Big road win over MN .... Back on track.
The Green Bay Packers needed to respond.
With the stadium energized by a scoring drive from the Minnesota Vikings, cutting the lead to 6 late in the third quarter, the Packers found themselves at another crossroads in a season that, after three straight losses, had taken on a different tone.
On third-and-6, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was flushed to his left. He slung a pass deep down the left sideline toward receiver James Jones, the ball floating up and over the head of cornerback Xavier Rhodes.
Jones bobbled the ball, and it popped into the air, but he gathered himself and caught the pass while falling to the ground for a 37-yard gain.
Later on the drive, Rodgers rolled to his right after seeing nothing open on the left side. He rifled a pass toward the back of the end zone, toward Jones, toward a touchdown that helped clinch a crucial division win.
Jones, falling out of bounds, tapped both feet as Rhodes played the role of observer. Hands steady and feet precise, Jones hauled in an invaluable touchdown.
Call it The James Jones Drive.
His two catches on the possession — he also secured the 2-point conversion — catapulted the Packers to a 30-13 win that will go a long way toward restoring the team's confidence. A steady performance on offense, including a 100-yard day from running back Eddie Lacy, and a ruthless performance on defense, inclluding six sacks, righted the ship and secured an important victory in the context of the NFC North race.
The Packers and Vikings are now tied atop the division with a 7-3 victory, with Green Bay holding the tiebreaker for the moment.
Player of the Game: James Jones. Blanketed for four quarters against the Detroit Lions — cornerback Darius Slay did not allow a single catch — Jones responded with a terrific outing that featured plenty of clutch, difficult receptions. He finished with six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown to top 100 for the first time since Sept. 28
Turning point: Holding a 9-6 lead in a fairly stagnant game, the Packers mounted a crucial scoring drive late in the first half that changed the momentum. On third-and-15 from their own 15-yard line, the Packers lined up with four receivers and one tight end all split out wide across the formation. Rodgers rolled to his right and heaved the ball deep toward speedster Jeff Janis, who was covered by the 37-year-old Terence Newman. The play resulted in an enormous 50-yard penalty for the Packers, who continued their drive at the 35-yard line of the Vikings. Seven plays later, with just :06 remaining in the half, Rodgers connected with receiver Randall Cobb for a 10-yard touchdown that gave the Packers a double-digit lead. If the Vikings wanted to win, they’d have to come from behind. A field goal from Mason Crosby on the first possession of the second half extended the lead to 19-6.
Big number: 45 — Rushing yards for Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. The Packers prevented Peterson, who averaged better than 150 yards against them over his last four games, from breaking anything more than an 11-yard burst.
What went right: Of the many encouraging trends for the Packers on Sunday, the revival of a dormant pass rush might have been the most important. Mired in a sack-less slump for the last three games, the Packers pursued quarterback Teddy Bridgewater relentlessly and even knocked him from the game temporarily. Julius Peppers, Mike Daniels and Datone Jones, among others, unleashed a number of crunching hits that left the second-year quarterback slow to get up on more than one occasion. In total, the Packers finished with six sacks erasing 48 yards. Offensively, the Packers benefitted tremendously from a resurgent performance by tailback Eddie Lacy. After missing last week’s game against the Detroit Lions due to a groin injury, Lacy responded with churning runs that dragged defenders in vintage fashion. He finished with 100 yards on 22 carries in what was arguably his most impactful game of the season.
What went wrong: Not a lot. This was a sound overall performance from a team that was exposed on both sides of the ball in recent weeks. The Packers’ offense, maligned ever since a win over the San Diego Chargers, was balanced with run and pass. The defense, sliced up by the Chargers, Broncos and Panthers in quick succession, dominated the line of scrimmage and controlled arguably the best running back in the league. About the only significant flaw was poor coverage of tight end Kyle Rudolph, who made six catches for 106 yards and scored a touchdown. The Packers have struggled against opposing tight ends several times this year.
