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Trio of playmakers comes up clutch for Packers' offense

Jaire Alexander rises to the challenge in first game back from injury

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GREEN BAY – Needing a lift late in Sunday's matchup with the undefeated Los Angeles Rams, the Packers turned to their young offensive playmakers for points and production.

Davante Adams, Aaron Jones and Marquez Valdes-Scantling all stepped up to the challenge.

Adams turned in his third consecutive 100-yard receiving game, highlighted by a pair of catches of more than 40 yards to keep the chains moving in critical third-down situations.

Jones, making his second consecutive start in the backfield, rushed for 86 yards on 12 carries and powered through for a 33-yard touchdown near the end of the third quarter.

Despite the return of Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison from hamstring injuries, Valdes-Scantling continued to have a significant role in the offense. He made one of the biggest plays of the afternoon when he beat Rams cornerback Troy Hill on an inside move for a 40-yard touchdown to give Green Bay a one-point lead with 8 minutes, 50 seconds left.

"I knew the ball was coming to me already," said Valdes-Scantling. "Aaron had his mind made up where he wanted the ball to go to. I just had to go and give him a shot. I knew it was my turn and I just went out, and did it."

Jones has been off to a strong start to his sophomore season after returning from a two-game suspension, averaging 6.2 yards per carry through the first five games.

As has been customary the past few weeks, Jones turned his initial attempts into immediate production in rushing for 20 yards on his first two carries Sunday.

After getting the call late in the third quarter, Jones perfectly followed a block from center Corey Linsley off a second-and-10 draw play and extended it into the 33-yard touchdown.

"Go make a play, and that's what happened," Jones said. "The guys up front, along with the rest of the blocking unit, they did a great job and they were open. I was one-on-one with the safety, and I like my chances one-on-one with the safety."

Adams is steadily putting together an All-Pro-caliber season. With another five catches for 133 yards Sunday, Adams now has 24 receptions for 405 yards and three touchdowns over his last three games.

His 48-yard catch down the sideline past Marcus Peters on third-and-5 led to the Packers' first touchdown of the day on a 1-yard Jamaal Williams run, while Adams' leaping 41-yard reception down the middle of the field converted a third-and-9 situation, leading to Jones' touchdown run.

Still, Adams takes little satisfaction in the individual successes. The Packers' offense weathered another up-and-down day, with Adams' two 40-yard completions representing Green Bay's only two third-down conversions on offense.

"There's always something to build on," said Adams, who has 52 catches for 690 yards and six touchdowns this year. "You can get blown out by 30 you have things to build on. … At the end of the day, it's not about building. We're in Week 8. We've got to win games."

Hit the ground running: Jaire Alexander was brimming with anticipation all week long about a potential matchup with Brandin Cooks and the rest of the Rams' receiving corps.

Los Angeles appeared to make it a point to test the Packers' rookie cornerback in his first game back from a groin injury and Alexander was up to the task in finishing with five pass deflections, including one on a deep ball in the end zone in the first half.

"I don't know what film they're watching to make them throw at him that many times," cornerback Kevin King said. "Coming off an injury, they thought he might have been a step slower. That brings the dog at you right there. That brought it out of (him). Just have to learn how to stack it."

Home away from home: The Packers' defense was greeted by an overwhelming ovation from a Coliseum crowd that frequently showered the field with "Go Pack Go" chants.

There was even one point in the second half where Jared Goff appeared to have to take a timeout amidst near-deafening conditions on the field.

"That felt like a home game," Alexander said. "We appreciate the fans, for sure."

The Green Bay Packers traveled to LA Memorial Coliseum to take on the Los Angeles Rams in a Week 8 NFC matchup.

Not enough: Rookie punter JK Scott knew the moment the ball came off his foot on his 25-yard punt late in the fourth quarter that he didn't hit the ball flush.

"I dropped it inside, swung across the body," said Scott, who had an average net of 38.4 yards on five punts Sunday. "It's definitely one of those where you don't really need to look up. You just know you mis-hit it."

The Packers fared better on field goals with kicker Mason Crosby making two from 41 and 53 yards against the Rams. He's now made seven field goals in a row after missing four in Detroit earlier this month.

Another road test: After falling to 0-3 on the road, the Packers know things won't get any easier as they'll now have to march into Gillette Stadium next Sunday night to face a New England Patriots team that's riding a four-game winning streak heading into Monday night's game against Buffalo.

"We're right there. We're right there," center Corey Linsley said. "We gotta make some changes, we gotta make the right moves and just progress. We haven't taken that step. The more and more we go on the road the more urgent it is to press ahead."

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