By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA

Green Bay’s defense forces three TOers; Jones, Adams score 3 TDs in 21-13 win

GREEN BAY, Wis. – If you’re conflicted by a Packers’ season that’s at once exhilarating and exasperating, here’s some advice: Don’t be.

It’s true that each week the Packers give hope to their foes, if not their fans, only to prevail in extraordinarily ordinary fashion.

The Packers’ 21-13 victory over the Bears Sunday at Lambeau Field is the most recent example.

The Bears had a chance to put a dent in the Packers’ season right up to the final play, an absurd impromptu recreation of “The Play” – the Cal-Stanford finale – minus the marching band.

“I think I blacked out there for a second,” Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said. “There were so many laterals. I couldn’t tell. I was just hoping that someone was going to make the tackle.”

As comical as its conclusion, the Bears came into the 200th game between these historic franchises as no joke.

Chicago (7-7) had won four of its last five, and Mitchell Trubisky was beginning to faintly resemble an asset, rather than a liability, to the offense. All the while, Chicago’s defense remained strong.

The Bears had hope; the Packers had doubters.

They had defeated the Giants, 31-13, and it was all about how they allowed an awful team to hang around into the fourth quarter. They beat the Redskins, 20-15, at Lambeau Field, and the five-point win elicited as much anxiety as enjoyment.

With all that noise, the Packers still outplayed the Bears on Sunday to sweep the season series.

It should be cause for celebration, and it is among most fans, but it also has triggered consternation.

It’s almost as if some Packers’ fans are hesitant to take that “Lambeau Leap” with this year’s team.

The question is why?

Clearly, the Packers’ margin of victory is less than eye-popping. Furthermore, the Aaron Rodgers-led offense isn’t nearly as explosive – at least in the passing game – as it has been.

Green Bay’s wins fail to elicit adjectives like “convincing” and “dominating” but rather “oh” and “kay.” The Packers have managed a neat trick: They somehow lower expectations while continuing to exceed them with each victory.

They are 11-3 and counting … but who’s counting? Or rather, should Green Bay be counted among the NFC’s best teams?

If you have to ask, you haven’t been paying attention.

Records don’t lie.

They don’t when it’s mid-December and the Packers are healthy, ascending and assured of a playoff berth.

The Cowboys’ 44-21 romp of the Rams Sunday afternoon, coupled with Green Bay’s win, clinched a postseason berth. The Falcons’ 29-22 upset of the 49ers should give Green Bay confidence if it earns a rematch in Santa Clara, California.
That’s “if” the 49ers are the No. 1 seed.

Right now, the Packers are the NFC’s No. 2 seed and rising.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has the most wins (10) in franchise history by a first-year head coach. LaFleur also is the inaugural first-year head coach to reach the playoffs.

The cynics, skeptics and critics have their reasons to see the Green Bay Packers’ 11-3 record as a mirage.

There’s a fair chance they’ll be wrong.

If the Packers’ identity is “winning ugly” so be it.

The difference between today’s Packers and the teams when Aaron Rodgers was a younger man is this: Now, we see the Packers holding a lead while their defense tries to seal it.

It’s the opposite of what we’re used to seeing: Rodgers rallying his team from a deficit with a magical performance. In that scenario, fans go away saying, “Whew! That was close, but Rodgers is amazing and our team can beat anyone.”

On Sunday, the Packers’ defense closed it out with a scrum.

Frankly, the fact that Rodgers was watching from the sideline, as opposed to being asked to perform miracles, is improvement.

“I think we have a bunch of guys that are going to fight for every inch out there and that are resilient and that care about each other,” LaFleur said. “What I love about this team is these guys have embraced their roles.”

They also have embraced winning.

LaFleur’s efforts to affect the football culture are paying dividends. The front office’s willingness to pay free agents – and to recruit free agents that fit here – is also reaping success.

The Packers appear to be rallying around the fact that their “less-than-impressive” wins disqualify them for playoff success.

