Aaron Rodgers: The Pressure To Be Perfect
- Throwing an interception.
- Hanging onto the ball too long.
- Not throwing to Davante Adams on a free play.
- Concentrating too much on Davante Adams.
- Not running for a TD on 3rd and goal.
- Failing to beat Tom Brady.
Clearly he is guilty on all counts. Let's take these charges one at a time.
He did throw an interception, albeit his opponent Tom Brady threw 3 interceptions. Somehow the narrative is that Brady's ability to win games where he throws 3 interceptions is a mark of how great he is. This is one of the most illogical things I have ever heard. Rodger's single interception was due to a holding penalty that went uncalled. Still, it wasn't a perfect throw or decision.
Did he hang onto the ball too long? Well, he was sacked 5 times in 53 dropbacks. So yeah, he took some sacks. However, Billy Turner and Ricky Wagner consistently failed to block Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaquille Barrett (among others). Rewatching this game, Rodger's did an incredible job of evading pressure. He could have been sacked on a dozen more throws. He was constantly under pressure.
After drawing the Buccaneers offside, Rodgers got one of his trademark free plays. He took a shot down field to blocking fullback Dominique Dafney which fell incomplete. Davante Adams meanwhile is wide open running along the sidelines. Aaron failed to see him. So, yes Rodgers didn't get a touchdown out of that play. He did however get a first down, and he took a shot downfield. That wasn't enough apparently.
Early in the game the Packers had to settle for a field goal after three straight passes intended for Davante Adams in the "gold zone." Allen Lazard was open on one of these passes and Rodgers threw to Adams instead. Is Rodgers too fixated on Adams? Yep. He's fixated on Adams because targeting Adams in the end zone has been an automatic TD throughout this season. If he didn't target Adams in the red zone, I'm sure we'd be hearing that he ignored Davante and went away from what worked.
Could Rodgers have run for a TD on 3rd and goal on the Packers final possession? Possibly. Tampa Bay has an incredibly fast and responsive defense. It's highly doubtful that he scores, but I'm sure if you look at the all 22 frame by frame you can see a spot where he could have taken off. Who knows?
The last charge is undeniable. The Buccaneers won 31-26. Aaron Rodgers was clearly "outdueled" by Tom Brady. Sure, Rodgers had a 101.6 QB rating to Brady's 73.8, but Brady just surrounded himself with better talent. Brady has the better offensive line, the better defense and the coach that doesn't take the ball out of his hands when the game is on the line.
So, yeah Aaron Rodgers didn't play flawless. It's the standard we've come to expect from a guy who put up an unheard of 48/5 td/int ratio this year. Sadly, when you are that efficient, you set the bar so high for yourself that anything less than perfection is looked down upon. Do yourself a favor the next time you watch Aaron Rodgers play. Stop looking for the flaws. Don't judge him on how his defense plays. Stop holding him to an impossible standard. Just accept him for what he is. Nearly flawless.
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