Carolina Panthers vs. Green Bay Packers: Full Report Card Grades for Green Bay
The final score is not indicative of how dominant the Green Bay Packers were in their 38-17 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Leading 28-0 in the second quarter and 38-3 at the end of the third quarter, Green Bay imposed its will with little resistance against the Panthers on Sunday, rolling to its fourth straight win and fifth in six games.
Aaron Rodgers tied an NFL record with his fourth consecutive game with at least three passing touchdowns and zero interceptions, tying Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
You may have heard of them.
Equally outstanding was Green Bay's defense, which dominated a Panthers offense that had just put up 37 points against the Cincinnati Bengals' stout defensive front.
Quarterback
1 of 10
I can remember each of Aaron Rodgers' incompletions clearly.
He missed Randall Cobb high on a pass attempt in the Panthers' red zone. A Jordy Nelson target was too low on third down. And Richard Rodgers had a chance at his first touchdown, but the quarterback's pass sailed just high of the tight end's outstretched fingertips.
But aside from those three passes Rodgers was perfect.
"Rodgers' 86.4 completion percentage is career best and third in team history behind two Lynn Dickey games (90.48, 87.1). #CARvsGB
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 19, 2014"
"Rodgers' 154.5 passer rating is 2nd highest of career (155.4 at CLE in '09) and third highest in team history (Favre 154.9 at OAK in '03).
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 19, 2014"
A-Rod completed 19 of 22 passes with a touchdown apiece to wide receivers Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams.
That's four straight games with zero interceptions and at least three touchdown passes. Not coincidentally, Green Bay has won four straight.
Grade: A
Running Back
2 of 10
Green Bay got exactly what it needed from its running backs today—competency.
Eddie Lacy and James Starks combined for 99 yards on 19 carries, complementing the Packers’ vaunted passing attack nicely.
Both runners found paydirt on first-quarter rushes. The running game’s effectiveness was a sight for sore Packers fans' eyes, who have become accustomed to negative rushes from Lacy play after play.
The second-year back broke tackles aplenty on Sunday, never going down without a fight.
John Kuhn and DuJuan Harris each had two carries in garbage time. The four carries totaled three yards.
Grade: A-
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
It must be fun to a wideout or tight end on Green Bay’s offense.
The Packers' top three wide receivers—Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams—each hauled in a touchdown pass. Nelson’s four catches and 80 yards all came in the first quarter.
Cobb was electric after the catch, breaking ankles with regular frequency.
On the whole, Green Bay’s receivers had no trouble separating from Carolina’s depleted secondary and did not record a dropped pass.
Kevin Dorsey made his contributions on special teams.
"Kevin Dorsey is really good at getting downfield on the punt team. Packers coaches weren’t lying about that contributing to his promotion.
— Jason B. Hirschhorn (@jbhirschhorn) October 19, 2014"
Grade: A
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Offensive Line
4 of 10
You can’t score five touchdowns and six times in total without a solid effort from your offensive line.
Green Bay’s front five performed admirably against the Panthers’ front four. The most egregious error in pass protection came not from an offensive lineman but from a tight end—Charles Johnson whooped Andrew Quarless for a sack, but that’s more on the scheme than the player.
The Packers averaged more than four yards per carry on the ground in total and five yards per carry from their top two backs.
Grade: B+
Defensive Line and Edge Players
5 of 10
I get tired of leading this slide with my weekly Clay Matthews review, but he deserves his due here.
Clay was everywhere on Sunday, showing the burst and bend that’s made him one of the best edge players in the NFL since entering the league in 2009.
The outside backers were on fire, with Matthews, Julius Peppers and Nick Perry totaling four quarterback hits, three sacks and three tackles for loss.
Josh Boyd got the start for Datone Jones, who’s still out due to injury.
Grade: A+
Linebacker
6 of 10
Sam Barrington got the start opposite A.J. Hawk instead of Jamari Lattimore, and it’s fair to wonder if that’s the reason why Green Bay had its best defensive performance of the season.
Now, Barringtown didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet—he registered just two tackles—but he showed that he’s deserving of playing time down the road when all of Green Bay’s inside backers are healthy.
Grade: A-
Secondary
7 of 10
Tramon Williams’ only misstep in allowing Kelvin Benjamin’s touchdown catch today? Not being 6'5".
"McCarthy: I thought Tramon Williams stepped up in a huge way. Talk about an old school pro getting himself healthy & playing well. #CARvsGB
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 19, 2014"
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton had nowhere to go for most of the day, thanks in large part to excellent coverage from the Packers secondary. Playing without starting cornerback Sam Shields, Green Bay’s defensive backs stepped up in a big way.
Casey Hayward came up with an interception, the team’s 10th pick of the season.
Grade: A
Special Teams
8 of 10
After last week’s poor performance, no blocked punts and no big returns were a welcome sight for Packers fans.
Green Bay had just one kick return—a nine-yarder from DuJuan Harris. Not his finest.
Randall Cobb had a nice 24-yard return, though it eventually led to a three-and-out. And I still get nervous each time he touches the ball. He’s too good to be the team’s primary punt returner.
Grade: B+
Coaching
9 of 10
I remember when the Packers had the toughest time scoring touchdowns on their opening possessions.
Not anymore.
Green Bay moved down the field with ease on its first drive. And the second. And the third.
Keeping the gas pedal firmly smushed, the Packers raced to a 28-3 lead after two quarters and 38-3 after three. The offense, defense and special teams all played exceptionally well, and it was reflected in the scoreboard.
Grade: A
Overall Grades
10 of 10
Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
QB | A |
RB | A- |
WR | A |
OL | B+ |
DL | A+ |
LB | A- |
Secondary | A |
Special Teams | B+ |
Coaching | A |
Cumulative Grade | A+ |
The Packers looked like world-beaters in a blowout victory.
Now it’ll be up to Rodgers and Co. to make it five straight wins when they head to New Orleans for a road game in the rowdiest of environments—the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday Night Football.
What a game that will be. The New Orleans Saints need this game in the worst way, and nothing is more dangerous than a hungry football team with an experienced head coach (Sean Payton) and quarterback (Drew Brees).
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
