Packers 55, Titans 14
GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Tennessee Titans broke a four-game losing streak last week against the New York Jets. But the Green Bay Packers are not the Jets.
The Packers continued their surge to the playoffs, winning their fourth in a row and their ninth in last 10 games in drubbing the Titans 55-7 on Sunday at Lambeau Field. If San Francisco loses at Seattle on Sunday night, Green Bay would be the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff race.
By the time the Titans (5-11) got their initial first down, the Packers (11-4) led 14-0, and the rout was on. Aaron Rodgers had three touchdown passes, a touchdown run and 342 passing yards in barely three quarters and the defense forced two turnovers and seven sacks.
It was Green Bay's first 50-point game since a 52-3 win over New Orleans on Oct. 9, 2005, and its most points since a 55-14 win over Tampa Bay on Oct. 2, 1983.
The Packers had excellent field position throughout the first half en route to a 20-0 advantage. Starting at its 44-yard line, Ryan Grant had runs of 18 and 9 yards to set up Rodgers' six-yard touchdown run. On their next possession, the Packers took over at the Titans' 44. On the third play of the possession, Rodgers rolled to his right and threw a 20-yard strike to Randall Cobb for the touchdown.
Late in the first quarter, Green Bay's Erik Walden intercepted a deflected pass and returned it to the Titans' 14. That set up a short field goal on the second play of the second quarter to extend the count to 17-0.
Tennessee's offense, meanwhile, was miserable. The Titans had 96 yards, four first downs and two turnovers in the first half. Chris Johnson, who missed a couple series after being tackled in the backfield by Clay Matthews, had 17 yards on eight first-half carries.
Green Bay buried the Titans to start the second half. A 31-yard completion to Cobb set up DuJuan Harris' seven-yard touchdown run, and Grant's 34-yard catch-and-run to the 1-yard line preceded Rodgers' touchdown pass to Greg Jennings.
On the second play of the fourth quarter, Rodgers hit James Jones for his league-leading 13th touchdown reception to make it 41-0. A 58-yard punt return by Jeremy Ross set up the first of Grant's two fourth-quarter touchdowns runs.
Jake Locker broke up the shutout with a 39-yard completion to Kenny Britt to the 2-yard line and then a 2-yard touchdown pass to Britt with 1:39 to go.
Notes: Cobb, with a 12-yard punt return to open the game, broke Ahman Green's franchise record for combined net yards. Cobb entered the game with 2,241 yards on rushes, receptions and returns; Green had 2,250 in 2003. ... Cobb hobbled to the locker after injuring his right ankle on a third-quarter punt return. ... Packers kicker Mason Crosby, who entered the game a league-worst 17-of-29 on field goals, hit from 26 and 48, with the latter bouncing off the right upright. ... In trailing 20-0 at halftime, Locker was 3-for-12 for 35 yards with two interceptions and a passer rating of 0.0. ... The Titans played without four of their starting offensive linemen, with only left tackle Michael Roos avoiding the injury bug. Kyle DeVan was the team's fourth starting center.
