The Green Bay Packers started quickly and cruised to a dominating, record-setting day. Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes and ran for another as the Packers crushed the Tennessee Titans 55-7 at Lambeau Field. The Titans avoided being shut out when they scored their only points of the game with just 1:39 left in the fourth quarter. The Packers defense recorded seven sacks and held the Titans to 180 total yards.
Aaron Rodgers Leads the Packers to 55 Points Against the Titans: The Leadup
The Packers entered the game with a 10-4 record. The team was on a roll, having won three straight games and eight of their last nine. The Titans entered with a 5-9 record. A win over the New York Jets the previous week ended a three-game losing streak.
If the Packers won their final two games, they still had a chance to earn the number two seed in the NFC and get a first-round bye in the playoffs. This would be the final home game for the Packers who were ready to get defensive back Charles Woodson back from a broken collarbone.
There was excitement and optimism at Lambeau Field for this important game.
The Packers Start Quickly
The Packers offensive onslaught started on their second possession of the game. Ryan Grant ran three times for 33 yards on the drive that culminated with a six-yard run by Rodgers to put the Packers ahead 7-0.
After a three-and-out by Tennessee, the Packers took over at the Titans 43. Rodgers completed three straight passes, and the Packers extended their lead. First, it was James Jones for 15 yards, then Greg Jennings for eight. On the third play, Rodgers found Randall Cobb for 20 yards and a score. The Packers led 14-0.
The Packers planned to blitz Titans quarterback Jake Locker, and it paid off. The Titans had five offensive linemen at four positions out with injuries. As a result, the Packers pressured Locker and kept forcing him into mistakes. “We ran not always the same blitz but similar blitzes from the strong side with everyone kind of slanting,” linebacker A.J. Hawk explained. He led the team with two sacks. “But it’s everyone just doing their job and if you can find a way to beat the guy inside, everyone just slides down.”
Late in the first quarter, Erik Walden intercepted Locker and returned it to Titans 14. That set up a 26-yard field goal by Mason Crosby in the opening minute of the second quarter. Another field goal by Crosby from 48-yards out made it 20-0 Packers at the half.
Aaron Rodgers Leads the Packers to 55 Points Against the Titans: The Pack Turns It On
The Packers kept scoring in the second half. They took the opening kickoff and drove 60 yards on six plays for another touchdown. On the second play of the drive, Rodgers found Cobb for 31 yards. During the game, Cobb set a new Packers single-season record for combined yards for the season with 2,342. The old record was 2,250 set by Ahman Green in 2003. DuJuan Harris scored on a seven-yard run and the lead was 27-0.
The Packers marched for touchdowns on their first five drives of the second half. After Harris scored, Rodgers threw touchdown passes to Jennings from one yard out and Jones from 12 yards out. Then, Grant ran for two more from seven and nine yards out. Grant ran 20 times for 80 yards in the game which doubled his previous season total. Grant had just re-signed with the Packers after James Starks suffered a season-ending knee injury.
“It’s great to have Ryan back,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after the game. “He gives us so much more off the field but he’s such a hard-nosed, downhill runner.”
The Titans scored late in the game to prevent the shutout, but the Pack cruised to a 55-7 win. This was a near perfect game for the Packers. They committed no turnovers and had just one penalty for 10 yards all game. They also outgained the Titans 460 to 180.
The Aftermath
The Packers were obviously thrilled with the dominating win as they got ready for the playoffs.
“I think this is the type of statement game you want to have rolling into the postseason,” said linebacker Brad Jones.
“Today was all about the finish, and you see what we can do when we finish,” added tight end Jermichael Finley. “Offense, defense and special teams, all played well today. We’ve got that momentum. Everyone knows playing good football in December is key, and that’s what we did today.”
The win improved the Packers record to 11-4. They had a chance to clinch the second seed in the NFC Playoffs with a win in the season finale in Minnesota.
“If we’re able to get the two seed and get a week off, it’d probably help a couple of our injured guys,” Rodgers said. “If not, a couple years ago we went the distance playing every week and making that work. We’ll just wait and see.”
The Packers lost to Minnesota in the season finale but beat them the following week in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
The Packers just enjoyed their strong performance against the Titans. “It was important for us to go out and dominate the opponents late in the year. We have momentum going for us, particularly what we’ve done over the last nine weeks, 10 weeks, so we wanted to take the next step as a football team,” McCarthy said. “I felt we were able to accomplish that today.”
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