Rodgers, Packers Escape at Jacksonville
Aaron Rodgers has done some amazing things on the football
field during his NFL career. On Sunday, Jacksonville Jaguars fans got to see it
up close and personal, as Rodgers’ heroics led the visiting Green Bay Packers
to a 27-23 win at EverBank Field.
The game was as well played as you could hope for in the
opening week of the season and Jaguars fans have a lot to be excited about.
Unfortunately, on this day Rodgers proved to be too much, constantly escaping
pressure with his legs and of course, finding the open receiver with his arm.
The Packers (1-0) got on the board early in the first
quarter, following a Jacksonville turnover that was just bad luck for the Jags’
and quarterback Blake Bortles. He threw a pass that wide receiver Marqise Lee
had bounce off his hands, off a Green Bay defender and into the waiting arms of
Joe Thomas, who picked it off. Rodgers finished that drive with a 6-yard
touchdown run.
The Jaguars (0-1) got some bad news prior to the game when
running back Chris Ivory was taken to the hospital due to what is being dubbed
a “general medical issue. That meant that the bulk of the running duties would
fall to T.J. Yeldon, who performed well last season as a rookie, but was
expected to share carries on Sunday.
Yeldon had a couple decent runs in the first quarter,
including a five-yard score to tie things up in the first quarter. The big play
on that drive was a 37-yard completion to tight end Marcedes Lewis, who got the
Jaguars within striking distance and Yeldon scored with 3:40 left.
The Jaguars defense that was revamped in the offseason, got
off to a good start, holding Rodgers to two completions in the first quarter,
but he got rolling in the second quarter. With the Jaguars up 10-7, Rodgers
went to a reliable old friend in Jordy Nelson, who was playing in his first
game in a year, following an ACL injury. That gave the Packers a 14-10 lead
with 3:05 left in the half.
To his credit, Bortles stayed composed and found tight end
Julius Thomas with a great touch pass over the top, good for 22 yards and the
score, giving the Jaguars a 17-14 lead, with 1:09 left. Unfortunately, that
left Rodgers just enough time to pull off his latest Houdini act.
He drove the Packers 50 yards in just five plays, capped by
a pass that saw the Jaguars get all sorts of pressure and even grab Rodgers
jersey. Just when it seemed they had him dead to rights, he launched it and
found Davante Adams, who dove to make the touchdown catch and make it a 21-17
game.
Mason Crosby started the third quarter with a 25-yard field
goal, giving the Packers a 24-17 lead. That capped a 13-play 68-yard drive that
saw the Jaguars hold Green Bay out of the end zone. It took its toll on the
Jags’ defense, which prompted Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley to go for it on
fourth down a couple different times on the ensuing drive.
That drive went 54 yards in 10 plays and got the game back
to within four, with Jacksonville kicker Jason Myers, hitting from 39 yards, to
make it 24-20. The teams traded fourth quarter field goals, with Crosby true
from 20 yards out, ending a 16-play, 73-yard drive that saw the Jaguars defense
step up again and hold the Packers to three points.
Jacksonville, with the defense gassed again, put together a
sustained drive of their own. They needed 14 plays to go 37 yards and just like
they did last year, the offense stalled, despite getting another key fourth
down conversion. That resulted in another Myers field goal, from 50 yards out,
that was good by a bunch.
Due to having to burn timeouts early in the half, the
Jaguars would have to run their final drive of the day without the ability to
stop the clock. Bortles found Lewis for 11 yards to start the drive, to the Jacksonville
48-yard line. Following a six-yard completion to Yeldon, prior to the 2-minute
warning, Luke Joeckel was called for holding.
On the next play, Bortles was looking for Thomas on 4th-and-14,
but he was picked by Ha Ha Clinton Dix. Fortunately, the Packers were called
for defensive holding, resulting in an automatic first down at the Jaguars 49.
After a short pass to Yeldon, Bortles found Allen Robinson on a 22-yard strike.
Robinson bobbled the ball, but he quickly got it back, giving the Jaguars a
first down at the 23-yard line.
After a nine-yard pass to Rashad Greene, Bortles next pass
fell incomplete, setting up a 4th-and-1. Bortles was in shotgun and
he quickly threw a screen pass, intended for Allen Hurns that fell incomplete
and ended the game.
For more info: Green Bay @
Jacksonville box score
Bortles had a decent day in the loss, throwing for 320 yards
on 24-of-39 passing. Hurns and Robinson had 75 and 72 yards respectively, with
Thomas chipping in five catches for 65 yards and the touchdown.
The problem for
the Jaguars was the 48 yards rushing as a team, which forced the
one-dimensional attack. Yeldon had just 39 yards rushing and chipped in 30
receiving.
Rodgers finished 20-of-34 for 199 yards and two touchdowns.
Jacksonville is heading to San Diego next Sunday, to take on
the Chargers. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. EDT.
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