3 Takeaways from Packers' Week 15 Win
The Green Bay Packers experienced two different types of challenges in their 24-16 win over the Carolina Panthers.
In the first half, Aaron Rodgers and Co. blitzed through the Carolina defense to take a 21-3 halftime advantage.
Matt LaFleur's side faced a stiffer test from the Panthers defense in the final 30 minutes, but it still found a way to grind out the victory despite scoring three second-half points.
Davante Adams was not as productive as he has been in recent weeks, but Aaron Jones found another gear on the ground to be the team's offensive star of Week 15.
Although the Green Bay defense let Teddy Bridgewater sneak the Panthers back into the game, there was not a huge threat to the Packers winning their 11th game of 2020.
Packers Continue to Start Strong
During their four-game winning streak, the Packers totaled 76 first-half points.
The strong starts avoided any potential letdown performances against some of the weaker teams in the NFL.
Although the competition will be much tougher in the postseason, the string of first-half scoring plays is a good sign with the postseason on the horizon.
On Saturday, Rodgers and Jones engineered a seven-play drive that lasted three-and-a-half minutes over 81 yards to open the scoring.
The next drive was six yards shorter, but it took longer in time as Jones sliced up the Carolina rushing defense.
If Green Bay replicates its impressive starts in the coming weeks, it could avoid any threat from the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears and land the NFC's No. 1 seed.
That also bodes well for the postseason. If Green Bay gets out to early advantages, its defense could play with more confidence, and it could bleed the clock with Jones and Jamaal Williams.
Aaron Jones Shined While Davante Adams Had an Average Night
Much has been made about the Rodgers-Adams connection in recent weeks, but that took a back seat to Jones' standout performance.
Jones ran for 145 yards and a score on 20 carries and caught three balls for 13 yards. Adams brought in seven of his 10 targets, but he only had 42 yards.
The Packers proved on Saturday that they can deal with an average night out of Adams, who recorded his second-lowest receiving-yard total of the season.
In the two games in which Adams had fewer than 50 receiving yards, the Packers scored 66 points in wins over Carolina and the Detroit Lions.
The entire Green Bay passing game was not as effective as usual. Rodgers put up 143 passing yards and was sacked on five occasions.
If the Packers run into a difficult passing matchup in the postseason, they can lean on Jones and Williams to be more effective and win games in that fashion as well.
Defense Thrived Inside the 30-Yard Line
Only one of Carolina's five drives of 50 yards or more resulted in a touchdown.
The Packers defense forced the Panthers to kick three field goals and recovered a fumble with Carolina deep in Green Bay territory.
The key stop came in the second quarter, when the Packers forced the ball out of Teddy Bridgewater's hands on a failed quarterback sneak from the one-yard line.
That turnover caused a sudden shift in the contest, as Jones finished off the resulting offensive drive with an eight-yard touchdown scamper.
When the offense stalled out in the second half, the Packers defense made a few crucial stops to limit Carolina's output.
The Packers defense finished its performance by stopping the Panthers from advancing past their own 26-yard-line down by eight points in the final minute.
In their last two home games, the Packers allowed 16 points each to Carolina and Philadelphia. If they continue to play that well at Lambeau Field, the Packers should be in good shape in the postseason.
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Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference