The Green Bay Packers didn’t blow the Carolina Panthers out of the water with an elite performance on offense, but 21 quick points and some major defensive stops were enough for Matt LaFleur’s team to win an 11th game in 2020 Saturday night at Lambeau. Field.
Here are the studs and duds from the Packers ’24-16 win:
Stallions
S Adrian Amos: He was all over the field starting from the second play of scrimmage. The Panthers tried to catch him taking a nap, but the veteran security quickly caught on and stuffed DJ Moore into the flat after a brief win. In a run for half, he broke passes down the middle, intended for the tight end of Ian Thomas and receiver Curtis Samuel on first down and third down respectively. Both required diving deviations. He later ended Teddy Bridgewater’s fateful attempt at scrambling down the sidelines, tackling the Panthers quarterback for a sack and brief loss. He also saved seven runs with an impressive pass-break-up against Robby Anderson, who was briefly open in the end zone. He made a late break and disrupted the catch point.
RB Aaron Jones: Of his 20 carries, 13 won five or more yards, including three over 10 yards. Six had first lows. The blocking up front was solid, allowing Jones to shoot through holes and make life miserable for second-tier defenders. He doesn’t hesitate for a moment if there is an opening. On the first run, it took a huge effort from Jeremy Chinn to avoid a touchdown on his 46-yard run. The Packers don’t like to overwork him, but he deserved more touches and more opportunities. The Panthers played soft, the Packers won down the line of scrimmage, and Jones was on it. All the unproductive RPOs and run alerts robbed him of what could have been an even more impressive evening.
LB Krys Barnes: The Packers gave the rookie the communications helmet and promoted him to the starting role of Mike linebacker, and he thrived. The big game was the forced fumble on the goal line, which Barnes created with a clever move when Bridgewater tried to stretch the ball across the stack. The rookie knocked it out and changed the game. Later he perfectly established a screen pass and blew it up for a 6 yard loss. His walking defense was equally encouraging. Three different times he tackled Mike Davis after only three meters win. An eye injury forced him to leave after 31 photos.
RG Billy Turner: His blockages on the attack point helped create two of Jones’ best runs, including the 46-yarder in the first quarter. His athleticism can be useful in guarding, especially in draw games where he can use his speed to get into position and surprise linebackers. He leveled an unsuspecting defender as he pulled to the left to clear a hole. Pro Football Focus gave him just one push, more than 38 pass-blocking snaps.
DL Kenny Clark: Often times, Clark’s impact on a game is not apparent in the box score and cannot be fully realized until after a second or third rewatch. This was the case again. Clark was disruptive, especially as a rusher. He had half a dozen pressure, usually the result of winning a one-on-one chance and flushing Bridgewater out of the pocket or in more trouble. He’s been great for the past month, a clear sign that he’s healthy after a number of mid-season injuries. His dominance inside could change the equation for the Packers defense as the playoffs get closer.
K Mason Crosby: Another perfect day. He converted all three extra points and hit a 51-meter field goal in the fourth quarter. The final kick was particularly impressive given the game situation and the difficulty of hitting long kicks at Lambeau Field in December. His try was good from 51 and probably would have been good from 55 or longer.
Duds
CB Kevin King: He forced a fumble with a hit that was eventually penalized, and his recovery from fumbles was a quick and coordinated move at an important point in the match, but just about everything else went wrong for King, who conceded six catches for 127 yards, including 97 for DJ Moore. He missed two tackles, finished with two penalties, including a crucial hold call in third place in the red zone, and allowed five first-down catches. Moore hit him deep for one big play, then broke a few tackles to create another later. Robby Anderson left him in the dust for a 15 meter catch in third place of the trench. Quarterbacks don’t target Jaire Alexander, which means more and more action is coming on King. He must be better.
LG Lucas Patrick: Both Derrick Brown’s bags hit the Packers left guard. On the first, Brown used a quick step and some hand fights to get around Patrick and Aaron Rodgers swarmed into the pocket, halting the last drive before half time. A drive later, on the other side of half-time, Brown bent over Patrick with power in third, although the Packers (rightly) wanted illegal hands in the face. In his defense, Patrick was especially good at the run game.
WR Davante Adams: A rare No. 17 dud. He was a double team most of the game, but he didn’t always convert when he got a few chances on the field. On the first, he dropped a ball that went to the sidelines during a rollout action game. It would have been a tough catch, but it’s also one he expects to complete. Later he got a ball that fired in the middle of the field after a big hit from a linebacker. The Packers kept trying to feed him with short, quick throws, but the Panthers did a great job tackling him in the open field. In the second half, he caught two passes on four targets for four yards. Officials also punished him 15 yards for a personal foul after a catch.