“I love being 11-3,” Rodgers said. “I think the performance was a little up and down but I thought we did some really good things. We’ve just got to be a little bit more opportunistic when we have opportunities.”

Rodgers’ numbers were average.

He completed 16 of 33 passes for 203 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions and a 78.2 quarterback rating. He was sacked once, and came within two passes – a Marquez-Valdes Scantling drop and misfire to Jimmy Graham – of having a huge day.

There were some bright spots.

The offensive line was terrific. Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams were solid, certainly good enough to win.

Kenny Clark had two sacks and Rashan Gary added another. It was promising that Preston and Za’Darius Smith didn’t have to provide all of the Packers’ pass rush.

Furthermore, Dean Lowry had an excellent interception, and Tyler Ervin has solidified the return game.

The wins haven’t been pretty, but there’s no reason to apologize.

“I’m not going to walk out of here with my head down being 11-3,” Packers’ right tackle Bryan Bulaga said. “It’s just not going to happen. We haven’t been in this position in a while, being 11-3. While there’s a lot that we can improve on and get better at, 11-3 is a hell of a position to be in at this point of the season.”

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA

Green Bay’s defense stymies Washington with Guice sidelined, Haskins limping

GREEN BAY, Wis. –Let’s start with something the Packers’ media and fans should be able to agree upon: Green Bay hasn’t played its best game yet this season.
Not by a long shot.

Here’s the question: Are the Packers building toward it? Or is Green Bay merely edging closer to a nice season whose epitaph will read – 2019 Packers … Unrealized Potential … RIP?

The Packers’ fairly disappointing 20-15 win over the Redskins Sunday at Lambeau Field suggests the former, not the latter.

Green Bay (10-3) allowed a game-but-outgunned Washington (3-10) to hang around for the entire afternoon.

The Packers couldn’t administer the knock-out punch.

Not even close.

In fact, if Redskins’ quarterback Dwayne Hoskins isn’t limited by an ankle injury and running back Derrius Guice isn’t KO’d by a knee injury, the Packers easily could’ve lost.

Guice had five carries for 42 yards with a long run of 23 before leaving in the first half. Haskins got his left ankle rolled up on and limped around for 2 ½ quarters.

Bright spots were few.

Defensive tackle Kenny Clark was a beast on defense with three tackles, 1 ½ sacks and two quarterback hits. Safety Adrian Amos also stuffed the stat line with seven tackles, two passes defensed, one quarterback hit and a sack.

Blake Martinez (10 tackles, one pass defended) also was strong. B.J. Goodson had a season-high five tackles and safety Chandon Sullivan added four tackles.

Offensively, Aaron Jones was the show.

He rushed 16 times for 134 yards and a touchdown. He also caught six passes (seven targets) for 58 yards.

“Man, I was born in December,” he said. “I’m a Sagittarius. I’ve got a lot of juice left.”

Jones’ fourth-quarter catch essentially sealed the victory. Facing third-and-14 and clinging to an eight-point lead, Aaron Rodgers lofted a pass toward Jones, who corralled it for a 25-yard gain.

“That was pretty much the play of the game from an offensive standpoint,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “It was looking pretty grim right there. Another third-and-long situation and just an incredible throw, incredible catch by Aaron Jones.”

It set up Mason Crosby’s 33-yard field goal to make put the Packers up 20-9 with 2:34 to play. Haskins responded by hitting Terry McLaurin for a 13-yard score in the final minute.

The Packers know they have to play better, especially if they entertain any realistic chance of capturing the NFC title. With three NFC North games to close out the season, the Packers need to handle their business to fend off the Vikings (9-4).

They definitely need to play better.

“It was frustrating at times just not being able to get over that hump and put them away,” Rodgers said. “But it feels good to be 10-3.”

It also feels good to be the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

The 49ers (11-2) claimed the top spot after a 48-46 victory at New Orleans Sunday. The Packers (10-3) are the No. 2 seed and would have a first-round bye followed by a home game in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

The Saints (10-3), Cowboys (6-7), Seahawks (10-3) and Vikings (9-4) round out the top six.

