I guess there still is some fight left in the Pack.
Whether it's back up guard Lucas Patrick being the first into the melee after Aaron Rodgers was hit a tad too late for his liking on a second quarter scramble or the way the whole team executed in throttling a down and out Atlanta Falcons team 34-20 before 77,329 on a chilly, sunny afternoon at Lambeau Field.
The effort made a winner of interim Head Coach Joe Philbin in his debut after taking over for the fired McCarthy.
So what was the difference?
It simply came down to making plays. The offense put up just 300 total yards but they were markedly better on third down (7 of 13) and they went two for two in the red zone. Two touchdowns came on big plays from outside the red zone (Randall Cobb's 24 yard touchdown catch and Aaron Jones' 29 yard touchdown run) on back to back series in the third quarter which capped 34 unanswered points after Atlanta got on the board first.
Philbin paid homage to his old boss (and his Cellcom pitch work) by challenging two Julio Jones receptions in the first 1:23 of the game. The first was a juggling sideline catch against Jaire Alexander for 28 yards that was upheld on replay. Two snaps later, Jones made a toe tapping 19 yard catch on the other sideline that Philbin tossed the red flag, only to lose on review again, costing the Packers two timeouts.
Jones would finish the drive with a 16 yard catch crossing the middle of the field but it was all Packers from there.
It didn't look like a significant change in play calling for the offense early (Philbin's first game calling the shots since he was at Northeastern University in 1996), other than utilizing Jamaal Williams instead of Jones on the opening series. The Packers moved smartly downfield to tie the game on Davante Adams' 12th TD catch of the year, a 7 yard out route that beat Robert Alford.
The Falcons were moving again until Matt Ryan had the ball slip out of his hands backwards for a 16 yard team sack and Matt Bryant came up well short on a 53 yard field goal attempt.
Mason Crosby drilled a 50 yarder for the lead early in the second quarter and then the defense came up with a big play.
Bashaud Breeland stepped in front of a Ryan sideline throw to Austin Hooper and strolled in for a 22 yard pick six to make it 17-7.
Crosby would add a 48 yard boot on the final play of the half to increase the lead.
The offense marched 72 yards in 6 plays to open the third quarter thanks to three defensive penalties. Cobb beat Sharrod Neasman for the 24 yard score and after a three and out defensively, thanks to a Clay Matthews third down sack, the Packers moved 76 yards in 8 plays with Jones finishing off the drive with a 29 yard scamper off right tackle to make it 34-7.
Atlanta was able to put up two touchdowns in the 4th quarter but the game was never in doubt.
Afterwards, Philbin summed up a win in his Packer debut.
(Audio: Joe Philbin)
The Packers plan took into account a patched up offensive line as three starters, Bryan Bulaga, Lane Taylor and Byron Bell were inactive. Patrick, Justin McCray and Jason Spriggs stepped in. The results were mixed. Rodgers was sacked four times and there were a couple of negative rushing plays, but the team still averaged five and a half yards per rush with Jones leading the way with 78 yards on 17 carries. He also caught three balls for 28 more.
Adams continues to shine with 8 receptions for 81 yards and another touchdown.
Rodgers broke Tom Brady's NFL record on his TD throw to Cobb, making it 359 passes without an interception. His only pick of the year (against 23 TD passes) came in week four against Buffalo. His streak is now up to 368.
While the defense gave up 344 yards, 262 passing from Ryan with 106 going to Jones on 8 catches, there was a stretch where Mike Pettine's unit locked things down. From the series ending with Bryant's missed field goal, until the fourth quarter, the defense gave up just 21 total yards and two first downs on five series.
Complimentary football is what Philbin was asking for all week. The Packers delivered. Better execution on offense, two takeaways on defense with a score and special teams helping with Crosby's two kicks and good work on cover units.
Now 5-7-1, the Packers look to make it a sweep of the Bears in Chicago next Sunday and the way the scores kept piling up in Green Bay's favor around the rest of the NFC on Sunday, who knows, the interim boys just might find a way to hang around the playoff race into the holidays.
