National Football League

Rodgers, Packers beat Newton, Panthers 30-23

Published Sep. 19, 2011 4:08 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Aaron Rodgers has looked sharp leading the Green Bay offense through the first two games.

As for the defense, well, the Packers are giving up a lot of yards only to come up with a key stop when they need one.

Rodgers threw for 308 yards and two scores, and the Packers withstood another 400-yard passing day from rookie Cam Newton to beat the Carolina Panthers 30-23 on Sunday.

A week after throwing for 422 yards - most in league history by a rookie in his professional debut - Newton topped himself by setting an NFL rookie record for passing yardage in a game with 432. The No. 1 overall pick passed for one touchdown and also ran for a 4-yard score with 37 seconds left to bring Carolina (0-2) within seven, but the Packers (2-0) recovered the onside kick to seal the victory.

The decisive sequence came moments earlier, when Newton drove the Panthers to the Packers 6-yard line seeking the tying touchdown. Linebacker Clay Matthews managed to pull Newton down from behind a yard short of the marker on a fourth-down keeper, then Rodgers found Jordy Nelson for an 84-yard touchdown pass two plays later to give the Packers some breathing room.

A week earlier, the Packers beat the New Orleans Saints 42-34 after stuffing running back Mark Ingram at the goal line on the final play.

''It says a lot about our character that we can come up with a big play at the end,'' Matthews said. ''We need to preserve victories by limiting the amount of points they score and not putting ourselves in that position. It is good we're seeing these types of games - it helps to build character, and prepares us for when we find ourselves in those situations.''

While Newton had another big yardage day, the Packers' defense came up big by forcing the rookie into three interceptions - two by Charles Woodson. Still, the Packers have given up at least 400 yards passing to a quarterback in both games, with Drew Brees throwing for 419 yards and three scores last week.

''It wasn't clean by any means,'' Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said. ''We can sit here and pick apart all the things that didn't go right, but most importantly, we finished it as a football team.''

The NFL said Newton set a league record for most passing yards in the first two games of a career (854). But while Newton racked up the big yards, Rodgers was the one to direct his team to a victory.

He found Greg Jennings for a 49-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter, the go-ahead score in a run of 23 straight points to erase an early 13-0 deficit. Then he came through with the pass to Nelson that made it a two-possession game and helped the Packers hang on.

Newton went on to crack the 400-yard mark on the ensuing possession, finding Steve Smith deep over the middle for a 62-yard pass before capping the drive with his scoring run. He completed 28 of 46 passes and showed plenty of mobility - he made Matthews miss on tackles at least three times - and finished as Carolina's top rusher with 53 yards.

Rodgers said he told Newton afterward that he was impressed by the rookie's play.

''I think someone said in the locker room that I'm kind of glad we played him early in the season,'' Rodgers said, ''because when he figures it out fully, he's going to be even tougher to stop.''

Just as with last week, Newton wasn't in the mood to celebrate after a loss.

''We've just got to get it right. We're going to get it right,'' Newton said. ''But I'm not the person to just sit up here and say, 'Well, we have next time.' I'm not that type of person. I want it right now and I want to get it right now.''

Notes: Packers safety Nick Collins was carried off the field on a stretcher after he injured his neck while trying to tackle Jonathan Stewart in the fourth quarter. The team issued a postgame statement saying he had ''normal feeling and complete movement'' in his extremities but would be kept overnight in a hospital for observation. ... Donald Driver had a 10-yard catch to become the Packers' career leader with 9,666 receiving yards. ... Stewart and De'Angelo Williams combined for 18 yards rushing, though Stewart had eight catches for 100 yards. ... Smith had 156 yards receiving, but lost a fumble in the third quarter on a 25-yard catch.

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League