The Packers have a tremendous opportunity ahead.

Now that they’ve got Jones and the running attack humming, they need to jump-start the passing attack.

“It might be ugly at times to maybe some folks, but we ran the ball today for 180 yards or so and got Aaron Jones going,” Rodgers said. “Different teams have thrown different things at us. I just think we need to be a little more consistent at times. I don’t think we had maybe the same type of flow after the first couple early drives with just the energy. We just missed on a couple things. We’ve got to clean some of that stuff up, but I wouldn’t mind winning ugly all the way to the Super Bowl.”

The Packers have made two roster moves that bear mention.

Tyler Ervin did more for the punt return game in a single afternoon than everyone else combined this season. Ervin had four punt returns for 51 yards for a 12.8 average.

The presence of veteran tackle Jared Veldheer also helps solidify the offensive line going forward.

However, the receivers need to step up.

Davante Adams had four catches for 41 yards. Allen Lazard had two catches for 19 yards. That was it from the receivers.

Jimmy Graham had a decent day with three catches for 49 yards, and Robert Tonyan added a 12-yard touchdown catch.

Otherwise, the Redskins’ defense beat up the Packers’ offense.

Now it’s three straight NFC North games to close out the Packers’ regular season. First up are the Chicago Bears (7-6) and a suddenly resurgent Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback. Chicago has won four of its last five games.

Then it’s on to Minnesota for a Monday, Dec. 23, match-up with the second-place Vikings, followed by a road game against the Lions to wrap it up.

Right tackle Bryan Bulaga knows they have to be better if they’re going to sew up the NFC North and hold onto the conference’s No. 2 seed.

If they don’t elevate their play it’s going to be tough.

“It’s definitely going to make it difficult to beat those (top) teams, let’s just put it that way,” Bulaga told reporters. “You go into division play – and we all know each other so well – we’re going to need to be better. And it starts this coming week with Chicago. We’re going to have to be better and perform better and just go back to work and clean things up.”

Hopefully, what emerges is a bright, shiny object otherwise known as the Packers playing their best football. It’s possible.

They’re 10-3 and they haven’t even played their best game yet.

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA

Green Bay’s defense gets three picks; Rodgers throws for four TDs Sunday

GREEN BAY, Wis. –Much of the media coverage reflected what a fair number of Green Bay fans were thinking: The Packers’ 31-13 victory over the Giants left a lot to be desired.

It might have been pretty from afar, but it was far from pretty, and so forth.

Naturally, fans would’ve preferred a 40-point blowout Sunday at snowy MetLife Stadium as opposed to the ho-hum 18-point win.

They would have liked to see Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams combine for 150 yards rushing and another 100 yards receiving. They would have enjoyed watching the defense dominate from start to finish while pitching a shutout.

Yet despite being the “hapless” and “lowly” Giants – the media’s description – the Packers didn’t make that happen.

Some say they let the Giants (2-10) hang around too long.

I get it.

It wasn’t until early in the fourth quarter that Green Bay (9-3) actually took control of the game, and then it wasn’t easy.

Aaron Rodgers kept a late third quarter drive alive by hitting Geronimo Allison for a 15-yard completion on fourth-and-10 at the Giants’ 35-yard line. Rodgers was going down under pressure when he released the perfectly placed dart.

Then, Rodgers hit Davante Adams for a 17-yard touchdown on third-and-goal while catching the Giants with 12 men on the field for a free play. Instead of settling for a Mason Crosby field goal and a seven-point lead it was 24-13 and a two-score game.

“We feel like we should win a game like that against that opponent,” Rodgers said. “They’ve been struggling this season. You still have to go out and execute. They get paid, too. There’s a lot of pride on that football team and a lot of good players.

“It was important for us to get a good road victory in a game that you all expect us to win, and that we expect to win.”

The Packers expected to win, but did they meet expectations? To be honest, I understand the criticism, but only to a point – the point being they won with something to build on going forward.

