CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ The intrigue surrounding the Carolina Panthers' home game Sunday against the Green Bay Packers mostly surrounded opposing quarterback Aaron Rodgers:
Would Rodgers' Hall-of-Fame talent trump nine games of inactivity, following a broken collarbone on the right (throwing) side of his torso? Could the Panthers' defense withstand a run-pass versatility comparable to their own former MVP, Cam Newton?
The Panthers' back seven had this one: They picked off Rodgers three times in building a two-score lead, and rode it to a 31-24 victory at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers improved to 10-4, keeping them in the race for the NFC South championship and, at minimum, strengthening their grip on a wild-card spot in the playoffs.
Green Bay made this interesting by recovering an onside kick in the final three minutes, after closing the gap to a single score. Panthers rookie Christian McCaffrey failed to pull in the ball on the onside play. But Panthers' safety Mike Adams recovered a fumble with less than two minutes left. Packers wide receiver Geronimo Allison gave up possession on a hit by the Panthers' James Bradberry.
Rodgers had his moments: His rollout in the Packers' final drive of the first half created time as he patiently found Randall Cobb for a 33-yard go-ahead touchdown.
But Panthers cornerbacks Bradberry and Daryl Worley each picked off one of Rodgers' attempts. He kept challenging Carolina's secondary long, and those throws too frequently fell short of their targets.
Rodgers broke his collarbone in mid-October, against the Minnesota Vikings. It was the second broken collarbone of his career. Typically, those fractures need 12 weeks to heal; it was uncertain until midweek whether Rodgers would even be cleared to play Sunday.
The Panthers put this game away when Damiere Byrd caught his second touchdown pass with about 12 { minutes remaining. It was a 13-yard completion for Newton, extending the Panthers' lead to 31-17. Byrd also had a 9-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.
