The Green Bay Packers edged out the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 27-23 Week One win to open up their 2016 season and one man was the biggest key to victory Sunday: quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Nelson, in his first game since he tore the ACL in his right knee in the 2015 preseason, didn’t go deep, but he did enough (six catches, 32 yards and his first touchdown since December 21, 2014).
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(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack).
In the Week 2 edition of the NFL’s “Sunday Night Football”, we’ve got an NFC North battle at US Bank Stadium between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings on September 18. They, for the most part, held the Packers offense in check with only 27 points, seven of which were gifted due to field position from an early tipped pass that was intercepted. And even when we did that he still got up the field too far and he extended the play.
“I don’t think we played very well offensively”, Rodgers said.
We knew it had the potential to be exciting and it was that.
While it was not the return of the offense that some may have expected, the Packers offense did just enough to squeak out a road win in the blistering heat. Perry, playing at right end in the Packers’ nickel personnel, took on tight end Julius Thomas, drove him a back, then got off the block to make the tackle for only a two-yard gain. The Jaguars got one sack on Sunday and it was a loss of less than a yard.
The first was early in the second quarter on a play that the two have mastered the last few years. The injury significantly impacted Rodgers, who lost his best deep threat, and the offense, which fell to 23rd in the league and tied for 25th in passing. Nelson didn’t show his usual big-play ability, but he found the end zone and probably gained some confidence in his surgically repaired right knee.
The other came late in the fourth quarter when the Packers were trying to run out the final 3 1/2 minutes with a four-point lead. Eventually they managed to corral Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns to secure the victory on (what else) fourth down.
“We kind of knew that was what they were going to do”, said Blake Bortles, who completed 24 of 39 passes for 320 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
Green Bay allowed 348 total yards and kept giving Jacksonville extra chances late in the game after failing to stop them on numerous fourth-down opportunities. I should have done something differently. On 4th and 1 from the 20, Eddie Lacey made a ten-yard run to land just shy of the 10 yard line. “If you don’t, you lose”. With Ramsey pulling on the back of his jersey, Rodgers threw off his back foot and Davante Adams made a diving catch with Davon House draped over him.
“They were in zone, so I tried to sit in the zone and, obviously, Aaron’s great when he gets on the move”, Nelson said.
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But we’re also talking about a 31-year-old receiver coming off a major injury.