So here’s what the Packers didn’t do well:

** They didn’t defend the tight ends or the middle of the field particularly well. The Giants’ third-string tight end, Kaden Smith, hauled in six passes for 70 yards on eight targets. It makes me wonder what the 49ers’ George Kittle would’ve done … uh, never mind.

** They didn’t commit a turnover, but they did fumble twice, including once in the return game. Treman Smith is beginning to wear on my patience.

** They didn’t register a sack of the Giants’ Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley managed a total of 115 yards from scrimmage.

Obviously the Packers have work to do. To be fair, everyone knew that going into Sunday’s game. No one in their right mind could expect everything to be “fixed” in a single afternoon.

Now, let’s examine what the Packers did well in their so-called “get right” game:

** Rodgers reminded everyone that the Packers remain a “pass first, run second” offense in a pass-happy league. That’s not altogether a bad thing, especially when you have No. 12.

Rodgers completed 21 of 33 passes for 243 yards and four touchdowns for a 125.4 passer rating. He wasn’t sacked.

He embraced the snowy conditions while re-energizing the Packers’ occasionally dormant passing attack.

“I loved the conditions,” Rodgers said. “I admit I was a little worried that it might be more rain than snow. When those big flakes were falling down, I felt pretty good about our chances.”

The fact is everyone feels pretty good about the Packers’ chances, be it rain, sleet or snow, when Rodgers is on his game.

The plain truth is this: If the Packers are going to compete with and ultimately defeat the best teams in the playoffs, their greatest chance rides on Rodgers’ right arm.

When defenses fear Rodgers, they tend to lose sight of the Packers’ one-two punch of Jones and Williams. That’s when fans will see the running backs’ production soar.

** Rodgers re-established Davante Adams’ dominance in the red zone. Along the way, a solid No. 2 receiver emerged in Allen Lazard.

For his part, Adams looks more comfortable all time. He caught six passes (10 targets) for 64 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his touchdown grabs came in the red zone.

According to ESPN, Adams now has 29 touchdown catches in the red zone since 2016. That is tops in the NFL, ahead of the Saints’ Michael Thomas with 25 in the same span.

Lazard notched his first 100-yard receiving day.

He hauled in three passes (three targets) for 103 yards and a touchdown. Lazard’s 37-yard touchdown catch gave the Packers a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter.

Adams had 52 snaps, with Allison (42) and Lazard (37) divvying up the rest. Marquez Valdes-Scantling participated on just 18 snaps and didn’t have a catch.

The receiver’s pecking order is Adams and Lazard, with Allison, MVS and Jake Kumerow sharing the leftovers.

** The Packers made a concerted effort to get Jones and Williams the football. It produced so-so results, but it was a necessary step in the right direction.

Jones had 11 carries for 18 yards. He caught four passes for another 13 yards. Williams fared a bit better, rushing 10 times for 41 yards and adding four catches for another 26.

They combined for 59 yards rushing and 39 yards receiving on 29 touches. That’s only 3.4 yards per touch, but with increased frequency and execution the production will follow.

** The Packers’ Bryan Bulaga displayed a veteran’s toughness by handling 96 percent of the snaps less than a week after incurring a right knee injury.

Meantime, GM Brian Gutekunst didn’t sit idly by. He coaxed massive offensive tackle Jared Veldheer (6-8, 315) out of retirement and into a Packers’ uniform.

It’s a wise late-season insurance policy.

** Finally, while the Packers’ defense didn’t notch a shutout, it did hold the Giants to just 13 points while intercepting Jones three times. Darnell Savage, Kevin King and Tramon Williams each got one. The Packers are 8-0 when they force a turnover.

Za’Darius Smith also continued his rampage with five QB pressures. It gives him a league-high 47 on the season with no letup in sight.

No, the Packers weren’t perfect on Sunday, but they took several significant strides toward improving what ails them. They’ve got the Redskins on Sunday at Lambeau Field, another opportunity to build on the good and fix the bad.

