Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
Valdes-Scantling’s 78-yard touchdown was an early spark
The Green Bay Packers got standout plays from Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and the defense’s pass-rushers to escape an upset attempt by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The Packers lost the turnover battle and gave up a punt return for a touchdown but still managed to come from behind in the fourth quarter to win, sending the Jaguars to an eighth consecutive loss.
Here are the studs and duds from the Packers’ win over the Jaguars in Week 10:
STUDS
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling: With the Jaguars shading help toward Davante Adams, Valdes-Scantling stepped up and made big plays. His 78yard touchdown was an early spark. It was a simple go-route, but his vertical speed created terrific separation. Later, he made a smart play in the scramble drill, sitting down in an opening to create a 22-yard catch on third down. Later, he showed some run after the catch ability on a bubble screen for 18 yards, setting up the go-ahead touchdown. Overall, Valdes-Scantling had three catches over 20 yards and finished with a career-best 149 yards.
OLB Za’Darius Smith: His sack qualified as a coverage sack. He won late in the rep and Jake Luton was right in his lap for an easy one. But Smith was still consistently disruptive. He had three tackles within three yards of the line of scrimmage against the run, and his pressure on Luton helped rush the throw on Adrian Amos’ interception. He probably should have ended the game with a sack when he whooped the right guard and nearly took down Luton on the 4thand-26 play. The pressure still blew up the play.
OLB Rashan Gary: Late in the game, Gary took over. Of his seven pressures, at least four came on the final drive, including a sack and a pressure resulting in a sack on the final drive. He attempted speed rushes against right tackle Jawaan Taylor but often came up empty bending around the edge. On one, Taylor tossed him to the ground. But when Gary came with power, he dominated. On back-toback plays on the final drive, he bullrushed Taylor into the backfield and disrupted the passing attempt almost immediately. His seven pressures were a career-high.
QB Aaron Rodgers: His interception was an uncharacteristic throw. He didn’t see Sidney Jones undercutting the route and then didn’t make an accurate throw. It was a bad play. But Rodgers was otherwise very good in tough conditions. He completed 70.6 percent of his passes, averaged 9.6 yards per attempt, hit four passes over 10 yards despite the wind, threw the go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and ran in a score.
DUDS
CB Chandon Sullivan: He gave up a third-down conversion to D.J. Chark from the slot, and his pass interference penalty handed the Jaguars an extra set of downs in the fourth quarter. Overall, the Jaguars beat him for five completions and three first downs. He also missed a tackle in the open field on Keelan Cole, leading to a first down.
RT Billy Turner: His flip back to the right side was a struggle at times, mostly due to the pass-rushing ability of Josh Allen. Turner gave up two pressures and committed two penalties, including one holding penalty against Allen that negated a touchdown pass. On a fourth-down play in the third quarter, Allen beat Turner inside and forced a hurried, inaccurate throw from Rodgers, leading to a turnover on downs. In the run game, Turner earned the lowest run-blocking grade at Pro Football Focus of the Packers’ five starters.
LB Oren Burks: He played just five snaps on defense. On one of his coverage snaps, Burks briefly vacated his zone in an eight-man coverage, allowing Jake Luton to make a tight throw to Keelan Cole for a touchdown.
P JK Scott: He hit two punts under 40 yards, including a 30-yard punt after the Packers couldn’t close the game on offense late in the fourth quarter. The mishit could have been huge. He also hit a low, line-drive punt that provided space and time for Keelan Cole on the 91-yard return for a score. His coverage team failed to keep lane integrity, leaving Scott one-on-one with Cole in the open field. It ended predictably, and hilariously.