Packers squeak by, remain in playoff chase

It took clutch touchdowns from Davante Adams and a boneheaded throw from Cleveland quarterback DeShone Kizer.  But the Packers escaped FirstEnergy Stadium with a win to keep their toes in the NFC playoff water. With Aaron Rodgers perhaps set to return next week, Green Bay is looking a little friskier than they did a few weeks ago.

MVP

Adams came up with the game-tying touchdown in the final seconds of regulation. Then in overtime, he made arguably the Packers’ play of the year. A simple screen pass turned into a walk-off touchdown as Adams broke a tackle and rumbled 25 yards into the endzone. Adams’ 10 catches and 14 targets were both season-highs and his 84 yards was his third best in 2017.

LVP

After a multi-week stretch where he looked like a godsend, Aaron Jones‘ production has fallen off the face of the earth. A complete afterthought at this point with Jamaal Williams shouldering the touches, Jones had just four carries for minus-two yards. Brett Hundley took on much of the rushing load with Jones AWOL and finished with 31 yards on seven carries.

Key Stat

Speaking of Hundley, how is this for efficiency? 76.1 percent completion and three touchdowns. Granted, his yards per attempt was just 5.76. But in a game where the Packers struggled to run the ball, that high completion percentage was vital in keeping drives alive, especially in the second half. Green Bay punted only once after the break after punting three times in the first half.

Looking Ahead

It does not get any easier for Mike McCarthy and Green Bay. They will travel next week to Charlotte take on a Carolina Panthers team that just knocked off division-leading Minnesota. Will the Packers hand the reigns back to Rodgers this week? That is the question on everyone’s mind. They have a reason to now that Hundley has just kept the ship afloat long enough for them to remain in contention. After Carolina, Green Bay has two division games, so this season could very well come down to the final week.

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–Sam Smith is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Vikings and Full Press Coverage NFC North. Like and Follow @samc_smith Follow @fpc_vikingsFollow @fpc_nfcn