In the words of former Kansas City Chiefs coach Herman Edwards, “You play to win the game.”

In the Packers’ case, it’s not just about playing to win the game from here on out. It’s also about how they play.

On Sunday, the good far outweighed the bad. And no, it wasn’t perfect, but it was a good step in the right direction.

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA

49ers’ pass rush, patient offense show Green Bay who’s boss in the NFC

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With the National Anthem still reverberating around Levi’s Stadium, and dusk closing in, the band should’ve queued up Taps especially for the Packers.

For the second time in three weeks, Green Bay’s substandard play merited a funeral dirge, this time in honor of the Packers’ 37-8 loss to the 49ers Sunday night in Santa Clara, Calif.

Green Bay’s west coast trips are as revealing as they are painful. The further the Packers travel, the farther they have to go, or so it seems after their most recent roughing up in California.

The 49ers (10-1) held onto the NFC’s top seed with the victory. The Packers (8-3) fell into a tie with Minnesota (8-3) atop the NFC North after the loss.

A dejected Matt LaFleur, who looked every bit the first-year head coach, acknowledged the obvious afterward.

“First of all give the 49ers a ton of credit,” LaFleur said. “That’s a pretty darn good football team. I’m disappointed with myself, with how we got out-coached and how we got out-played. It’s unacceptable. We’ve got to take a look at ourselves. We’ve got a lot to correct if we’re going to be the team we want to be.”

The Packers’ opening drive set the tone.

It ended with their first turnover in four games. Fred Warner got a strip-sack of Aaron Rodgers, and Nick Bosa recovered and returned it to the Green Bay 2. Tevin Coleman scored on the next play to give the 49ers a jarring 7-0 lead.

Then it got really ugly.

The Packers’ next four drives went like this:

** Geronimo Allison drops a pass on third-and-4. Punt.

** Rodgers fires incomplete to Jamaal Williams on third-and-9. He would’ve been short of the line to gain anyway. Punt.

** Allison is called for an illegal block in the back – a terrible call, by the way – which led to third-and-13. An incomplete pass ended the drive. Punt.

** After moving 52 yards in seven plays, LaFleur elected to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the San Francisco 28. Instead of slicing the 49ers’ lead to 10-3 with a field goal, the Packers ran Aaron Jones straight ahead and into DeForest Buckner for no gain.

They turned it over on downs and that was that.

You know it’s an awful night when the Packers’ best news was that right tackle Bryan Bulaga’s knee injury isn’t season-ending. Alex Light played ok, but it was an early blow nonetheless.

There are several similarities between this loss to the 49ers and the Packers’ 26-11 loss to the Chargers three weeks ago.

Both times the Packers either didn’t try or couldn’t establish the run. They also couldn’t pass protect well enough to give their receivers time to get open or Rodgers time to find them.

Raise your hand if you think the Packers need to draft a starting-caliber offensive tackle, a kick-butt linebacker and a top-notch receiver in the first three rounds of next April’s NFL draft.

I thought so. You can put it down now.

Green Bay clearly lacks a strong No. 2 receiver and it shows. Neither Allen Lazard nor Allison is up to the task, and MVS had just one catch while Jake Kumerow was shut out on one target.

Furthermore, Jimmy Graham is on his last legs. The sudden burst isn’t that sudden anymore. Robert Tonyan’s return will help, but it’s not like he’s going to be the savior at tight end.

On top of that, fullback Danny Vitale and tight end Marcedes Lewis have been largely ignored of late.

Rodgers completed 20 of 33 passes for a paltry 104 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked five times and finished with a pedestrian 75.8 passer rating.

“We were pretty bad on offense,” Rodgers said. “I still like our chances, though.”

Rodgers believes the Packers can put themselves in position to make a return trip to Santa Clara in the postseason.

I give Rodgers credit for even wanting to return to the scene.

The Packers eked out 60 yards and zero points in the first half. It was the third-fewest yards in a half in Rodgers’ career. Their second-fewest yards in a half were the 50 against the Chargers.

