Canton and Rodgers

[Patler]

You point out the obvious. They named a street after him in Green Bay for christsakes. The same euphoria that is going on now is what it was after the Super Bowl win in 1996. Then the story broke that Holmgren was taking offers during the 1997 Super Bowl, and Wolf and Harlan then came out. We all knew that Holmgren wanted more, but we certainly didn't think it was going to be after two straight Super Bowl appearances.

My point is all good things that happen in sports come to an end. Thinking that McCarthy and Thompson are going to build a twenty year dynasty is too much cool aid.

I never expected Holmgren to renew his first contract before the SB victory, that's how little I expected him to stay. After they won, I expected him to leave immediately. What does naming a street after him have to do with it? Petty local politicians trying to make points with the voters.

There is a completely different feel with MM than with Holmgren. MM sounds content, satisfied, fulfilled by being the Packers coach. Holmgren always came across as looking for something more. He didn't seem satisfied from outset.

Will they last together for 20 years? Not likely because TT won't stay that long. But, both seem satisfied for now; and I fully expect they will stay through their extensions for the next 5 years. If they win another SB in that time, both could stay on a while longer in an attempt to get a 3rd, which would put them among the elite.

I would not be surprised if TT hangs it up after his contract expires in 5 years. MM could be the type of guy who is content as a coach for another 10 years or so. Those guys crop up every now and then. He just seems like a coach, through and through. Lovie Smith is another one. At some point their times will be up, and maybe then they will look for front office jobs, but they seem like coaches first and foremost.

[Tarlam!]

My point is all good things that happen in sports come to an end. Thinking that McCarthy and Thompson are going to build a twenty year dynasty is too much cool aid.

Obviously, they won't be together in GB the next 20 years. Just as obviously, all things come to an end. But the difference is often why and how. Take the departure of Holmgen as a "Why" and the departure of #4 as "How" examples for negatives where the ball club made some mistakes, but those two individuals are mostly the guilty parties.

If TT wants to retire, I think he'll do it a way similar Harlan: He'll make sure the replacement is a great fit. If M3 starts losing he goes, just like anywhere. Should he hang around, he may very well get TT's job, though I doubt we'll see the dual roles of GM/HC in GB any time soon.

Back to Rodgers: If you click on the site that I posted there's a link to a related article where 6-6 "experts" are asked to pick their QB to win a big game. Interestingly, Rodgers got 2 votes.

[Gunakor]

My point is all good things that happen in sports come to an end. Thinking that McCarthy and Thompson are going to build a twenty year dynasty is too much cool aid.

How about a 6 or 7 year dynasty? Still too much to expect from a team full of twenty-somethings, a coach who shows absolutely no intention of leaving, and an elite GM who just signed a contract extension?

Tell you what Nutz. Instead of bickering back and forth forever on this, how about you tell us what you think is wrong with this team? Why can't we win 3 or 4 more titles by the end of the decade? Who is better than Green Bay right now? Who is deeper? Who is more complete? Who's going to come along in the next few years and knock us off the pedestal we're sitting on? All good things in sports most certainly do come to an end, and this one will too. But not tomorrow. This good thing in sports just started. It's still got a full course to run.

[Scott Campbell]

Why can't we win 3 or 4 more titles by the end of the decade?

Parity, and the 32 team league.

[Patler]

Parity, and the 32 team league.

Both have been around a long time. I think the biggest obstacle is Rodgers' concussions. With the new emphasis on safeguarding players and his past history, he will be out of any game when he takes a hit and shows the least sign. He will miss games that will follow. His career will be shortened. Two in a season close together have me extremely concerned about his longevity.

In addition to that, it is likely to change how he plays. He will run less, take dives more. Most QBs do that as they age, but with Rodgers it will happen much sooner that it would have. MM will change what he calls and what he installs. The QB sneak will again disappear.

I give Rodgers about 5 more years. He will be retired in his very early 30's. Hope I'm wrong.

[Brandon494]

The guy is not a running back and with the rules changes they have placed on protecting the QB he'll be fine. I'm pretty confident Rodgers will be playing beyond 5 years

[Patler]

The guy is not a running back and with the rules changes they have placed on protecting the QB he'll be fine. I'm pretty confident Rodgers will be playing beyond 5 years

The problem as I see it is that his concussions were sustained on routine plays, with no penalties called, while the rules to protect QBs were already in place. Both were plays that you really can't protect him from with rules or play calls because they were just routine football situations. Sure, you can avoid calling QB sneaks and warn him to slide, but the types of hits in which he got concussions can happen anytime he drops back to pass. Two in short succession were a red flag for me, and with the medical scrutiny now given to concussions he will miss playing time. If (when) he gets a third one, he very well could miss multiple games.

