National Football League

Packers' pass game takes step forward despite loss, injuries

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:29 p.m. ET

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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) Even in defeat, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sharp when the Green Bay Packers needed him most.

Despite the Packers' 33-32 loss to Atlanta on Sunday, there were other positives from the passing game.

Most important was the play of Rodgers, who had one of his best performances of the season despite the injuries the Packers had on offense.

Rodgers threw for 246 yards and four touchdowns and added a career-high 60 rushing yards to pace an offense without receivers Randall Cobb and Ty Montgomery, running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks, and tight end Jared Cook.

''I think he did a really good job of taking what they gave us,'' coach Mike McCarthy said on Monday.

''The three-man rush, he extended plays and ran it for first downs, so that was very important. The rushing yards are what they are. You don't want your quarterback to be your leading rusher, but it was still extremely productive for us.

Rodgers had a 100-plus passer rating in each of the past two games, a first since the first three weeks of the 2015 season.

He did it on Sunday without Montgomery and Cobb, who combined for 21 receptions in the victory over Chicago on Oct. 20, and without the benefit of a running game with Lacy (ankle) and Starks (knee) sidelined.

With an inexperienced supporting cast, Rodgers threw touchdown passes to receivers Jeff Janis, Trevor Davis and Geronimo Allison, with Davis and Allison making their first receptions of the season.

Receiver Davante Adams caught 12 passes for 74 yards after making 13 receptions the previous week against Chicago.

''We'd love to get Jared back soon (and), obviously, Randall and Ty, getting those guys back would help,'' Rodgers said after the game. ''Personally, I'm just really proud of those guys who made plays today.''

The Packers host Indianapolis on Sunday before a stretch of three straight road games: Tennessee, Washington and Philadelphia.

Help might be close to being on the way.

McCarthy said Cook made a ''big step toward getting back'' last week as he recovers from an ankle injury sustained in Week 3 vs. Detroit, though it's unclear if the tight end will start practicing this week. Cobb has a hamstring injury, while Montgomery didn't play because of an unspecified illness.

''It's something we're working through,'' McCarthy said. ''I think our history medically is we play the high side of caution when we get into these (types) of situations. But he's doing great. If you asked Ty Sunday if he could play, he wanted to play. But this is just gathering all the information and making the right decision.''

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