The Green Bay Packers used a 19-0 start and a 21-0 finish to deliver a convincing win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday night at a cold and snowy Lambeau Field.
The win featured star performances from players on both sides of the football.
Here are the studs and duds from the Packers’ 40-14 win:
Studs
OLB Rashan Gary: The second-year edge rusher set a strong edge against the run and consistently put himself into positions to disrupt Ryan Tannehill. On three different snaps, Gary held contain, disengaged from the block and stopped Derrick Henry after a short gain. In the first half, his bull-rush through the left tackle pressured Tannehill into his first interception. He also chased down Tannehill for a near sack as the Titans quarterback attempted to climb the pocket and escape. Gary led the team in pressures and run stops. He’s starting to become a consistent difference-maker.
WR Davante Adams: He caught 11 of 12 targets, scored three touchdowns and produced three plays over 20 yards. The snow was no issue. In fact, he looked perfectly comfortable with the footing, and it provided a great advantage over the Titans defensive backs. He released explosively off the line, made sharp cuts in and out of breaks and danced around tacklers after the catch. In the fourth quarter, he made one of his best catches of the season, producing a 32-yard gain by sprawling out for the football against the tight coverage of Malcolm Butler. Of his 11 catches, nine produced first downs or touchdowns.
RB A.J. Dillon: When the Packers talked about the potential of Dillon in cold weather games, Sunday was exactly what most envisioned. He started slow but gained more and more steam as the game continued on. By the second half, he was bowling over tacklers in the cold and snow. Dillon forced nine missed tackles and gained 93 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus. Two of his broken tackles came on his first touchdown, a 30-yard scamper on fourth down. Another came on his second touchdown when he trucked over a Titans defensive lineman on his way to the end zone. The rookie finished with career highs in attempts (21), rushing yards (124) and touchdowns (two). Seven of his rushes gained a first down or scored a touchdown.
S Darnell Savage: For most of the night, he looked a step faster than everyone else on the field. The second-year safety intercepted one pass and should have intercepted another. On his pick, Savage ranged from a deep safety spot to undercut a crossing route to A.J. Brown from the slot. His speed made the play. He got going early, breaking up a second-down pass in man-to-man coverage against tight end Jonnu Smith and forcing an errant throw from Tannehill with a blitzed pressure on third down. At least twice, Savage made or assisted a sure tackle of Henry at the second level. He’ll be kicking himself for dropping what could have been a pick-six in the second half.
CB Jaire Alexander: Corey Davis, who came into Sunday night as one of the most efficiently productive receivers in football, didn’t have a catch on two targets. Alexander blanked him. Davis looked frustrated by the second half. Twice, Tannehill tried to test the Packers’ Pro Bowl cornerback with throws to tight end Jonnu Smith, and both ended up in pass breakups, including a fourth-down attempt inside the red zone.
LB Christian Kirksey: He played only 12 snaps on defense, but the veteran found himself in the right place at the right time on two big plays. He delivered a sack on a blitz, and he intercepted Tannehill in the flat after a quick pressure from Preston Smith.
LB Ty Summers: He delivered two solid tackles on Darrynton Evans covering kickoffs, and he broke up a pass over the middle while in coverage on the Titans’ final drive. The Packers need him to be a consistent performer on special teams.
Duds
CB Chandon Sullivan: A.J. Brown beat him for a first-down catch, and Jonnu Smith was able to gain leverage on an out-breaking route against his coverage on Tannehill’s touchdown pass late in the first half.