Riding Rodgers:
His virtuoso performance against the Bears could lift Green Bay, but how much can the Packers count on their hobbled QB?
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers’ season flashed before their eyes.
When Aaron Rodgers crumpled on the turf at Lambeau Field on Sept. 9 in the second quarter after taking an awkward hit to his legs, then rode a cart to the locker room a little later, the possibility that the Packers’ season was over before it had barely started looked very real.
But it wasn’t. Instead, Rodgers jogged out of the tunnel on his injured knee for the second half and gave a virtuoso performance that will go down as one of the most memorable games of his future Pro Football Hall of Fame career.
In case anyone was wondering, Rodgers showed why the Packers signed him to a contract extension that will pay him $67 million in this calendar year alone. Limited though he was to a pocket passer after the injury, he still slung the ball around the field, made play after play, and brought the Packers from 20 points down for a 24-23 Week 1 win Sept. 9 over the Chicago Bears.
“What a hell of a competitor,” Bears new coach Matt Nagy said.
This is what great quarterbacks do, and why Rodgers and Tom Brady are worth just about anything their teams are willing to pay them. It brought back memories of the Brett Favre era, when Favre on several occasions got off the deck and played games when it looked like he couldn’t, and won games that looked lost.
Rodgers even mentioned how playing behind Favre for three seasons showed him what an invaluable trait toughness is for a quarterback in this league. It doesn’t guarantee the Packers will have a great season. But when the quarterback comes through when he’s hobbled and his team is down, it does filter down through the roster and help establish a team’s character.
Football is a battle of wills, and this kind of display of will from the most important player on the team, it’s hard to overstate what a profound example it sets for a team.
“This is what we’re paid to do,” Rodgers said. “We’re paid to deal with injuries and play through ’em. That’s what everybody is doing and will be doing throughout this season. That’s the measure of a teammate, is what are you willing to put on the line for your team. And, to me, it’s a no-brainer.”
Assuming he does take the field Sept. 16 vs. Minnesota, Rodgers will be limited, at least for several weeks by his sprained left knee. Rodgers clearly couldn’t scramble in the second half against the Bears and even had some trouble moving around in the pocket. He also played from the pistol and shotgun so he wouldn’t have to drop back from center.
That’s the player he’ll be against the Vikings, who figure to be one of the NFL’s best defenses again this season after leading the league in fewest points and yards allowed last year. Not to mention that they’re the team last year that knocked Rodgers out for two months with a broken collarbone.
But his limited mobility isn’t all bad, or at least wasn’t against the Bears, because it forced the Packers into a quick-hitting passing game that helped them get in a rhythm after a first half that was horrible even when Rodgers was playing.
“Got to get the ball out,” Rodgers said. “Can’t be moving around a whole lot back there.”
After putting up a 50.3 rating before leaving the game in the first half, Rodgers in the second half put up a 152.7 rating while basically throwing all arm and no legs. That included a perfect deep shot to Geronimo Allison for a 39-yard touchdown, a 51yard completion to Davante Adams that set up another score, and a short dart that Randall Cobb turned into the game-winning 75-yard score.
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy has history to draw on when devising his game plan for a hobbled Rodgers. During the 2014 playoffs, a strained right calf effectively limited Rodgers to one good leg against the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks.
Unlike 2014, Rodgers’ knee injury is on his left leg. That should help Rodgers drive the football downfield because as a righthanded quarterback, his right leg is responsible for generating lower-body power on throws. With a good right leg, Rodgers was able to get enough from his lower base to fling the touchdown pass to Allison.
The Packers put Rodgers in pistol and shotgun formations against the Bears, preventing him from dropping back under center. That will likely continue in Week 2 against the Vikings.
Rodgers’ availability vs. Minnesota could go down to the wire. But don’t be surprised if the two-time MVP quarterback wills his way onto the field again.
Last month, the Packers coach asked reporters to write how Rodgers, 34, couldn’t play past 40. No better way, McCarthy figured, to ensure that he does. Tell Rodgers he can’t accomplish something, and he almost certainly will.
It’s always been that way.