Live Updates: Green Bay Packers vs. Tennessee Titans
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers (11-3) are hosting the Tennessee Titans (10-4) on Sunday night at snowy Lambeau Field. Follow along all night for updates.
Final Score
The Packers improved to 12-3 by beating the Titans 40-14.
Fourth Quarter
Packers 40, Titans 14 (2:25 remaining)
AJ Dillon plowed ahead for a 7-yard touchdown. The highlight of the series was Aaron Rodgers’ 32-yard completion to Davante Adams. The coverage was excellent; the pass was perfect.
Schedule Update
The NFL announced during the fourth quarter that next week's Packers-Bears game will be played at 3:25 p.m. Sunday. Also:
The Washington Football Team will face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football on NBC in Week 17, the NFL announced today.
If the Tennessee Titans defeat the Green Bay Packers in tonight’s game, Tennessee will face the Houston Texans at 1 p.m. ET Sunday on CBS and the Indianapolis Colts will host the Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 p.m. ET Sunday on CBS. If Green Bay defeats Tennessee, both the Tennessee-Houston and Jacksonville-Indianapolis games will be played at 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday on CBS.
Third Quarter
Packers 33, Titans 14 (3:35 remaining)
A big back like AJ Dillon would seem to be perfect for short-yardage runs. Sure enough, on fourth-and-1, the rookie broke tackle attempts by cornerback Adoree Jackson and safety Kenny Vaccaro for a 30-yard touchdown. The tale of the tape: Dillon has 14 carries for 92 yards and his first career touchdown, Aaron Jones has nine carries for 84 yards and Davante Adams has nine receptions for 83 yards and three touchdowns.
Injury update: On the first play of the drive, right tackle Rick Wagner was injured and eventually driven to the locker room. Lucas Patrick stepped in at right guard and Billy Turner moved from right guard to right tackle.
Packers 26, Titans 14 (10:27 remaining)
The Packers restored order quickly. On the first play after the Titans’ touchdown, Aaron Jones bounced off a blocker, sprinted around left end, avoided going out of bounds (maybe) on a shove by cornerback Adoree Jackson and motored down the sideline for a gain of 59 yards to the 7. One play later, Rodgers had ample time to go through his progressions before Davante Adams got inexplicably open in the middle of the end zone for the touchdown. Jones got over 1,000 yards for the season on the big run. Adams scored his 17th touchdown, one off Sterling Sharpe’s team record set in 1994 and tied for fifth in NFL history.
Packers 19, Titans 14 (12:01 remaining)
On third-and-1, the Titans took advantage of Green Bay’s focus on Derrick Henry. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill put the ball in Henry’s belly, watched the defense swarm, pulled the ball out and took off to the right for a 45-yard touchdown run. Safety Adrian Amos, in particular, took the bait. Just like that, after Green Bay dominated most of the first half, it’s a one-score game.
RELATED: Packers must be wary of Tannehill's wheels
Halftme
Packers 19, Titans 7
At sportsbooks, the individual bet was Derrick Henry vs. Aaron Jones. Instead, Packers rookie AJ Dillon – a featured part of the plan with Jamaal Williams inactive – had 10 carries for 51 yards compared to 11 carries for 35 yards for Henry. Aaron Rodgers is 15-of-18 passing for 140 yards.
The Titans got some momentum late in the first half and will get the ball to start the second half.
Second Quarter
Packers 19, Titans 7 (37 seconds remaining)
The Titans got back into the game just before halftime on Ryan Tannehill’s 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jonnu Smith. They’ll get the ball coming out of halftime for a chance to make it a one-score game. The Titans’ playmakers finally got going, with A.J. Brown catching passes for 10, 12 and 12 yards and Derrick Henry breaking loose for an 11-yard run.
Packers 19, Titans 0 (4:16 remaining)
The Packers failed to score for the first time of the night but averted disaster. Jack Crawford blocked Mason Crosby’s field-goal attempt, with Amani Hooker scooping up the loose ball and returning it 76 yards to Green Bay’s 10. However, Joshua Kalu was flagged for offside. That made it fourth-and-3. Coach Matt LaFleur sent the offense back on the field but Aaron Rodgers was sacked.
Packers 19, Titans 0 (10:46 remaining)
Three drives, three touchdown passes by Aaron Rodgers as the Packers are frolicking in the Lambeau Field snow. Set up at the Titans’ 34 following Darnell Savage’s interception, the Packers took advantage. With Aaron Jones walking off following a first-down incompletion, AJ Dillon gained 14 yards on a draw and 6 yards up the middle on third-and-2. The touchdown came on a fade over cornerback Adoree Jackson. That's Adams' second touchdown of the night vs. Jackson. Dillon, meanwhile, has career highs of seven rushes for 38 yards.
Packers 12, Titans 0 (13:30 remaining)
Safety Darnell Savage continued his hot start to the game and hot streak. On third-and-4, Za’Darius Smith applied the heat and Savage intercepted the pass. He’s got four interceptions in his last five games.
