Barnes’ Big Play, Bridgewater’s Poor Execution Deliver Pivotal Fumble

Krys Barnes' goal-line tackle produced a fumble that highlighted the Packers' strong defensive performance vs. Carolina.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – When the Green Bay Packers beat the Carolina Panthers 24-16 last year, it was Kyler Fackrell’s tackle of Christian McCaffrey at the south end-zone goal line as time expired that saved the day.

When the Packers beat the Panthers 24-16 on Saturday night, it was a play at the same goal line by a similarly unsung member of the defense that proved decisive.

On first-and-goal from the 1 midway through the second quarter, undrafted rookie linebacker Krys Barnes met airborne quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and knocked the ball loose. Cornerback Kevin King recovered, returned the ball into Panthers territory and set up a touchdown.

Just like that, Green Bay went from potentially leading only 14-10 to in total command at 21-3.

“That was the play of the game, no doubt about it,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “They caught us in a defense where they thought they were going to take advantage of and pound the football. I think our guys kind of knew what was coming there with the quarterback sneak. That’s just great awareness, and that’s why you saw him in there quite a bit. He did a great job punching that sucker out, and that definitely was the play of the game, the turning point of the game. You’re talking about a 14-point swing.”

While Green Bay escaped to improve to 11-3, Carolina for the eighth time this season lost a one-score game. It’s 4-10 under first-year coach Matt Rhule, who was not at all pleased with his veteran quarterback’s execution on the pivotal play.

“That’s just not how we execute it,” he said. “I’m anticipating when we run quarterback sneak, we wedge in and push it. Quarterback sneaks in the NFL right now are like 90 percent. You usually score on them. You usually get the yard and score. It was first down. You run the sneak, you don’t get in, you are at the 6-inch line. Next play, we hand it off. We had four downs. I expect every play can work if we do it right.”

What irked Rhule is Bridgewater failed to execute on two fronts. First, he jumped rather than simply following his linemen. Second, he extended the ball toward the goal line, which allowed Barnes to make the play.

“We don’t reach the ball over the goal line until fourth down. It’s just kind of a principal. We don’t do it. We never do it,” Rhule said. “You get to the moment and you can’t do new things. You know, you are at Lambeau in December playing a good team. You just have to trust yourself. I’m not talking about just Teddy, but the whole team. That play was emblematic. You talk about dramatic shift. Had he done that on fourth down, I can live with it, just not on first down, especially when I think we ran the ball well when we did run it tonight. That’s just a principle of our team. We don’t reach the ball across the goal line until fourth down.”

That was one of four red-zone stops by Green Bay’s defense, which entered the night ranked No. 28 with an opponent touchdown rate of 67.5 percent.

‘That’s just a great play by five-one getting the ball out,” safety Adrian Amos said of Barnes. “Quarterbacks usually try to do that – reach the ball over the goal line. That was quick thinking to get the ball out. That’s a big play. That saves points.”

For most of the season, Aaron Rodgers has carried a Packers team with a highly paid but underperforming defense. On this night, when the offense went into a prolonged funk after taking a 21-3 lead, it was the defense that saved the day by creating the huge turnover and matching its season low with 16 points allowed.

“If you’re keeping people out of the end zone, you’ve got a great chance of winning,” LaFleur said. “So, really proud of the effort down there in the red zone, and we need that moving forward.”

Next week’s game against Tennessee might be the biggest challenge of the season. The Titans, led by running Derrick Henry and efficient quarterback Ryan Tannehill, are fourth in scoring, third in total offense, third in rushing per play and fifth in passing per play. Henry’s got a shot to rush for 2,000 yards, Tannehill’s nearing 30 touchdowns and receivers Corey Davis and A.J. Brown are on track for 1,000-yard seasons.

“I just think we’re improving each and every week,” said Amos, who had seven tackles and three passes defensed. “I think we’re getting closer and closer to playing our best play. This is the time in the season where you want to start playing your best ball leading into the playoffs, getting that momentum into the playoffs and being stout on defense. Because that’s what matters a lot at the end of the season, playoff time, how your defense is playing.”