“There wasn’t a whole lot positive tonight,” Rodgers said. “A lot of the stuff we talked about during the week, eliminating negative yardage plays, obviously we didn’t do that. They got after us up front, and the coverage was good on the back end.”

The 49ers’ defense came into the game allowing just 142 yards passing per game. That’s the fewest by a defense in 37 seasons. They also harassed Rodgers constantly and notched five sacks.

Buckner and fellow tackle D.J. Jones abused the Packers’ Corey Linsley most of the game. In fact, it might’ve been among the worst performances of Linsley’s career.

“We crave every single game,” Buckner said. “Every week is a new challenge. The good thing about this team is we don’t get scored of who our next opponent is or ‘Oh, this team is supposed to be a top team.’ It’s just another team.”

The 49ers know how good they are, according to Buckner. They merely reminded everyone else on Sunday night.

The return of 49ers tight end George Kittle was huge. Kittle caught six passes for 129 yards and a touchdown.

Kittle’s 61-yard touchdown catch, coupled with Deebo Samuel’s 42-yard scoring grab, highlighted Jimmy Garoppolo’s big night. Garoppolo completed 14 of 20 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He had an eye-popping 145.8 passer rating while being sacked three times.

Garoppolo stayed poised in the pocket despite constant pressure. The rap on him was that he would wilt in the face of a pass rush.

That was hardly the case.

“Our guys aren’t just in there pumped about where we’re at,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “They’re pumped about the possibilities where we can go.”

Where the Packers go next is New York to face the Giants.

Green Bay needs to refocus and re-set this week. They need to drill down on the running game and find out why the 49ers’ defense – good as it is – was able to blow it up.

They also need to get Light ready at right tackle, and consider Lucas Patrick at center if Linsley doesn’t pick up the pace.

The Packers must decide if it’s good enough to be considering among the better teams in the NFC, or if they’re going to dare to seriously challenge the 49ers, Saints and Seahawks.

Right now, Green Bay is a distant fourth and reeling.

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA

Green Bay’s health, progress under LaFleur suggest deep postseason run

GREEN BAY, Wis. – For a few glorious hours Sunday afternoon it appeared the Green Bay Packers were going to get “bye” with a little help from their friends.

That ended when Minnesota erased a 20-point halftime deficit to edge the Broncos 27-23. A few hours later, San Francisco rallied after trailing in the final minutes to beat the Cardinals 36-26.

Apparently the Football Gods help those who help themselves.

Fair enough.

The Packers (8-2) control their own destiny anyway.

The NFC North leaders travel to San Francisco (9-1) for a Sunday night matchup with the NFC’s top seed at stake.

At least one website that calculates playoff percentages reveals that the Packers – with a win at San Francisco – would see their odds to make the playoffs rise to 99 percent. Their odds to capture the NFC North would climb north of 70 percent.

Win or lose, with six games to play under a first-year head coach, it isn’t merely about the outcome Sunday night. It also will be about how the Packers play. They have won seven of their last 10 games coming out of the bye, but considering this is head coach Matt LaFleur’s first season that’s old news.

What changes might LaFleur make coming out of the bye?

What did the self-scout reveal in terms of what to keep and what to pitch?

How will the personnel – especially on defense – be deployed? And will a true No. 2 receiver emerge behind Davante Adams?

The Packers’ game against the 49ers will be incredibly instructive going forward.

After the Packers edged the Panthers 24-16 last week, Aaron Rodgers made it clear that this team has a great opportunity. He and tight end Jimmy Graham discussed that very thing.

“It doesn’t happen like this all the time,” Rodgers said. “He and I have both been through rough seasons over the years, where you’re just not quite in the mix. This feels different.”

Rodgers made it clear he wasn’t trying to rally the younger players around the idea of winning one for the old-timers.

“You have the option to buy into what we’re doing or not,” Rodgers said. “And it doesn’t stop when you leave the building this week. It’s to mentally get balanced and come back and get ready for a tough road trip.”

