Aaron Rodgers threw for one touchdown and ran for another, Aaron Jones rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown and the Green Bay Packers held on for a 24-16 win over the visiting Carolina Panthers on Saturday night.
Rodgers completed 20 of 29 passes for 143 yards for Green Bay (11-3), which won its fourth game in a row. The Packers already had clinched the NFC North Division title and are competing for the top seed in the conference playoffs.
Teddy Bridgewater completed 21 of 35 passes for 258 yards and had a rushing touchdown for Carolina (4-10). D.J. Moore led the team with six catches for 131 yards, while Mike Davis paced the ground game with 14 carries for 59 yards.
Davante Adams’ eight-game touchdown streak came to an end for the Packers. He finished tied for third in NFL history behind Jerry Rice (12 games, 1987) and A.J. Green (nine games, 2012).
Green Bay opened the scoring on its first possession. Rodgers connected with Robert Tonyan for a 1-yard touchdown, which capped off a seven-play, 81-yard drive that took only 3:43 off the clock.
The play marked Tonyan’s 10th touchdown of the season and his fifth game in a row with a score. It has been a breakout season for the tight end, who made his debut for Green Bay in 2018 as a little-known, undrafted free agent from Indiana State.
Carolina pulled within 7-3 on a 36-yard field goal by Joey Slye with 5:57 left in the first quarter.
The Packers added two more touchdowns in the second quarter to grab a 21-3 lead at the half. Rodgers scored on a 6-yard run with 14:15 remaining in the second quarter, and Jones reached the end zone on an 8-yard run with 3:58 to go.
The Panthers cut the deficit to 21-10 with 5:15 left in the third quarter. Bridgewater kept the ball and sprinted up the middle for 13 yards and his career-best fifth rushing touchdown of the season.
Carolina made it a one-score game at 21-13 when Slye made a 22-yard field goal with 8:39 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Mason Crosby pushed Green Bay’s lead to 24-13 with a 51-yard field goal with 3:39 to go.
Slye capped the scoring with a 33-yard field goal with 2:04 left.
