Packers vs. Panthers: Quick Takes from Green Bay's 38-17 Win

Quick takes from the Packers' 38-17 win over the Panthers in Week 7. 

The Green Bay Packers (5-2) put together the club's most impressive three quarters of play in some time, dismantling the visiting Carolina Panthers (3-3-1) by a 38-17 margin after the Packers had raced to a 38-3 lead through 45 minutes of throughly one-sided football in Week 7 at Lambeau Field. 

 

It was over when…

…white-hot quarterback Aaron Rodgers found red-hot receiver Randall Cobb for a 3-yard touchdown with 4:07 left in the first half, giving the Packers an insurmountable 28-0 lead. This game was all but over early on. 

 

Game Balls

  • Aaron Rodgers: You really do run out of things to say about the guy. He was one slightly overthrown pass to tight end Richard Rodgers away from four touchdown passes and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. Instead, he settled for three scores and a rating of 154.5, the second highest of his career. Mike McCarthy gave him the fourth quarter off. The guy threw three incompletions and averaged 11.6 yards per attempt. He's in some kind of zone right now. 
  • Clay Matthews: His sack total jumped from just 1.0 to 1.5 Sunday, but Matthews' value to the defensive effort was much more than just a sack he shared with Julius Peppers. The long-haired, blonde-bearded mad man was all over the place, attacking Carolina's overmatched tackles in both pass protection and against the run. All that banter over his lack of production might have lit a fire under No. 52. And don't forget about Peppers; he had 1.5 sacks against the team that originally drafted him. 
  • Tim Masthay: He keeps hogging the special teams game balls, mostly because the Packers rarely have to use him. He punted just twice in the first half and averaged 55.2 yards, with a long of 58, over his five total punts.  

 

Stat of the Game: 168 to -4

After three Packers drives and two series from the Panthers to open the game, Green Bay led Carolina in total yards 168 to -4. The score was 21-0 and the contest was pretty much over. It took the Panthers until the second quarter to get a first down, while Carolina's five punts to open the game were matched by four touchdowns and a single punt from the Packers. 

 

Other Notes

-- Slow starts appear to be a thing of the past for the Packers. Green Bay has scored six first quarter touchdowns over the last three games, including first-drive touchdowns against both the Dolphins and Panthers. Meanwhile, the defense has allowed three first-quarter points over that same three-game stretch, with seven punts and a turnover on downs. Rodgers on the first drive the last two weeks: 7 for 7, 136 yards, two touchdowns. En fuego. 

-- The Packers finished with a passer rating differential of 81.9 between Rodgers and Cam Newton. Part of that huge gap is thanks to Rodgers, who was razor sharp and always cognizant of protecting the football (he's on pace for 41 touchdowns and two interceptions this season). But the defense also gave another huge assist, limiting Newton to 6.6 yards per attempt and intercepting him once. The Panthers starting quarterback was erratic for most of the game. This should be a big confidence moment for the Packers, who have recently struggled against the big-name quarterbacks not named Jay Cutler. Newton also ran for just 41 yards, which is an amount the Kaepernick-scarred Dom Capers can handle. Up next: Drew Brees in primetime at the Superdome. 

-- Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson combined for 10 catches, 201 yards and two touchdowns Sunday. There isn't a more productive one-two receiving punch in football. Together, Cobb and Nelson have 1,164 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. The 2014 season is SEVEN weeks old. 

-- A healthy Packers defense, as it turns out, looks pretty good. Even without Sam Shields, Green Bay held a team that went to Cincinnati and scored 37 a week earlier to just three through three quarters. Letroy Guion has been a revelation the last three weeks. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has transformed the safety position. The edge pass-rush is so deep (Nick Perry has three sacks). It took a little while to get all the pieces together and clicking, but it has proved it can play. However, I'll say this again: Brees is no joke in primetime at the Superdome. Next Sunday night is a huge test. Keep Brees down, and nothing is unattainable in 2014. 

-- For the second straight season, the Packers are 5-2. I'm guessing this team won't be 5-6-1 by the end of November. Can you imagine the ride home from New Orleans if the Packers leave the Big Easy winners? Green Bay would be 6-2 going into the bye week. That'd be one happy, happy team plane. 

 

Zach Kruse contributes to Cheesehead TV. He is also the Lead Writer for the NFC North at Bleacher Report. You can reach him on Twitter @zachkruse2 or by email at [email protected]. 

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Comments (11)

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Charvid's picture

October 19, 2014 at 05:41 pm

I believe this will be a top 10 defense by year end.

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DrealynWilliams's picture

October 19, 2014 at 06:04 pm

As long as the TO's continue to come. As long as the TO's continue to come....

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HankScorpio's picture

October 19, 2014 at 08:35 pm

They're pretty close to top 10 right now, IMO.

They are top 10 in points allowed. Right @ 10. They are 18th in yards. Both numbers mean something but points means more.

Some of the yardage number appears worse than it actually is. Minny and Carolina put up some garbage time numbers vs reserves. Chicago piled up 500 yards...in a 3 TD loss. That one looked ugly for yardage ranking but was actually a comfortable road win.

They are hitting their stride with pressuring the QB. Keeping that going will be the key to further improvement.

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Amanofthenorth's picture

October 19, 2014 at 05:50 pm

..........

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stop4one2's picture

October 19, 2014 at 06:35 pm

Loved seeing the pre-snap movement and the fake jet sweep to Cobb that opened a huge hole for Lacy off the left side. Hope we continue to see more of that including the unscouted looks they were giving with WRs in the backfield like RBs.

Finally seeing some of the creativity McCarthy always talks about, now I just want to see more of it.

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DrealynWilliams's picture

October 19, 2014 at 06:55 pm

Yea,that play designed to get Kevin Dorsey the ball surprised the hell out of me. I like it.

A formation (at least I haven't seen before) that I found interesting looked a bit like the Pistol. Rodgers had Lacy and Quarless in the backfield and then motioned Cobb into the backfield. It was a running play that resulted in a first down and Lacy was able to pick up some steam before coming into contact wit the 1st defender

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JimTaylor31's picture

October 19, 2014 at 06:50 pm

Nothing to complain about after this one. Great effort all around. I doubt if even CoW will have anything negative to say about this game........surely not. Well maybe...

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Tundraboy's picture

October 19, 2014 at 07:55 pm

Cant wait but I think he already did on Gut reactions. Nothing but humble pie.
Great game great feeling.

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aj's picture

October 19, 2014 at 08:27 pm

We are deep in pass rushers! And all that pressure was all created without datone either. Even though shields didn't play today, he has been huge to the improvement of the defense. He has played like a number one corner this year, added to the crazy pressure our pass rushers have created, the defense is primed to make a huge jump up the rankings. I'm pleased with the way "washed up" clay and "old man" peppers have performed. Along with nick perry making a leap and neal being his consistent "I can create so much pressure, but never the get the sack" self we are in much better shape than last year at olb. Perry has seemed a lot more confident as well. I think the kid can have a major role in the future.

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HankScorpio's picture

October 19, 2014 at 08:33 pm

Capers actually threw all 4 OLBs on the field at once a time or two.

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Tundraboy's picture

October 20, 2014 at 11:23 pm

AND it covers up for Hawk as much as possible.

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