Cheesehead
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- Mar 19, 2019
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“Christian is a very talented player and he’s been mentioned in the MVP race,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “So maybe it’s time to start talking about Aaron Jones.”
Heady praise to be sure, as the Packers won for the second time this season when Rodgers didn’t throw a touchdown pass. He finished 17-of-29 for 233 yards and an 84.4 rating, just ahead of Allen’s 84.2 (28-of-43, 307 yards, one TD, one INT).
Rodgers was upset he let a couple of chances at a TD pass get away at the end of the first half in a sequence that concluded with the Packers getting stuffed at the goal line. Williams was swallowed up by two Panthers who cleanly beat their blocks as LaFleur passed on a chip-shot field goal and went for the touchdown from the 1-yard line to try to extend a 14-10 lead.
“If I had to do it again, I’d go for it again, but I’d probably pick a different play,” LaFleur said. “I would pick a different play, no probably about it. But live and learn.
“It was a gut feeling. I know there was a lot of penetration on the play in the backfield. We didn’t give ourselves a chance.”
That was the only significant run stop the Panthers could really muster, though, as Jones broke runs of 28 and 13 yards on a TD drive to start the second half, after a 38-yard pass to receiver Davante Adams (seven catches, 118 yards) converted on second-and-26 from Green Bay’s own 9-yard line, flipping the field at a critical moment. Williams added runs of 15, 10 and 16 in a span of four plays to tack on a field goal later in the third quarter.
In between, Allen made one of his two big mistakes in the game, trying to force a pass to receiver Jarius Wright in the end zone that deflected off safety Adrian Amos and into the arms of diving cornerback Tramon Williams for an interception.
Allen’s other miscue was a fumbled snap in the first half when the Panthers led 10-7 and had crossed midfield. Montravius Adams recovered for the Packers, who converted the turnover into a touchdown to take the lead for good.
“We won the turnover battle 2-0, and we talked about outrushing our opponent,” LaFleur said. “We got both of those done tonight.
“That was a tough, four-quarter battle. We knew it would be.”