Packers 12, Titans 0 (14:54 remaining)
On third-and-1 on the first play of the second quarter, Rodgers had ample time and found Equanimeous St. Brown streaking away from Desmond King for a 21-yard touchdown. Aaron Jones was stopped on the two-point run. Rodgers is 9-of-10 passing for 84 yards. The big play came on third-and-10. Running back A.J. Dillon was dropped well short of the first down on a feeble screen but linebacker Rashaan Evans was flagged for illegal hands to the face.
First Quarter
Packers 6, Titans 0 (5:50 remaining)
With the Titans driving toward scoring range, safety Darnell Savage broke up a pass on second down and came unblocked on a blitz on third down to force an incompletion. Brett Kern’s punt from the 32 was a touchback.
Packers 6, Titans 0 (9:55 remaining)
Starting at the 40 after Stephen Gostkowski’s kickoff dribbled out of bounds, the Packers dashed through the snow for the opening score. Completions of 7 and 8 yards to Davante Adams, a 12-yard run by Aaron Jones and a 13-yard pass to Dominque Dafney got the Packers into scoring position. Finally, on first-and-goal from the 5, Aaron Rodgers fired a pass to the right to Adams, who beat the corner for the touchdown. It was Adams’ 15th touchdown catch of the season. His second reception of the drive was No. 100 of the season and No. 531 for career. James Lofton was No. 4 on the franchise list with 530 receptions.
Big Game? Or Big Lame?
With the Seattle Seahawks’ victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon, this game no longer is dripping with importance. Win or lose against the Titans, the Packers would win the No. 1 seed with a win next week at Chicago.
If the Packers fall to Tennessee, they’d be 11-4 overall and 9-2 vs. the NFC. New Orleans is 11-4 (9-2) and Seattle is 11-4 (8-3). If all three teams win next week – New Orleans plays at Carolina (5-10) and Seattle plays at San Francisco (6-9) – the Packers and Saints would survive a three-team tiebreaker based on conference record. The Packers would then beat the Saints because of their victory at New Orleans in Week 3.
With that, will coach Matt LaFleur play to win the game? A win vs. Tennessee would loom large if the Seahawks stumble next week against the 49ers. Or will he play to stay healthy for next week?
Meanwhile, with so much at stake for next week as Green Bay chases the No. 1 seed and Chicago fights for a playoff berth – and the lack of compelling games elsewhere – Packers-Bears might get moved into the Sunday night slot.
Prediction
Nights like tonight are why the Packers say they want the No. 1 seed. However, can they thrive on a night that seems perfect for a power running team like the Titans?
Incredibly, the Titans are No. 1 in scoring, the Chiefs are No. 2 and the Packers are No. 3, with each team one point ahead of the other. Green Bay’s defense is mediocre but Tennessee’s defense is bad overall and terrible where it matters – red zone and third down. Can Green Bay take advantage of those weaknesses in a snowstorm? And does the fact they can’t clinch the No. 1 seed take any lead out of their pencil?
Titans 34, Packers 24 (Bill’s Record: 12-2)
Offensive Line
With Corey Linsley back at center, the Packers are going through warmups with Billy Turner at right guard, Rick Wagner at right tackle and Lucas Patrick on the bench.
When Linsley last played in Week 12 vs. Chicago, the Packers rolled with left tackle David Bakhtiari, left guard Elgton Jenkins, Linsley at center, Patrick at right guard and Turner at right tackle. However, with Patrick struggling the last few weeks, coach Matt LaFleur opted for a new starting five.
Inactives
There was no big news on the inactives lists, other than center Corey Linsley being active and presumably back in the starting lineup after missing the last three games with a knee injury.
For Green Bay, quarterback Jordan Love, safety Will Redmond (concussion), running back Jamaal Williams (quad), outside linebacker Jonathan Garvin, guard Simon Stepaniak (knee), defensive lineman Anthony Rush and tight end Jace Sternberger (concussion) are out.
RELATED: Green Bay's improving run defense vs. Derrick Henry
Without Williams, who was doubtful, rookie AJ Dillon figures to get his heaviest workload of a quiet rookie season. He’s carried only 24 times, including one in his two games back following a monthlong bout with COVID-19. Dexter Williams was elevated from the practice squad to provide a third running back.
“AJ’s had a great week of practice,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Thursday. “You can tell he’s got his wind back.”
Rush was on the injury report with an illness but was full participation on Thursday and would have been full participation again on Friday had the team practiced. His absence was signaled on Saturday when Brian Price was elevated to the roster.
The Titans will be without outside linebacker Derick Roberson, who is fifth on the team with 11 pressures.
Second to None
The Packers could quietly set an NFL record tonight.
They have scored 185 points in the second quarter this season, already the third-most of all-time. In 2007, the Patriots scored 199 points. The Chargers scored 190 points in 1980.
For this year, New Orleans is a distant second with 167 points in the second quarters of its 15 games.
Countdown To Kickoff
Five Days: Five Keys to the Game
Four Days; Four Views from Inside the Titans
Three Days: Three Reasons to Worry
Final Countdown: Pettine vs. Top Running Backs
Linsley Returns (and More Roster Moves)
Elgton Jenkins: His Best Position
