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Rodgers' long throws lead Packers over Rams

Sep 27, 2009 - 9:38 PM By JIM SALTER Associated Press Writer

ST. LOUIS(AP) -- Aaron Rodgers stayed on his feet. The St. Louis Rams went down again.

Rodgers threw two touchdown passes and ran for another Sunday, and the Green Bay Packers sent the Rams to their 13th straight loss - now the longest streak in the NFL - with a 36-17 victory.

Rodgers was 13 for 23 for 269 yards and hit on three long passes in the first road game of the season for Green Bay (2-1).

After being sacked a league-high 10 times in the first two games and playing behind a patchwork offensive line, Rodgers was sacked just twice, both times in the first quarter by Leonard Little.

"They really gave me some time," Rodgers said of his linemen. "I was able to move in the pocket."

The Rams (0-3) have lost 30 of 35 since the start of the 2007 season. With Detroit's 19-14 win over Washington ending the Lions' 19-game skid, St. Louis' losing streak is now the longest.

Rodgers and Greg Jennings hooked up on passes of 50 and 53 yards that set up touchdowns for Green Bay. Rodgers had a 46-yard pass to Donald Driver that set up another score, and he scored on a 4-yard run.

"It's the big plays on defense that kill you and the turnovers - we didn't get any takeaways," Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said after his first home game since taking over as coach.

Jennings' two catches were all he had, but they combined for a 103 yards. Driver had four catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Grant carried 26 times for 99 yards.

"Big plays equal points in this league," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "We say it every week. It was evident today.

"We have the ability to play that way."

Rodgers said the Packers took advantage of man-to-man coverage on Jennings and Driver.

"If they are in press coverage on Driver and Jennings, we're going to take our shots," he said. "I was able to put the ball in the spot."

Kyle Boller, who played three quarters after Marc Bulger bruised his shoulder, was 16 for 31 for 164 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for St. Louis. Steven Jackson carried 27 times for 117 yards and had five catches for 46 yards.

Bulger was 3 for 4 for 23 yards before suffering the bruise on a sack late in the first quarter.

Sloppy play put the Rams in an early hole, with Green Bay's Mason Crosby kicking first-quarter field goals of 48, 38 and 25 yards. The first was set up by a blocked field goal, the second by Aaron Kampman's sack of Bulger at the St. Louis 15 - apparently the play on which Bulger was hurt - and the third on Jackson's fumble at the St. Louis 11 on the first play of the next possession.

The Packers made it 16-0 in the second quarter, the key play Rodgers' long pass to Driver to the St. Louis 30. Fullback John Kuhn scored three plays later on a 1-yard run.

Boller replaced Bulger and gave life to the Rams, who had scored just seven points in the previous two games. He threw second-quarter touchdown passes of 16 and 19 yards to backup tight end Daniel Fells.

Sandwiched between those scores was another Green Bay touchdown on a 21-yard pass from Rodgers to Driver, set up by a 50-yard pass to Jennings.

The Rams got within six on Josh Brown's 53-yard third quarter field goal, but Rodgers and Jennings combined for a 53-yard pass play early in the fourth quarter, and Rodgers ran untouched from the 4 four plays later to make it 29-17.

"That is what good teams do when they are challenged, they respond and we were able to do that today," Kampman said.

After an interception, Green Bay scored on Rodgers' 10-yard pass to Kuhn late in the fourth quarter.

NOTES: The sellout crowd appeared to be made up largely of Rams fans, unlike the last time the teams met here in 2007, when the mix was closer to 50-50. ... Spagnuolo said further evaluation will be needed before he knows if Bulger, WR Laurent Robinson (ankle) and S James Butler (knee) will miss any time. ... The Rams retired the No. 75 of Los Angeles Rams great Deacon Jones in a ceremony prior to the game.