Packers 40, Titans 14: 2-minute drill

December 28, 2020
|In Packers
|By Zach Heilprin

Aaron Rodgers threw for four scores, three of them to Davante Adams, as the Green Bay Packers rolled to a 40-14 win over Tennessee at a snowy Lambeau Field Sunday night.

Game Balls

Offense: Davante Adams

Adams wanted the offensive game ball to go to running back AJ Dillon but he deserves this. He caught 11 passes for 142 yards and a career-high tying three touchdowns. Unlike in recent weeks where teams double covered him, the Titans only concentrated that kind of attention on him a couple times. But even when they did send two guys at the Pro Bowl wide receiver he found a way to get loose, including on his second touchdown of the night.

Adams now sits just three catches short and one touchdown shy of Sterling Sharpe’s team records of 112 receptions and 18 scores in a single season.

Defense: Everyone

Tennessee came into the game leading the NFL in scoring and had the league’s leading rusher in Derrick Henry. All the Packers did was hold the Titans to a season-low 14 points.

Henry got 98 yards but it took him 23 carries to get it and his longest run was just 10 yards. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill scored on a 45-yard run, but was basically shut down in the passing game. He completed only 45.8% of his passes for a season-low 121 yards. He was picked off twice and had 10 of his passes knocked down.

Green Bay got to Tannehill just twice for sacks but they were constantly in his face, especially outside linebacker Rashan Gary, who had five quarterback hurries.

It’s not hard to say it was the best effort from that side of the ball this year and it came on a huge stage with the entire league watching.

Special Teams: JK Scott

He gets the game ball because he finally made a tackle. After being embarrassed on two punt returns for touchdowns earlier this year, Scott tracked down Amani Hooker on a a blocked field goal. The tackle didn’t count because the play was called back but we all witnessed Scott’s greatness.

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In Case You Missed It

— After missing the last three games with an injury, center Corey Linsley returned and got the start.

— Former sixth-round pick Equanimeous St. Brown caught a 21-yard touchdown in the second quarter, the first score of his career.

— The Packers didn’t punt for the first time this year and also didn’t commit a single penalty. It’s just the second time in the Super Bowl era that a team accomplished that.

— Green Bay’s 2020 second-round pick AJ Dillon had a career night, rushing for 124 yards and his first two touchdowns. Dillon did have a bit of an issue on his Lambeau Leaps and needed a push from wide receiver Allen Lazard on his second to make it into the stands.

https://twitter.com/ScottGrodsky/status/1343398468325265409

— Running back Aaron Jones had 94 yards rushing, which pushed him over the 1,000-yard mark for a second straight season. With 1,062 yards he needs just 23 yards to eclipse his career-high for a season.

— Starting right tackle Rick Wagner left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury and was later carted to the locker room. Billy Turner moved into his spot with Lucas Patrick replacing Turner at right guard.

Inside the Numbers

4 — That’s how many extra points Mason Crosby has missed this year. That’s the most in his career. The struggles are a bit confusing as Crosby is 16-for-16 on field goals.

487 — That’s how many times Aaron Rodgers has completed a pass to Davante Adams in his career. According to Packers.com’s Wes Hodkiewicz, that’s the most in team history.

4 — That’s how many interceptions Darnell Savage has this year with all of them coming in the last five games.

44 — That’s how many touchdowns Aaron Rodgers has, which leads the NFL and is one shy of his career best. It’s also the same number of punts JK Scott has this year.

31.6 — That’s how many points the Packers are averaging this year, tops in the NFL.

6 — That’s how many times Aaron Rodgers has thrown four or more touchdowns in his 15 games this year. That’s the same number he had in his previous 51 games.

What’s Next

Green Bay (12-3) will travel to Chicago (8-7) for the final game of the regular season. With a win, the Packers will claim the No. 1 seed in the NFC and get a first-round bye. The Bears must win to claim one of the NFC Wild Card spots.