Davante Adams stayed in Green Bay during the bye to continue to rehab from his turf toe injury.

“We’re in a blessed position with our record and with our health right now, more or less,” Adams said, “so we have to make sure we don’t take that for granted and take care of business.”

The NFC playoff picture today looks like this:

** No. 1 – San Francisco (9-1); No. 2 – Green Bay (8-2); No. 3 – New Orleans (8-2); No. 4 – Dallas (6-4); No. 5 – Seattle (8-2); No. 6 – Minnesota (8-3).

Going into the bye week I felt that the Packers’ greatest edge over the 49ers and Vikings was the quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers has been exceptional all season.

Meantime, the Vikings’ Kirk Cousins and the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo have been inconsistent. But that didn’t stop either from directing epic comebacks Sunday afternoon.

Cousins completed 29 of 35 for 319 yards, three touchdowns and a 133.2 passer rating despite being sacked five times. Dalvin Cook rushed 11 times for 26 yards to offer no semblance of a running attack, so Cousins did it with his right arm.

Garoppolo hit on 34 of 45 for 424 yards, four touchdown passes, two interceptions and a 115.4 passer rating. That was a godsend on a day when Tevin Coleman was held to 14 yards in 12 carries with a long run of 4 yards.

In Cousins’ case, it was the first time a team won after trailing by 20-plus points at halftime in a span of 100 games.

In Garoppolo’s case, he did so without tight end George Kittle and the normal complement of running backs.

If both continue to play well down the stretch it puts that much more emphasis on the Packers’ defense. Perhaps Ibraheim Campbell will help better defend the middle of the field, including the opposing tight end.

Preston and Za’Darius Smith have been amazing thus far. The trick for defensive coordinator Mike Pettine will be devising alternative ways to get to the quarterback while keeping the Smiths fresh for the postseason run.

Offensively, LaFleur’s focus must continue to be on having running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams play key roles each and every week.

Allen Lazard has the inside track on becoming the No. 2 receiver, although Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s leg injuries were fairly serious and he should benefit from the time off.

Going into the bye the Packers ranked third in red zone offense, eighth in red zone defense and first in red zone takeaways. The Packers haven’t committed a turnover in four straight games. They ranked fifth in turnover margin.

As the Packers began preparing for the 49ers they had to be emboldened by the fact that everyone on the roster was able to practice Monday.

That’s great news because it will take all hands on deck to capture home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The first step to that end comes Sunday night at San Francisco.

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA

Aaron Jones’ three touchdowns pace Green Bay’s win at snowy Lambeau

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Preston Smith made big plays all day.

Then, he made his biggest play on the final play: A goal-line stop of Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey just inches shy of what would’ve been the tying touchdown with a 2-point conversion.

After an agonizingly lengthy official review, referee Shawn Hochuli announced: “The ruling on the field stands!”

With that the crowd erupted and the Packers prevailed in a thrilling 24-16 victory over the pesky Panthers Sunday afternoon at snow-covered Lambeau Field.

Preston Smith registered two sacks, six tackles and four quarterback hits on the way to his 10th sack. Za’Darius Smith, his bookend bro, added a tackle and three QB hits.

The Packers matched a season-high with 17 QB pressures. Not surprisingly, Preston and Za’Darius led the charge.

The Smiths agreed that whoever reached 10 sacks first would buy their defensive mates a gift. Za’Darius planned neck chains with players’ numbers as the pendant for the outside linebackers.

Preston is going all in: Rolex watches for the ENTIRE defense.

He might want to give an extra Rolex to running back Aaron Jones, whose three touchdown runs helped carry the day.

“I’m just glad I could help my team get the win,” Jones said. “It all starts up front with those guys getting the push up front and the rest of the blocking unit.”

Jones has 14 touchdowns to tie McCaffrey for the NFL lead.

Aaron Rodgers believes Jones should be in the conversation for MVP – not of the Packers, but of the entire league.

“We all know that Christian is a very talented player, and he’s been mentioned in the MVP race,” Rodgers said. “So maybe it’s time to start talking about Aaron Jones.”

Jones rushed 13 times for 93 yards and scores of 5 yards to tie it at 7, 1 yard to give Green Bay a 14-10 lead, and a 13-yarder on the Packers’ opening drive of the second half to make it 21-10.

Jamaal Williams added 13 carries for 63 yards.

After a humiliating loss to the Chargers last week, the Packers’ offensive line bowed its back and got after it. Rodgers was hit or pressured on a season-low four drop-backs. Jones averaged 4.3 yards before contact as the offensive line punished Carolina.

The Packers (8-2) outrushed the Panthers (5-4) and McCaffrey 163 yards to 120 yards.

Green Bay also played turnover-free football, while Carolina’s two turnovers proved to be killers.

Kyle Allen hit 28 of 43 passes for 307 yards and a touchdown, but mistakes overshadowed an otherwise strong performance.

Allen fumbled at Green Bay’s 46 early in the second quarter. Rodgers then capitalized by hitting Davante Adams for 37 yards on what was an incredible catch. That set up Jones’ 1-yard run.

Allen’s other turnover was a red-zone interception in the second half when. Tramon Williams picked off a pass intended for Jarius Wright in the end zone. It was the Packers’ NFL leading fourth red-zone interception of the season.

Again, Rodgers responded by driving the team within field goal range. A Panthers’ penalty gave Mason Crosby a second chance after he missed from 52 yards, and his 47-yarder made it 24-10.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur was criticized for choosing to go for a touchdown at Carolina’s 1-yard line on the final play of the first half. A field goal would have made it 17-10 Green Bay, with the Packers getting the ball to start the second half.

Instead, after too much deliberation, LaFleur went for it. Rodgers handed it to Williams who was immediately stuffed by Gerald McCoy on the final play of the first half.

“It was a gut feeling,” LaFleur said. “I thought we were getting some pretty good push up front all game long, especially up to that point. I thought we could cram it up there for a yard and it didn’t work. There was a lot of penetration on that play in the backfield. We didn’t even give ourselves a chance.”

The Packers’ mistake wasn’t choosing to go for the touchdown, or any perceived lack of execution. The mistake was letting the clock slip away for no good reason. Facing third-and-1 at the Carolina 17 with 1:10 to play in the half, Williams gained 2 yards to pick up the first down.

LaFleur allowed 31 seconds to click off before the next play.

The notion that Allen would drive the Panthers into scoring position with less than a minute was foolish.

Better clock management would’ve made the decision easier.

At any rate, the Packers’ defense managed to cover LaFleur’s backside and its own with the terrific late stand.

“We still had an opportunity to get in,” McCaffrey said. “And at the end of the day, no matter who gets it, you’ve got to make that one yard.”

The game’s final minutes were excruciating for Packers’ fans.

Trailing 24-16, Carolina drove 88 yards in 18 plays to set up the game’s final play. Before that the Panthers had numerous chances to score a touchdown and try a tying 2-pointer.

Here’s the Panthers’ late-drive chronology:

** Third-and-4 at Green Bay’s 7 with 19 seconds to play – Za’Darius Smith lines up in the neutral zone. The penalty is half the distance to the goal.

** Third-and-1 at Green Bay’s 4 with 18 seconds – Allen throws an incomplete pass.

** Fourth-and-1 at Green Bay’s 4 with 13 seconds – Preston Smith jumps offside. The penalty is half the distance to the goal.

** First-and-goal at Green Bay’s 2 with eight seconds – Allen throws an incomplete pass.

** Second-and-goal at Green Bay’s 2 with three seconds – Allen hands off to McCaffrey who gets stopped by Preston Smith just inches short of the goal line. Game over.

Between Za’Darius Smith’s neutral zone infraction, and Preston Smith’s offside penalty, I thought: Do the Smiths have to do EVERYTHING in tandem?

Naturally Preston and Za’Darius wouldn’t have it any other way.

Neither would the Packers.