The Green Bay Packers were expected to cake-walk their way to a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Yeah, that didn't happen.
The Packers' offense was discombobulated but did enough for a 24-15 victory. Coach Mike McCarthy called it a "grind-it-out win." He believed his players were prepared but inefficient.
That's a good way to put it. The Packers were 5 for 13 on third downs. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers lost two fumbles, an extreme rarity for someone as obsessed with ball security as he is. Only one was official after a Jaguars penalty wiped out the other fumble. Kicker Mason Crosby missed a chip-shot field-goal attempt.
The Jaguars weren't supposed to be competitive, but the Packers were without three starters -- running back Cedric Benson and wide receivers Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson. Randall Cobb continued to excite with five catches for 28 yards and one touchdown. Fans would love to see more from Jermichael Finley with three playmakers out. Rodgers, who finished with 186 passing yards and two TDs, looked frustrated with the whole operation at times. The Packers needed a game-winning touchdown catch from the forgotten Donald Driver to close the door.
"We didn't run it well," Rodgers said. "We're 5 for 13 on third down. Didn't pass it well."
Despite a rocky start to the season, the Packers are 5-3, with the Arizona Cardinals next week before a Week 10 bye. Green Bay still is in position to accomplish all of its goals, even though nothing has come easy in the first eight weeks.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
