Frosty reception: Punter Derrick Frost has been under scrutiny for his performance since being picked up at the end of training camp to replace Jon Ryan. He was booed off the field after two of his three first quarter punts, but he actually outdid himself with a 43-yard average. Frost entered the game ranked 26th in the NFL in punting average (42.0) and net average (36.4). His predecessor, Ryan, ranks ninth overall with a 46.4 average.

Rodgers heating up: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers missed on his first four passes, but finished the quarter with six consecutive completions for 44 yards.

Dangerous matchup: The Panthers rank 7th in the NFL in rushing (133.7) and the Packers are 26th in rushing defense (142.9). Carolina ran for 43 yards in the first quarter - all in six carries by DeAngelo Williams, who scored the game's first touchdown on a 1-yard run.

Sitting this one out: Inactives for the Packers: cornerback Pat Lee; safety Aaron Rouse; running back DeShawn Wynn; linebackers Nick Barnett and Danny Lansanah; tackle Breno Giacomini; guard Allen Barbre; and third quarterback Brian Brohm. Right tackle Mark Tauscher, who was only 50-50 to play because of a hamstring injury, made the start.

SECOND QUARTER: Panthers 21, Packers 10 It's a snap: Not many games turn on a snap from center, but this could be one of them. After the Packers had scored their first touchdown to pull within 14-10, they forced a three-and-out by the Panthers and got the ball back on their own 36 with 2:38 remaining in the half. But then center Scott Wells overshot Rodgers in the shotgun and the ball bounded all the way back to the 17 before it was recovered by Carolina's Charles Johnson. Four plays later DeAngelo Williams waltzed untouched into the end zone on a 1-yard run and the Packers suddenly saw their thoughts of taking the lead turned into a 21-10 halftime deficit. On their next possession, Wells was not in the lineup because of a head injury.

Joggin' Jonathan: Panthers' rookie running back Jonathan Stewart looked to be on his way to his seventh touchdown of the year after breaking through the Packers' defense. But he downshifted early and was caught from behind by Charles Woodson, who knocked the ball loose. The ball spun around on the 2-yard line for several seconds before the Panthers recovered.

Driver's streak: Donald Driver added to his franchise record by catching a pass for the 107th consecutive game. Driver's first catch, a 12-yarder over the middle, also gave him 50 receptions for the season. Driver now has seven seasons of at least 50 catches, putting him in a class with James Lofton and Sterling Sharpe. Driver's 51st reception was even more significant, as he grabbed a 6-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to cut the Panthers' lead to 14-10.

THIRD QUARTER: Panthers 21, Packers 21 Ryan who?: With Ryan Grant on the sidelines with a hand injury, Brandon Jackson made an instant impact. He had a 24-yard run to help set up the Packers' touchdown in the second quarter and he broke loose on a 32-yard run on the first series of the second half to set up a 44-yard Mason Crosby field goal. He finished the quarter with 59 yards in five carries and one reception for 6 yards.

OL shuffle: With center Scott Wells on the sidelines with a head injury, the Packers have had to shuffle their offensive line. Jason Spitz slid over from right guard to center and rookie Josh Sitton moved into the right guard spot.

Safety first: Cornerback Charles Woodson was pressed into duty at safety after Atari Bigby left the game with a head injury. Tramon Williams moved into Woodson's corner spot.

Hot hand: Aaron Rodgers completed nine of 14 passes in the third quarter for 129 yards. He hit six of seven attempts during a 95-yard drive that was capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass to Donald Lee. He also ran for 16 yards on a scramble during the drive. Not counting in the stats, but worth two points on the scoreboard, was his two-point conversion pass to Greg Jennings to tie the game at 21-21 with 5: 17 remaining.

FINAL: Panthers 35, Packers 31

Breakdown Part 1: After holding the Panthers to 29 total yards in the third quarter, the Packers defense sprung a leak early in the fourth quarter. Starting with a 51-yard kickoff return, the Panthers put together a 50-yard, five-play drive to tie the game at 28-28 on a one-yard run by DeAngelo Williams. The Packers had an interception by Tramon Williams negated by an interference penalty on him. Williams then got beat on a 36-yard pass to Steve Smith to the one-yard line to set up the touchdown.

Breakdown Part 2: After regaining the lead, 31-28, on a field goal by Mason Crosby at the 2-minute mark, the Packers' kickoff coverage team struck again. Mark Jones, who returned the previous kickoff 51 yards, took this one back 45 yards. Two plays later the Panthers were ahead, 35-31. Steve Smith made the big play again with a 54-yard reception and DeAngelo Williams scored his fourth touchdown - all on one-yard runs. And just like that the Packers' playoff hopes were gone with the snow.

Brick wall: Between the Panthers' two touchdowns, the Packers put together a pretty good drive of their own. But after getting a second-and-goal from the one-yard line, the Packers couldn't get it in the end zone as Jackson and John Kuhn were stopped for no gain on consecutive running plays up the middle. That forced the Packers to settle for a Crosby field goal.

Dennis Punzel - 11/30/2008 5:14 pm