3 takeaways from Packers’ win over Panthers in Week 15

1. All gas, then hit the brakes

The Packers looked well on their way to a big victory after putting touchdowns on the board on each of their opening three drives while limiting the Panthers to just a field goal in that time. The defense also forced a fumble at the one-yard line to prevent the Panthers from putting a touchdown on the board.

But then everything changed.

We’ve seen this on more than one occasion from Matt LaFleur’s team. Start fast, build a lead, then struggle offensively. The Packers led 10-0 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but lost 38-10. They led the Indianapolis Colts 28-14 at halftime but lost 34-31.

Green Bay held on for victory here but it wasn’t a great second half for the offense. After scoring 21 points in the opening two quarters, the team could only manage a single Mason Crosby field goal the rest of the way, and that required an excellent 51-yard conversion.

Aaron Rodgers was sacked five times in the game, Davante Adams couldn’t get going, while JK Scott ended up with a much busier night than it initially looked to be.

The Packers had opportunities to put the game away but struggled to do so, eventually allowing the Panthers to pull within a touchdown. But in the end, their fast start was enough to lead to victory, and that’s all that matters.