Four days after coming back to beat the Dallas Cowboys, the Green Bay Packers (4-7) were unable to recreate the magic in a lifeless, 27-17 defeat at the hands of the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night at Lambeau Field. The loss, Green Bay’s sixth in seven games, likely ends any realistic chance of Matt LaFleur’s team making the postseason in 2022.
It was over when…
… Aaron Jones was stuffed on 4th-and-1 at Tennessee’s 44-yard line with the Packers down 10 points and 2:04 left in the fourth quarter.
Game balls
– WR Christian Watson: The rookie followed up his three-touchdown performance against the Cowboys with two more touchdowns, both of which came in the red zone.
– OLB Preston Smith: On his 30th birthday, Smith produced a pair of drive-ending sacks of Ryan Tannehill.
– KR/PR Keisean Nixon: He had a 32-yard kickoff return, and his 24-yard punt return was the Packers’ longest of the season.
Key stat
408: The Packers gave up 408 yards to the Titans, including 320 passing yards.
Scoring
0-7: Dontrell Hillard 14-yard touchdown catch (extra point)
6-7: Christian Watson 14-yard touchdown catch (extra point blocked)
6-14: Derrick Henry 4-yard touchdown run (extra point)
9-14: Mason Crosby 39-yard field goal
9-20: Austin Hooper 3-yard touchdown catch
17-20: Christian Watson 8-yard touchdown catch (two-point conversion)
17-27: Austin Hooper 16-yard touchdown catch (extra point)
Quick hits
– The Packers, now losers of six of the last seven games, will almost certainly need to win six straight games to have a chance at the postseason.
– The Titans scored first, led at halftime and never trailed.
– The Packers rushed for only 56 yards and averaged only 2.9 yards per rush, and Aaron Jones turned 18 total touches into just 60 yards. The Titans had five tackles for losses, including four against the run.
– Aaron Rodgers played well through the first three quarters but missed too many throws down the stretch.
– The Packers held Derrick Henry to 87 yards on 28 carries (3.1 per carry), but he threw a touchdown pass and caught two passes for 45 yards, including a 42-yarder setting up a score.
– The Titans had four players with a catch of at least 30 yards.
– Randall Cobb caught all six of his targets for 73 yards, including two over 20 yards.
– Watson caught five touchdown passes in the span of four days and eight quarters.
– The Packers finished with fewer yards, first downs, total yards, total plays, passing yards, rushing yards, explosive plays, red-zone trips and time of possession.
– The Titans scored touchdowns on three straight possessions spanning the second and third quarters. Then, with four opportunities to get back into the game down 10 points, the Packers went: punt, punt, turnover on downs, turnover on downs.
What’s next
The Packers get a mini-bye coming out of the Thursday night game but will go to Philadelphia to play the Eagles on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 12.
