Aaron Rodgers passed for 368 yards and two touchdowns and the Green Bay Packers racked up 478 total yards in a 26-21 win over the New England Patriots that established Green Bay as the new cream of the NFL crop.
Patriots vs. Packers final score: 3 things we learned from Green Bay’s 26-21 win
The Packers proved that they may be the best team in the NFL, after beating the Patriots in game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.
The Packers’ offense dominated the first half, gaining 347 yards to the Pats’ 184. It couldn’t capitalize on its best opportunities, however. Three drives stalled within the Patriots’ 20-yard line, resulting in field goals where touchdowns would have been preferred. A 23-14 lead at intermission didn’t feel representative of how much better Green Bay had played.
In the second half, the Packers settled for a red zone field goal again, this time in the fourth quarter, and it provided the Patriots an opportunity to take the lead. The Patriots took over possession down five points, 26-21, with 8:35 remaining in the game, and drove 35 yards to the Packers' 20-yard line thanks to three long Tom Brady third-down pass completions. Green Bay's defense held late, however, sacking Brady on third down and forcing a badly missed field goal.
The Packers needed just one first down on their next possession to ice the game. They, of course, turned to Rodgers, who hit Randall Cobb for a 7-yard gain on third-and-4 to seal perhaps the Packers’ biggest win of the season.
Three things:
1) When Aaron Rodgers is clicking, it’s beautiful to watch
The sideline fade route may be Rodgers' greatest piece of performance art. He hit Davante Adams twice in stride down the left sideline for big gains to set up field goals in the first quarter. Adams didn't have to slow down one step on either play, which together made up 78 of his career-high 121 yards on the day.
The only thing holding Rodgers back was a Patriots pass rush that made delivering ball impossible at times (the Pats had three sacks on Rodgers). When Rodgers has time and is at his best, the Packers can beat anybody.
2) The Patriots could have lost by more
The Packers out gained the Patriots, 478-320, which should have translated into more than 26 points and a five-point victory. They bogged down every time they entered the red zone, however. The four times that the Packers entered the red zone, they ultimately settled for field goals. They also missed a field goal from the Pats’ 22-yard line. The Patriots, meanwhile, managed touchdowns on their first three red zone trips.
Entering Sunday’s game, the Packers ranked ninth in the NFL scoring touchdowns on 63.64 percent of their red zone trips, which was just behind the Pats’ 63.83 percent, so perhaps this isn’t an epidemic problem for the Packers. Still, if there is anything for the Packers to take away from an otherwise good performance, it’s the need for better execution near the goal line.
3) The Packers are the new kings of the mountain, not that it means anything
The NFL has shuffled through a number of "it" teams this season. The Patriots came out cold against the Packers. Before that, the Arizona Cardinals were sitting pretty with the best record in the NFL ... and have now lost two straight including a bad loss to the previously woeful Atlanta Falcons. Before the Cards, there were the Broncos, Colts, Seahawks and Bengals -- all good teams, but all with blemishes.
So let us praise the Packers for now. Rodgers is perhaps the most valuable player in the league, and on his own he makes the Packers, at their best, as good or better than anyone in the NFL.
★★★
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