• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Packers coast to easy win over Panthers

Nov 18, 2007 - 11:26 PM GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (Ticker) -- Tight end Donald Lee has emerged as another weapon in the Green Bay Packers' arsenal.

Lee caught a pair of touchdown passes Sunday as the Packers defeated the Carolina Panthers, 31-17, for their best start in more than four decades.

With their fifth straight victory, Green Bay improved to 9-1 for the first time since 1962, when the Vince Lombardi-led Packers won the NFL championship with a 13-1 record.

"No disrespect to history - 9-1 is impressive - but you need to keep your focus on the next opponent," Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said.

Since signing a four-year contract extension on November 5, Lee has three touchdown receptions. He also caught a TD in last week's 34-0 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

"There's not a harder worker on this team and that pays off," Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre said of Lee, who caught five passes for 49 yards. "He's a little undersized, but makes up for it with his determination."

The Packers, who appear to be getting stronger as they battle the Dallas Cowboys for the best record in the NFC, made it look easy against the Panthers.

Green Bay has seized control of the NFC North, opening a three-game lead over the Detroit Lions (6-4), who fell to the New York Giants on Sunday for their second straight loss.

The Packers, who have 13 of their last 14 games dating to last season, play at Detroit on Thanksgiving.

"Our defense has been the most consistent," McCarthy added. "We have a good defense. I am proud of how our players are looking and doing."

Favre had a relatively quiet day for Green Bay, completing 22-of-30 passes for 218 yards, but he still threw three touchdowns for the second straight week.

"We are relaxed, playing confident and playing smart," Favre said. "We are riding the wave. By no means can we rest or say we have arrived."

Still, at 9-1, the Packers are starting to draw comparisons to the 1996 Super-Bowl winning team.

"The only way to compare this team to '96 is if we win the Super Bowl," Favre said.

The Panthers (4-6) should have known they were going to be in for a long day when Tramon Williams returned a pooch punt 94 yards for a touchdown to give the Packers a 7-0 lead with 8:16 remaining in the first quarter.

It was the longest punt return in Green Bay history and set the tone for the afternoon.

With David Carr still recovering from a concussion, 44-year-old Vinny Testaverde made his fourth start of the season for Carolina.

But Testavarde was unable to provide a spark for the reeling Panthers, who suffered their fourth straight loss. He threw a pair of interceptions and also lost a fumble.

Testaverde completed 19-of-37 passes for 258 yards, but most of it after the contest was out of reach.

"We needed more big plays in the first half," Testaverde said. "I didn't have my best ballgame and in order for us to win, it starts with the quarterback."

Carolina played without wide receiver Steve Smith, who was inactive due to a shin injury that kept him out of practice all week.

"I thought the difference in the game was a couple big special teams plays and the fact that we were 0-3 in the turnover margin, which gave them more opportunities," Carolina coach Jon Fox said.

John Kasay's 26-yard field goal pulled Carolina within 7-3 with five minutes left in the first quarter, but Favre got untracked in the second period following a slow start.

After completing just 2-of-4 passes for 14 yards in the opening 15 minutes, Favre threw TD strikes of four yards to Greg Jennings and 26 yards to Lee that staked Green Bay to a 21-3 halftime lead.

Favre and Lee hooked up again for a 12-yard TD early in the third period to extend Green Bay's cushion to 28-3.

Testaverde tossed a pair of late touchdowns before Green Bay rookie Mason Crosby completed the scoring with a 47-yard field goal with 2:41 remaining.

Green Bay's Ryan Grant fell just short of his third 100-yard game in four weeks, rushing for 88 yards on 20 carries.