The Packers managed to overcome sloppy play for most of three quarters to barely escape with a 24-20 win over the now 1-8 Jaguars on Sunday. The Jaguars entered the game with the 31rst worst defense in league in yardage allowed (just ahead of a surprisingly bad Seahawks defense). The Packers punted after running just 10 plays on their first three possessions before a miraculous 78-yard touchdown play to Marquez Valdes-Scantling got the Packers on the board in the second quarter. But two turnovers, a punt return for a touchdown, and a loss on downs contributed to a 20-17 Jaguars lead early in the fourth quarter, and it was only the good fortune of an Aaron Jones fumble going out of bounds that allowed the Packers to score on the following possession to take the lead and hang on, as the defense stiffened after Jaguars reached the Packer 36 with under two minutes to play.
Aaron Rodgers had on paper a good game, completing 24 of 34 for 325 yards and two touchdown passes as well as rushing for another. But his interception in the third quarter was as bad a throw as one can imagine, and in no way the fault of Valdes-Scantling. Although the Jaguars subsequently scored the go-ahead field goal, the Packer defense generally made rookie quarterback Jake Luton look like a sixth-round pick making his second career start. After throwing for 300 yards in his first start last week against the Texans, Luton completed just 1 of 7 and was sacked twice on the Jaguars final two possessions despite the Packer offense gifting them decent field position to take advantage of. The 260 yards allowed was the first time this season the Packer defense allowed under 300 yards in a game. All the Jaguars’ points (save their first field goal) came off of turnovers and the special teams breakdown.
In this game Valdes-Scantling clearly out-shined Davante Adams, whose third quarter fumble led to the Jaguars’ touchdown that tied the game at 17. Adams caught of 8 of 12 targets for just 66 yards, while Valdes-Scantling caught all four passes that he could have legitimately caught for 149 yards (besides the badly thrown interception, Rodgers threw away a pass on fourth down that Valdes-Scantling just happened to be the closest receiver to for his only other target). Jones again had a substandard day rushing, outside a 20-yard run on the Packers go-ahead drive and after his fumble.
Next week is against the 6-3 Colts and is no gimme game, with Philip Rivers seemingly playing well in his new suit. The Packers will certain need to play better than they did against the Jaguars, at least on offense.
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