The Green Bay Packers needed to respond.
With the stadium energized by a scoring drive from the Minnesota Vikings, cutting the lead to 6 late in the third quarter, the Packers found themselves at another crossroads in a season that, after three straight losses, had taken on a different tone.
On third-and-6, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was flushed to his left. He slung a pass deep down the left sideline toward receiver James Jones, the ball floating up and over the head of cornerback Xavier Rhodes.
Jones bobbled the ball, and it popped into the air, but he gathered himself and caught the pass while falling to the ground for a 37-yard gain.
Later on the drive, Rodgers rolled to his right after seeing nothing open on the left side. He rifled a pass toward the back of the end zone, toward Jones, toward a touchdown that helped clinch a crucial division win.
Jones, falling out of bounds, tapped both feet as Rhodes played the role of observer. Hands steady and feet precise, Jones hauled in an invaluable touchdown.
Call it The James Jones Drive.
His two catches on the possession — he also secured the 2-point conversion — catapulted the Packers to a 30-13 win that will go a long way toward restoring the team's confidence. A steady performance on offense, including a 100-yard day from running back Eddie Lacy, and a ruthless performance on defense, inclluding six sacks, righted the ship and secured an important victory in the context of the NFC North race.
The Packers and Vikings are now tied atop the division with a 7-3 victory, with Green Bay holding the tiebreaker for the moment.
Player of the Game: James Jones. Blanketed for four quarters against the Detroit Lions — cornerback Darius Slay did not allow a single catch — Jones responded with a terrific outing that featured plenty of clutch, difficult receptions. He finished with six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown to top 100 for the first time since Sept. 28
Turning point: Holding a 9-6 lead in a fairly stagnant game, the Packers mounted a crucial scoring drive late in the first half that changed the momentum. On third-and-15 from their own 15-yard line, the Packers lined up with four receivers and one tight end all split out wide across the formation. Rodgers rolled to his right and heaved the ball deep toward speedster Jeff Janis, who was covered by the 37-year-old Terence Newman. The play resulted in an enormous 50-yard penalty for the Packers, who continued their drive at the 35-yard line of the Vikings. Seven plays later, with just :06 remaining in the half, Rodgers connected with receiver Randall Cobb for a 10-yard touchdown that gave the Packers a double-digit lead. If the Vikings wanted to win, they’d have to come from behind. A field goal from Mason Crosby on the first possession of the second half extended the lead to 19-6.
Big number: 45 — Rushing yards for Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. The Packers prevented Peterson, who averaged better than 150 yards against them over his last four games, from breaking anything more than an 11-yard burst.
What went right: Of the many encouraging trends for the Packers on Sunday, the revival of a dormant pass rush might have been the most important. Mired in a sack-less slump for the last three games, the Packers pursued quarterback Teddy Bridgewater relentlessly and even knocked him from the game temporarily. Julius Peppers, Mike Daniels and Datone Jones, among others, unleashed a number of crunching hits that left the second-year quarterback slow to get up on more than one occasion. In total, the Packers finished with six sacks erasing 48 yards. Offensively, the Packers benefitted tremendously from a resurgent performance by tailback Eddie Lacy. After missing last week’s game against the Detroit Lions due to a groin injury, Lacy responded with churning runs that dragged defenders in vintage fashion. He finished with 100 yards on 22 carries in what was arguably his most impactful game of the season.
What went wrong: Not a lot. This was a sound overall performance from a team that was exposed on both sides of the ball in recent weeks. The Packers’ offense, maligned ever since a win over the San Diego Chargers, was balanced with run and pass. The defense, sliced up by the Chargers, Broncos and Panthers in quick succession, dominated the line of scrimmage and controlled arguably the best running back in the league. About the only significant flaw was poor coverage of tight end Kyle Rudolph, who made six catches for 106 yards and scored a touchdown. The Packers have struggled against opposing tight ends several times this year.
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