Live Updates: Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Chargers
The Green Bay Packers (7-1) face the Los Angeles Chargers (3-5) today in Carson, Calif. Follow along with live updates here, with the latest information at the bottom, and please join the conversation.
Today’s inactives
Packers receiver Davante Adams is back following a four-game absence with turf toe.
Adams caught 25 passes for 378 yards in the first four games – a pace for 100 receptions for 1,512 yards – but the Packers are 4-0 without him in the lineup. Clearly, the Packers are better with their Pro Bowl receiver and a key offensive leader, but it could be argued the offense’s growth in his absence should make the unit better in the long run.
Video: Aaron Rodgers on Davante Adams
“He’s our No. 1 receiver and he’s my guy,” tight end Jimmy Graham said on Friday. “I never want to see him down and out but the young guys really did step up and guys got some quality time with Aaron. For us to make a run and to keep winning, we’re going to have to have guys step up and have guys make plays. Obviously, that was awesome to see. As far as having your No. 1 receiver, you want him always, early and often. We’re excited to have him back and looking forward to getting his feet wet again, back in the game and getting him back confident.”
Adams missed practice for the first three weeks after the injury but returned on Wednesday and was limited participation all week. On Friday, he hurdled a member of the training staff – about as sure a sign as possible that he’d be back in action this week.
“I’m sure it will be” on my mind, Adams admitted on Wednesday. “Maybe for a few weeks, I’ll be thinking about it a little bit. But it’s not going to be something that will change the way I play. Obviously, I’ve been going for a month with a torn-up toe, so you get used to walking a certain way and all that. So, there’s a few things you’ve got to break but that’s not really too important for me. Because I feel like I can tap in and get mentally focused and be OK that way.”
The Packers’ inactives are receiver Ryan Grant, cornerbacks Ka’Dar Hollman and Josh Jackson, outside linebacker Tim Williams, offensive linemen Cole Madison and Adam Pankey, and tight end Robert Tonyan (hip).
Jackson, a second-round pick, has fallen off the radar on Green Bay’s defense. Meanwhile, tight end Jace Sternberger is active and will make his season debut after spending the first eight weeks on injured reserve.
Los Angeles’ inactive list includes starting defensive linemen Brandon Mebane and Justin Jones and starting safety Roderic Teamer. Teamer was a starter because Derwin James, Adrian Phillips and Nasir Adderley are on injured reserve.
World’s Best Preview
Here is the full World’s Best Preview, with stats, notes and quotes we guarantee you won’t find anywhere else.
Two-minute drill: Packers must capitalize
The good and bad of a big-play defense
Winning on the road
The Packers are 3-0 on the road, and they’ve all been impressive with victories at Chicago, Dallas and Kansas City. Green Bay went just 1-7 on the road last season and 3-5 in 2017 in falling short of the playoffs.
“I think we’re just learning how to win in different ways and dealing with adversity a little bit better,” said quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has a 102.0 passer rating on the road this season. “I think we’ve definitely finished on offense a lot better than in years past, especially on the road. I think about all three of those wins, we had close-out drives just about in the Chicago game and in Dallas, and the other night backed up on the 2-yard line. That’s winning football that we just didn’t do a whole lot of last year. And then timely stops on defense when the momentum is starting to swing. It gave us a leg up with that forced fumble and recovery by Tyler (Lancaster last week). It helped swing the momentum back in our favor and then they do down and score and we answer back with a screen that goes 60 for a touchdown. We just didn’t have those big momentum plays last year. We didn’t close out the games as well as we have so far.”
This game might be a road game in name only, with Packers fans expected to take over the Chargers’ 25,000-seat stadium, but it’s still a road game. The Chargers are 1-3 at home this season, including losses to Denver and Pittsburgh – two teams with losing records. They went 12-4 last season but just 5-3 at home.
“It should be exciting,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said, putting his best spin on the situation. “A lot of energy in the stadium. That’s all you need is an ass on every number, a lot of energy and go play football. Go play the game you love.”
Mr. Jones
Adams' return to the lineup will be a big addition to Green Bay's surging offense. But the Packers need to keep Aaron Jones as a featured piece of the puzzle, something Rodgers talked about in the associated video at the top of the story.
In October, Jones finished second in the league in yards from scrimmage (551; Minnesota's Dalvin Cook had 592) and first in touchdowns (seven). According to Inside Edge, Jones has forced 21 missed tackles this season, third-most among running backs.
Blitz package
The Packers were blitzed relentlessly last week but it probably will be a different story today. According to Inside Edge, the Chargers have blitzed a league-low 4 percent of the time since Week 5. Rodgers, meanwhile, has a passer rating of 125.0 when blitzed since Week 5, third-best in the league.
Getting a grasp on the challenge
Tackling will be key. The Chargers’ running backs lead the league with 574 yards after the catch this season. Green Bay’s defense, on the other hand, has allowed 519 yards after contact, the fifth-most in the league, according to Inside Edge. Green Bay has missed 67 tackles in eight games after missing 120 times all of last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
“If we have one missed tackle, I don’t know if I ever feel good about our tackles. It’s something where we have a very high standard. We want to make sure we’re getting guys on the ground,” defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said, attributing missed tackles to some of the big plays allowed. “You don’t live tackle in practice. It’s one of the hardest skills to maintain, especially as the year goes on, you’re doing as much individual work, we try to emphasize it as best we can. But it’s certainly something our guys are aware of know we need to be better.”
