Aaron Rodgers, Martellus Bennett improvise on first TD connection

LANDOVER, Md. – Aaron Rodgers and Martellus Bennett connected for their first touchdown Saturday night, even if the play — or at least the throw — wasn’t exactly how the Green Bay Packers quarterback drew it up.

In the right corner of the end zone, Bennett leaped over Washington linebacker Zach Brown to catch Rodgers’ fade pass. Brown never turned his head around to locate the football, which certainly helped the Packers. If he had, Brown would have been able to make a play on Rodgers’ pass.

After the game, Rodgers knew he got away with one.

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“I threw it a little low,” Rodgers said. “He’s been calling for it up high, but he had a great route. He had a nice release off the ball, and a lot of separation. I was thinking more jump ball before the snap. I watched the replay, and I probably could’ve put it more to the corner on that one.

“So we’ll just keep working on it.”

After the game, Bennett said he has been working on his goal-line release off the line of scrimmage with Rodgers to the side during special-teams drills in practice. The extra work paid off, allowing Bennett to get open.

Still, the 6-foot-7 Bennett is waiting for his first true jump ball.

“We’ve been practicing it,” Bennett said. “I tell him, ‘I don’t really have a vertical, I just jump to where the ball is.’ We’ve been working on it every single day, different routes. Like, ‘Hey, let’s go get some fade routes, special teams and things like that.’ I think it’s going to get better with the time.”