how aaron rodgers saved the packers

realitybytes

realitybytes

Lifetime Member
Lifetime Member
Messages
6,449
Reaction score
5,778
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2590721-how-aaron-rodgers-saved-the-packers

How Aaron Rodgers Saved the Packers
By Mike Freeman , NFL National Lead Writer Dec 10, 2015

GREEN BAY, Wis. — There was no pivotal meeting or grand moment. There was no lecture or screaming. There was Aaron Rodgers doing what he has always done. A one-on-one chat here. A conversation in a position-group setting there.

No nastiness. No condescension. No hysterics. Just Rodgers showing the most under-discussed of his talents: his ability to lead.

Rodgers never stops fighting, and we didn't need the Miracle in Motown to know that. It's the brain, athleticism and passing accuracy that have made him what he is—a Super Bowl winner and future Hall of Famer. But in what has been his hardest season, away from the cameras and the glare and the fandom, very quietly, his personal determination to improve this team has been the difference for the Packers. That's not an opinion. It's what multiple teammates told me.
Click to expand...

read more:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2590721-how-aaron-rodgers-saved-the-packers
 
Why was Rodgers able to go 6-0 with basically the same personnel? The answer, say defensive assistants who have gone against the Packers, is that early on the season, teams strategized with Rodgers the way they always do. They played soft defenses designed not to give up the big play.

But eventually defenses started taking more chances in man-to-man coverage, noticing that Rodgers' receivers were being given coverages they didn't deserve. Defenses started playing tighter man-to-man, and game film of this started to circulate. Teams started taking chances, successfully, and a trend was born.

"Their receivers," one AFC scout said, "are probably bottom five in the league."

"You could cover Davante Adams," another AFC scout said.
Click to expand...
 
Sometimes we need to count our blessing instead of our problems. As fans we've been blessed with almost a quarter century of very good to great QB play. I'll go as far to say that we are spoiled.
Complain and criticize all you want, ARod isn't perfect. Who would you rather have?
 
Thanks for posting the article, rb. I really enjoyed it.

As Dubz said, who would you rather have? That's a question with a pretty easy answer.
 
I have been a packer fan since 1967. One trend that is bothersome is the same old "don't " criticize the team/players too much. It was the same when we struggled to win 8 games a year as it is with this glorious run of success.

Frankly I think the "hero " worship gets a little old. Yes he's a great QB. Is he flawless ? No. Instead of Who would you rather have ..ask who WILL we get because once that contracts up GB has some decisions to make. You think the Favre divorce was ugly ? Watch this one.tc(
 
Nice read, but it's a heavy dose of Packer syrup with a Rodgers cherry on top. Brockington you hit the nail on the head. I stand by my stance over the last few weeks.. his OL sucks... He's hurt and it leads to the yips. It happens to a lot of players.

Every great player has down years. This maybe Aaron's. I think what needs to happen is TT/MM need to retool with weapons that can score points regardless of the QB and for the love of god go draft a top notch OT or 2. Good post RB
 
Receivers bottom five? Ouch. I'm not saying this to make excuses for AR, but it's probably true. Outside of Nelson and Cobb, what else is there? James Jones has been more productive than I thought possible and had a large impact on that 6-0 start but he can't really move the chains. Adams has flat out been a disappointment. Montgomery is interesting but banged up.

I'm perfectly accepting of AR having a down year, it does happen. Big picture we also don't know what his career arc will look like. Some players burn steady and strong for a long time. Some glow white hot for a short period of time and then burn out quicker. AR has played at a historical pace of production and efficiency, but who's to say right now he isn't in the latter category? Pedro Martinez lost his fastball relatively quickly, and then what was he? Who knows, one season is a single data point and there are certainly enough other factors - coaching, talent at WR and OL - affecting his play, but will be interesting to see how next year goes and the year after.
 
Those of us who figure that championships (when a reasonable expectation) are all that make a season successful are definitely not spoiled. More than a couple of decades of winning seasons, division titles, and playoff berths having resulted in two titles means a whole lot more disappointment than joy. Obviously, the "who would you rather have" question is impossible to answer, since we don't know how player X would have performed with the team, coaches, and other trappings that AR has had. However, just on my criterion, Brady is the obvious answer.
 
Yes, it was a bit rhetorical. I'm not saying we can't criticize, I just think we've pretty much covered it all. But Half, you lived through the lean, barren years of the 70's and 80's. The bar for a successful season is way higher now than decades previous. We learned to do that because of the success of the last two decades. Truth is perspective. I live in an area that has NEVER won the big prize. I watch their frustration daily, their search for stability and their frustration in failing constantly. I guess that makes me more of a half full kind of guy, because I'm glad I'm not them. RPIOTR- nice comparison. We watched Peyton Manning decline a bit and then drop off completely. Nobody knows what will happen, but I hope fortune starts to fall our way a little. Some more confidence and a lot of luck!
 
Half Empty said:
Those of us who figure that championships (when a reasonable expectation) are all that make a season successful are definitely not spoiled. More than a couple of decades of winning seasons, division titles, and playoff berths having resulted in two titles means a whole lot more disappointment than joy. Obviously, the "who would you rather have" question is impossible to answer, since we don't know how player X would have performed with the team, coaches, and other trappings that AR has had. However, just on my criterion, Brady is the obvious answer.
Click to expand...

I obviously can't say for sure, but with so much of the offensive success predicated on AR getting out of the pocket with is legs/athleticism and finding guys downfield while running for his life to make a play, I'm not so sure that MM's offense would have been as good for either Brady or the Packers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top