IT'S GAME TIME
First quarter
Chargers 3, Packers 0, 6:56 remaining.
The score: Michael Badgley hit a 29-yard field goal to cap a drive that started at their 5.
Key plays: The Chargers drove right down the field but the Packers stiffened when they needed to. On first-and-goal at the 10, Philip Rivers was flushed from the pocket and scrambled for about a foot. On second down, outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith pressured Rivers, then looped back from behind and dragged him down with help from defensive tackle Tyler Lancaster for a sack. On third down from the 11, outside linebacker Preston Smith and cornerback Kevin King thwarted an end-zone pass to tight end Hunter Henry.
Chargers 3, Packers 0
Davante Adams returned and had an 8-yard catch on second-and-16, but defensive end Joey Bosa beat left tackle David Bakhtiari for a sack.
Chargers 6, Packers 0, 1:04 remaining.
The score: Michael Badgley split the uprights on a 40-yard field goal.
Key plays: Philip Rivers hit receiver Mike Williams for a gain of 57 to the Packers’ 13. Cornerback Jaire Alexander went for the breakup but couldn’t get the ball, and Williams turned on the jets for a big gain up the sideline. But, like the first drive, Green Bay’s red-zone defense slammed on the brakes. An illegal shift on the Chargers and a sack by Preston Smith led to the field goal.
Second quarter
Chargers 6, Packers 0, 12:37 remaining
Green Bay was outgained 136-7 in the first quarter and was down 7-0 on first downs through the first quarter. The Packers got a first down to start the second quarter but a false-start penalty – Green Bay’s third of the game – and a third-down sacks killed the drive.
Chargers 9, Packers 0, 0:00 remaining.
The score: Michael Badgley’s third field goal of the day, a 34-yarder, gave the Chargers a two-score edge at halftime.
Key play: On second-and-5 from the Packers’ 35, Philip Rivers threw deep for Keenan Allen. Really, though, the only player in the vicinity was cornerback Jaire Alexander, who couldn’t make a backpedaling interception at the sideline. Rivers converted the third-and-5 with completion to Melvin Gordon. A holding penalty on left tackle Russell Okung perhaps got the Packers off the hook from more damage.
The Chargers held overwhelming edges of 250-50 in yards, 13-3 in first downs and 35-18 in plays at intermission. Rivers was 17-of-22 passing for 212 yards. Aaron Rodgers was 6-of-9 for 35 yards.
Third quarter
Chargers 12, Packers 0, 9:41 remaining.
The score: Michael Badgley is every fantasy football player’s best friend. His fourth field goal of the day was a 43-yarder.
Key plays: Philip Rivers hit receiver Keenan Allen for 20 and running back Melvin Gordon – who entered the game averaging 2.5 yards per carry – hurdle Chandon Sullivan at the end of a 15-yard run to put the Chargers into scoring position. On third-and-3, defensive tackle Kenny Clark applied the pressure as Rivers couldn’t hit Gordon.
Chargers 19, Packers 0, 3:56 remaining
The score: Melvin Gordon scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. He followed fullback Derek Watt but hardly needed the efforts of his former Wisconsin teammate.
Key play: After yet another failed Green Bay position, Chargers linebacker Dru Tranquill got past Packers linebacker B.J. Goodson and blocked J.K. Scott’s punt. The Chargers took over at the 27 to set up what might be the clinching score. The Chargers have a 329-60 edge in yardage.
Chargers 19, Packers 3, 46 seconds remaining
The score: Mason Crosby made a 54-yard field goal.
Key play: Tremon Smith’s 36-yard kickoff return set up the Packers at the 40. With a chance to do more, Aaron Rodgers’ pass in the flat bounced to Marquez Valdes-Scantling on first down, his pass to Davante Adams lost 3 yards on second down and there was nobody open on third down.
Fourth quarter
Chargers 26, Packers 3, 10:32 remaining
The score: Michael Badgley booted a 19-yard field goal but cornerback Tony Brown was offside. A 19-point lead might have been insurmountable, but Chargers coach Anthony Lynn brought his offense back on the field for fourth-and-goal at the 1. The Chargers blocked inside linebacker Blake Martinez and Melvin Gordon overpowered inside linebacker B.J. Goodson at the goal line for the score.
Key play: On the first play after Green Bay’s score, Philip Rivers went deep to Mike Williams for a gain of 46 on a jump ball against cornerback Jaire Alexander.
Chargers 26, Packers 11, 6:21 remaining
The score: Aaron Rodgers extended the play to his left and found running back Jamaal Williams for a 10-yard touchdown. Rodgers scrambled for the two-point conversion.
Key play: None, really. The Chargers backed off and Rodgers completed 9-of-9 passes for 75 yards on the drive. Before that, he was 11-of-19 for 61 yards.