[Brandon494]

Also if we were to win 3-4 titles in the next decade we would go down as the greatest franchise in history. I do believe we can be a dynasty and win one or two more with Rodgers at QB but your starting to sound like Lebron with winning that many titles.

[Gunakor]

Parity, and the 32 team league.

Didn't stop the Pats. We're a much more complete team than the one that won 3 titles in New England. They may have been slightly better at QB (slightly), and had a more clutch kicker, but we're better just about everywhere else. Better WR's, better TE's, better DB's. Better depth across the board. Compare those rosters to ours, and tell me why this team can't do what they did even better than they did it. Ours is the better team.

[Gunakor]

The problem as I see it is that his concussions were sustained on routine plays, with no penalties called, while the rules to protect QBs were already in place. Both were plays that you really can't protect him from with rules or play calls because they were just routine football situations. Sure, you can avoid calling QB sneaks and warn him to slide, but the types of hits in which he got concussions can happen anytime he drops back to pass. Two in short succession were a red flag for me, and with the medical scrutiny now given to concussions he will miss playing time. If (when) he gets a third one, he very well could miss multiple games.

Wasn't the one he sustained in Detroit on a long first down carry in which Rodgers did not slide after picking up the first down? If I'm remembering that one right, that scenario is a preventable one.

[Lurker64]

Wasn't the one he sustained in Detroit on a long first down carry in which Rodgers did not slide after picking up the first down? If I'm remembering that one right, that scenario is a preventable one.

It was. Rodgers definitely made an effort to go out of bounds or slide after picking up the first down when challenged by a defender after this. He also changed his helmet design from the one that's rated worst in terms of "concussion prevention" among the helmets that NFL players use to the one of the helmets that's rated best in terms of "concussion prevention".

It's also probably worth noting that, were it not for modern emphasis on concussions in the game, one or both of Rodgers' injuries would have passed without notice.

I'm not sure on which play he suffered the concussion against Washington, though.

[Patler]

Wasn't the one he sustained in Detroit on a long first down carry in which Rodgers did not slide after picking up the first down? If I'm remembering that one right, that scenario is a preventable one.

He was tackled. How do you prevent him from being tackled? The fact he ran a long way is irrelevant. Besides, the field was wide open and he took off. Yes, he should have taken a dive at the end, but you will never prevent him from being tackled completely. Yes,he was hit in the head at the end, but it wasn't excessively vicious (no penalty). Again, something you can't prevent completely. QBs get hit harder than that in the pocket.

[Patler]

It's also probably worth noting that, were it not for modern emphasis on concussions in the game, one or both of Rodgers' injuries would have passed without notice.

That's exactly why it is even more of a concern. With Rodgers history, he will get even more scrutiny.

[MJZiggy]

That's exactly why it is even more of a concern. With Rodgers history, he will get even more scrutiny.

I'm not completely convinced it's the death knell to his career, though. I think if he can stay healthy for a season or two, folk'll start to pay attention less to the concussions. I'd say they start to forget, but you guys remember the scores to both Lions games from the 1972 season, so I won't go quite that far...

[HarveyWallbangers]

Agreed. When you combine arm strength + accuracy + ability to throw on the run, I'd rank Rodgers as the best in the game. If it were just arm strength + accuracy, it's close between him and Manning.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=6708446

1. Best QB arm: Aaron Rodgers -- Anybody who saw this Green Bay Packers quarterback play last postseason had to be impressed by his ability to throw the football. It wasn't just that Rodgers had a strong arm. He also had the ability to squeeze the football into places that few quarterbacks ever dare to go.

How can you forget the sight of hapless defenders futilely reaching their arms out for passes that zipped past their fingertips and into the hands of Rodgers' receivers? He made two such throws in the Super Bowl (including a late completion that helped seal that victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers), and he did it often in a jaw-dropping performance in an NFC divisional playoff win over Atlanta (Rodgers completed 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns).

In fact, Rodgers has spent most of the last three seasons using that arm to become a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback. Now, that isn't to say there aren't other signal-callers who can throw the football farther or harder than Rodgers. It's simply hard to find another quarterback who can make so many difficult throws look so easy in the process.