately for Rodgers and the Packers, their second-half comeback was already complete. A lightning-quick touchdown in the third quarter, which answered an impressive 81-yard march by the Oakland Raiders, reclaimed the lead. Two more scoring drives secured a victory through field goals by Mason Crosby.
A game that began swiftly — a 14-0 lead after two interceptions by Derek Carr — teetered momentarily in the third quarter until Rodgers and the offense jolted to life. They needed just three plays to cover 53 yards after a terrific kickoff by Jeff Janis, surging in front of the Raiders just 62 seconds after the home team had taken its first lead.
The Raiders never led again. The Packers held on, 30-20, and improved their record to 10-4.
Player of the Game: James Jones. The production from Jones, 31, could best be described as erratic this season. His last seven games entering Sunday have looked like this: 2 yards, 57 yards, 0 yards, 109 yards, 0 yards, 19 yards, 49 yards. But Jones was close to his best Sunday, catching six balls for 82 yards and scoring a crucial touchdown to give the Packers a second-half lead. With sure hands and veteran savvy along the sideline, Jones kept the passing game afloat at times.
Turning point: The Raiders surged in front on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Amari Cooper near the midway point of the third quarter. But a significant swing in momentum was answered immediately by the Packers, who began their next drive with excellent field position after a 47-yard kickoff return by Jeff Janis. The offense covered 53 yards in three plays — all completions by Aaron Rodgers — and reached the end zone on what appeared to be a blown coverage by the Raiders. Wideout James Jones broke free down the right sideline and caught an easy 30-yard touchdown from Rodgers. The quick-strike drive put the Packers in front, 24-20, and they did not relinquish the lead.
Big number: 120 — Receiving yards for rookie Amari Cooper, a first-round pick by the Raiders, who took advantage of the absence of veteran Sam Shields (concussion) and overwhelmed Damarious Randall throughout the game.
What went right: The Packers had played solid defense for the majority of their last five games, clamping down on opposing receivers and proving stout enough against the run. But there are times when this unit struggles to generate takeaways, and that certainly changed Sunday. The Packers intercepted Carr twice in the first quarter and turned those plays into 14 points, including a “pick six” by rookie Damarious Randall. Offensively, the passing game showed signs of percolation with multiple back-shoulder throws from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to veteran James Jones. Rodgers, who finished 22 of 39 for 204 yards and one touchdown, also made a number of timely conversions by scrambling to extend plays.
What went wrong: So many of the nagging problems for this offense, which entered Sunday ranked 18th in the National Football League, resurfaced on a drizzly afternoon in Oakland. There was a fumble by tailback James Starks, which led to a touchdown drive for the Raiders. There were multiple failed running plays on third-and-short, and Eddie Lacy was stifled twice for no gain. There were dropped passes, with wide receiver Davante Adams misplaying a ball in the end zone and Jeff Janis failing on third down inside the 5-yard line. On defense, where the Packers snagged two early interceptions of quarterback Derek Carr, rookie cornerback Damarious Randall struggled to contain Amari Cooper, another player in his first season. Cooper finished with six catches for 120 yards and twoS scores.
But on second and 9 from the 15-yard line, with 2:44 remaining in a game his team led by 10, Rodgers made a strange choice. He threw the football at a time when running out the clock seemed advisable. He flung a pass toward two defenders, and cornerback David Amerson made an easy interception.
Fortunately for Rodgers and the Packers, their second-half comeback was already complete. A lightning-quick touchdown in the third quarter, which answered an impressive 81-yard march by the Oakland Raiders, reclaimed the lead. Two more scoring drives secured a victory through field goals by Mason Crosby.
A game that began swiftly — a 14-0 lead after two interceptions by Derek Carr — teetered momentarily in the third quarter until Rodgers and the offense jolted to life. They needed just three plays to cover 53 yards after a terrific kickoff by Jeff Janis, surging in front of the Raiders just 62 seconds after the home team had taken its first lead.
The Raiders never led again. The Packers held on, 30-20, and improved their record to 10-4.
Player of the Game: James Jones. The production from Jones, 31, could best be described as erratic this season. His last seven games entering Sunday have looked like this: 2 yards, 57 yards, 0 yards, 109 yards, 0 yards, 19 yards, 49 yards. But Jones was close to his best Sunday, catching six balls for 82 yards and scoring a crucial touchdown to give the Packers a second-half lead. With sure hands and veteran savvy along the sideline, Jones kept the passing game afloat at times.
Turning point: The Raiders surged in front on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Amari Cooper near the midway point of the third quarter. But a significant swing in momentum was answered immediately by the Packers, who began their next drive with excellent field position after a 47-yard kickoff return by Jeff Janis. The offense covered 53 yards in three plays — all completions by Aaron Rodgers — and reached the end zone on what appeared to be a blown coverage by the Raiders. Wideout James Jones broke free down the right sideline and caught an easy 30-yard touchdown from Rodgers. The quick-strike drive put the Packers in front, 24-20, and they did not relinquish the lead.
Big number: 120 — Receiving yards for rookie Amari Cooper, a first-round pick by the Raiders, who took advantage of the absence of veteran Sam Shields (concussion) and overwhelmed Damarious Randall throughout the game.
What went right: The Packers had played solid defense for the majority of their last five games, clamping down on opposing receivers and proving stout enough against the run. But there are times when this unit struggles to generate takeaways, and that certainly changed Sunday. The Packers intercepted Carr twice in the first quarter and turned those plays into 14 points, including a “pick six” by rookie Damarious Randall. Offensively, the passing game showed signs of percolation with multiple back-shoulder throws from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to veteran James Jones. Rodgers, who finished 22 of 39 for 204 yards and one touchdown, also made a number of timely conversions by scrambling to extend plays.
What went wrong: So many of the nagging problems for this offense, which entered Sunday ranked 18th in the National Football League, resurfaced on a drizzly afternoon in Oakland. There was a fumble by tailback James Starks, which led to a touchdown drive for the Raiders. There were multiple failed running plays on third-and-short, and Eddie Lacy was stifled twice for no gain. There were dropped passes, with wide receiver Davante Adams misplaying a ball in the end zone and Jeff Janis failing on third down inside the 5-yard line. On defense, where the Packers snagged two early interceptions of quarterback Derek Carr, rookie cornerback Damarious Randall struggled to contain Amari Cooper, another player in his first season. Cooper finished with six catches for 120 yards and twoS scores.
