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 For the second consecutive week, it was the Packers' defense -- not
the two-time MVP quarterback -- that was the reason Green Bay stayed
undefeated. Behind four interceptions of Nick Foles, the Packers
beat the St. Louis Rams 24-10 on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The Packers are 5-0 for the first time since starting 13-0 in 2011.
"Good team win today, starting with the defense," Packers coach Mike
McCarthy said. "I thought they were clearly the key to our victory.
Just the big plays and the constant pressure. So scrappy, a lot of
adversity, up and down but, heck, it's great to have those kind of
wins. 5-0 feels good."
Rodgers was 19-of-30 for 241 yards and two touchdowns, but St. Louis
picked him off twice and also took the ball away with a fumble. That
gave the Rams (2-3) a fighting chance to pull off back-to-back road
upsets after knocking off Arizona last week.
However, while Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley pounded out 159
rushing yards on 30 attempts, Foles was miserable. He was just
10-of-26 for 73 yards until a long completion to Steadman Bailey in
the final moments. He was sacked three times and faced constant
pressure, finishing 11-of-30 passing for 141 yards.
"You can't turn it over four times, especially turn it over to
Aaron, like we did," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. "I'm sure we are
going to look at things and say there's some really good things."
The Packers' offense, which had been in a funk since the opening
drive against the Rams' superb defense, struck quickly after
halftime. Rodgers hit wide receiver James Jones on a post pattern at
midfield, and Jones took it the distance for a 65-yard touchdown to
put Green Bay in front 21-10.
The Rams had several opportunities but couldn't take advantage. They
kept a drive alive when punter Johnny Hekker completed a pass to
safety Cody Davis for a gain of 20 on a fake punt. However, that
drive bogged down and Greg Zuerlein's 50-yard field-goal attempt was
blocked by defensive end Datone Jones.
The Rams, however, got it right back on defensive end Robert Quinn's
sack-strip of Rodgers, with cornerback Lamarcus Joyner recovering.
However, after one first down, the Rams' offense went in reverse and
Zuerlein missed wide left from 53.
The Packers couldn't take advantage of either short field, and St.
Louis appeared poised to make it a one-score game on Gurley's
55-yard run and a 15-yard end-around by Tavon Austin that advanced
the ball to the 10. However, on third-and-goal from the 7, Foles'
pass to tight end Lance Kendricks was deflected by linebacker Joe
Thomas and intercepted by safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the end zone.
"I've got to make better decisions to give my teammates the
opportunity to make a play," Foles said. "I didn't do that during
those throws. Our defense and special teams gave us the
opportunity."
The Rams' next possession died on linebacker Clay Matthews'
second-down sack. On fourth-and-7, the Rams elected to attempt a
63-yard field goal rather than keep Foles and Co. on the field with
3:37remaining. Zuerlein had plenty of leg but not nearly enough
accuracy.
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Green Bay's Mason Crosby tacked on a 35-yard field goal with about a
minute to go to complete the scoring.
The Packers took an unusual path to a 14-10 lead at halftime.
Rodgers and Foles entered the game with the lowest interception
rates in NFL history among quarterbacks with at least 1,000 career
passing attempts. They threw three interceptions in the first 14
minutes as the Packers bolted to a 14-0 lead. Rodgers' interception,
a deflection that was snared by linebacker James Laurianitis,
snapped his record streak of 486 consecutive passes (580 including
playoffs) without an interception at home dating to Dec. 2, 2012.
"It was a lot of fun," Rodgers said of the streak. "(I'm going to)
have to start a new one. I figured I might as well break the streak
with a couple interceptions today. Streaks are meant to be broken,
so it's fun to put something together like that. But I'm sure
somebody will come along at some point and put up 600 in a row
maybe. Maybe not."
Green Bay drew first blood, with the Rams blowing coverage on a
third-and-6 pass to wide receiver Ty Montgomery. He caught the ball
at the 24 and sprinted untouched for a 31-yard touchdown. Late in
the first quarter, an under-fire Foles threw a bad pass that
cornerback Quinten Rollins intercepted and returned 45 yards for a
touchdown.
St. Louis hung in there, though, and seized momentum late in the
first half. Foles' short flip to Austin turned into a 6-yard
touchdown. The Rams then intercepted Rodgers again, with Trumaine
Johnson jumping a route to Jones and returning it 29 yards to the
Packers' 33. Zuerlein's 42-yard field goal brought the Rams within
14-10 with 1:40 left in the half.
NOTES: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers hadn't thrown two interceptions in a
home game since Oct. 24, 2010, vs. Minnesota. ... Both teams lost
starting guards in the first half to injuries -- Green Bay's T.J.
Lang (knee) and St. Louis' Rodger Saffold (shoulder). Plus, Green
Bay OLB Nick Perry (shoulder), NT B.J. Raji (groin) and St. Louis DE
Chris Long (knee) also were injured and did not return. ... Rodgers'
three-turnover game was his first since 2009. ... The Packers'
three-interception game was their first since October 2012 at
Houston. ... For his career, two-time Pro Bowl Rams punter Johnny
Hekker is 6-of-8 passing. ... The Rams went 0-for-4 in the red zone,
including 0-for-2 in goal-to-go situations.
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