DISCOUNT DOUBLE CHOKE
Packers are own worst enemy
GREEN BAY — The Packers made Dunta Robinson look like a prophet.
Robinson, the Falcons’ veteran cornerback, last week predicted the bye would be a momentum-killer for the 15-1 defending Super Bowl champions in their NFC Divisional playoff matchup with the Giants.
Robinson could not have been more right yesterday as a rusty Aaron Rodgers and his Packers teammates turned the ball over four times and sleepwalked through a 37-20 upset loss to Big Blue at Lambeau Field.
“Oh, it’s real — we got beat by a team that played better tonight,” Rodgers said as he spoke barely above a whisper outside the Packers’ stunned locker room. “That’s the reality of this league.”
Rodgers insisted the lengthy layoff (he had not played since Week 16) had nothing to do with the Packers’ sloppiness, but that was definitely the minority opinion.
Green Bay’s dream season, its 13game home win streak and its hopes of repeating as Super Bowl champion are dead because Rodgers and the Packers were their own worst enemy on a field where they usually excel.
At least six dropped passes, three lost fumbles (uncharacteristic for a team that turned the ball over just 14 times in the regular season) and an offense that never escaped its stupor proved to be a recipe for green-andgold disaster.
Packers coach Mike Mccarthy will be second-guessed for sitting Rodgers in Week 17 after his quarterback consistently struggled to connect with receivers, but Mccarthy wasn’t buying into that theme.
“There was nothing in our preparation that led me to believe this was going to occur today,” Mccarthy said.
Although Rodgers tormented the Giants with his scrambling (he was the game’s leading rusher with 66 yards on just seven carries), his brilliant regular season was wasted thanks to a passing performance that often seemed like it was coming from an imposter.
After throwing for a franchise-record 4,643 yards and 45 TDS in the regular season, Rodgers managed just 264 yards through the air yesterday while completing 26 of 46 passes.
Rodgers also lost a fumble on an key Osi Umenyiora strip-sack in the second half, then threw an intercep-