Aaron Rodgers is playing GREAT

[RashanGary]

Early in the season he was holding the ball, taking sacks, waiting until a receiver was open instead of throwing him open, not taking a lot of underneith stuff and generally seeming afraid to throw unless conditions were absolutely perfect. Drives were ending on sacks. It just wasn't working and IMO, the biggest reason was the QB play.

Now he's throwing slants to covered receivers, but it's right on the money so it's almost indefensible. He's taking check downs, he's not holding the ball, he's throwing his guys open, he's still not throwing picks, he's not ending drives with sacks.

Really, he's been a superstar the last 5 weeks. I was so disappointed in how he played early in the season. His stats were good, but the sacks were killing drives and killing our chances to win. I couldn't help but think, "If we had Brett Favre, we would be winning". Now, Rodgers is playing like a star. He deserves to be in the probowl and if the ST's/Penalties keep getting better the way they did today, we honestly have a shot at making it to and even winning the SB.

[sharpe1027]

I think it is more than a strange coincidence that Rodger's "improved" play happens soon after Tausch and Clifton come back.

Bad play by the line has a cascading effect on a teams ability to do so many different things. Rodgers has been better at getting the ball out, but he was the least of the teams problems over the first eight games. At least that's how I see it.

[RashanGary]

I think it is more than a strange coincidence that Rodger's "improved" play happens soon after Tausch and Clifton come back.

Bad play by the line has a cascading effect on a teams ability to do so many different things. Rodgers has been better at getting the ball out, but he was the least of the teams problems over the first eight games. At least that's how I see it.

Yeah. The injuries early hurt and Barbre sucked. That definitely played into it. It really was a lot of things coming together to get this thing fixed. Playcalling, protection calls, QB getting it out quicker, line playing better.

I have a lot of confidence right now in the offense.

[Merlin]

I think overall this season Rodgers is playing very well. To say he played well the past two weeks is a stretch.

Against Baltimore, he was firing high and low and that is on him, not the receiver. He had his moments but it definitely was not a great performance.

I don't know what happened to the quick slant audible but it doesn't appear we have one. If we do, Rodgers doesn't know when to call it. Many times he dropped back today and there was no pattern over the middle, you know where the blitzing LB's were? So either he is just going with the play that was called or he isn't reading the defense correctly or our audibles suck. You can decide for yourself which it is because on many of those plays, he didn't look very good.

AND he still hangs onto the ball too long.

He is very close to being an elite QB in the NFL, he will have his ups and downs and that's fine. Outside of hanging onto the ball too long, I think the play calling is his biggest enemy. Most of our pass plays take too long to develop. We don't have a lot of quick hitters in the play book, if we do, we don't run them. Seems like Rodgers drops back and he has to wait a few seconds every time to throw. 3 steps, fire the ball - but again I think that's the play calling, at least that's what I am sticking with. I seriously doubt that it's on Rodgers because he seems to be pretty smart back there.

[pbmax]

Against Baltimore, he was firing high and low and that is on him, not the receiver. He had his moments but it definitely was not a great performance.
Baltimore: 65% completion
Bears: 67% comp.

High and low perhaps, but not very often. Every second year starter has things he needs to work on. The slant audible is not one of them. The Packers have run that Run/Pass option to death and teams have picked up on it. In the 4 minute offense at the end of the game, despite having little help behind them, the Bears CBs were very close to the WR. They were in that dangerous position to prevent the pass option.

[pbmax]

From Green Bay Press Gazette:


It [the same play Grant ran for a TD] appeared it was called a third time, too, but Rodgers threw the backside option to WR Greg Jennings for 5.



but QB Aaron Rodgers spotted CB Zackary Bowman giving Nelson a 4-yard cushion on the edge and decided to throw. It wasn’t a bad decision per se, but it backfired.

Perhaps one and three step slants are not as automatic as it seems at times.

[LEWCWA]

Against Baltimore, he was firing high and low and that is on him, not the receiver. He had his moments but it definitely was not a great performance.
Baltimore: 65% completion
Bears: 67% comp.

High and low perhaps, but not very often. Every second year starter has things he needs to work on. The slant audible is not one of them. The Packers have run that Run/Pass option to death and teams have picked up on it. In the 4 minute offense at the end of the game, despite having little help behind them, the Bears CBs were very close to the WR. They were in that dangerous position to prevent the pass option.

Driver and Jennings played like crap against Balt as well. If they don't play like crap, Rodgers has a huge game and it is a blowout!

[SkinBasket]

I'm sure someone, somewhere, is still arguing that Cutler is a great QB who just happens to be playing poorly and Rodgers is an okay QB who just happens to be playing great. We only have 13 games to compare them against each other, after all.

[pbmax]

I'm sure someone, somewhere, is still arguing that Cutler is a great QB who just happens to be playing poorly and Rodgers is an okay QB who just happens to be playing great. We only have 13 games to compare them against each other, after all.
I agree. And while I think some of the specific complaints about play calling are hard to find support for, clearly they have some problem areas. 3rd down conversions have come way down as has red zone performance. I am also concerned about Tauscher's knee and pass protection in general.

[rbaloha1]

AR has improved throughout the season. Using eyes to fool defenders better. IMO MM needs to get AR in rhythm earlier like Holgrem used to with BF.

[MOBB DEEP]

I couldn't help but think, "If we had Brett Favre, we would be winning".

Are you serious JH

:?:

[RashanGary]

I couldn't help but think, "If we had Brett Favre, we would be winning".

Are you serious JH

:?:

Yeah. Rodgers stats were great from the get go, but we greatly missed Favre's savvy. I underestimated the things Favre did.


Rodgers, physically, can do it all right now. Mentally, he's still learning a lot of lessons. The way Rodgers is playing right now, he's getting there. Maybe he's one of the best QB's in the NFL, but he can't go back to doing what he did early in the year (sacks).

[Scott Campbell]

I don't miss Favre's moments of sheer stupidity.