Dunne: Green Bay Packers too pass-happy with Aaron Rodgers

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The Green Bay Packers beat the Carolina Panthers, 24-16, on Saturday night to improve to 11-3 on the season. The Packers have won six of their last seven games, including four straight, and have the best record in the NFC.

But their performance Saturday, especially in the second half, left much to be desired.

“That second half was pretty ugly against an inferior opponent,” NFL reporter Tyler Dunne said on The DA Show. “Is it Matt LaFleur? Is it Aaron Rodgers maybe calling some passes there in the second half? Is it some combination of both? I don’t know, but they could have handed the ball to Aaron Jones [and] run away with this game. They could have given it to A.J. Dillon a dozen times in the second half, and they probably win by two scores. Instead they have to sweat it out a little bit.”

The Packers led 21-3 at halftime but mustered just three points in the second half. Green Bay’s running game was dominant, as Jones ran 20 times for 145 yards and a score, but the Packers attempted more passes (29) than runs (27). Five of those runs, by the way, were scrambles by Rodgers.

Dunne isn’t sure why.

“This might be a stretch, but you hear the head coach talking a lot about that MVP vote, and you hear Aaron Rodgers – [he] sounds like a guy who really wants to win that MVP,” Dunne said. “But at some point in that second half, you just have to realize if we run the ball, we’re running going away. They can run the ball against anybody sometimes with that offensive line they have, with the three different backs they have. You get into January football, you’re going to have to lean on the run.”

Rodgers finished 20-of-29 for 143 yards, two touchdowns (one pass, one rush), and five sacks. He has thrown 40 touchdowns to just four interceptions through 14 games.

“Aaron Rodgers has been phenomenal this season,” Dunne said, “but there’s going to be points in the playoffs where you should just run the ball because that’s how you ice games that time of year. It’s definitely come back to bite them in the playoffs before, too, so [that’s] a concern. Is this a team that, when it gets down to it, is going to get a little too pass-happy with Aaron Rodgers, whether it’s the quarterback or the play-caller? That’s where my concern is with that team right now.”

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