More Banjo: Week8 @ Panthers

[Maxie the Taxi]

Rodgers was 25/48, 52%. I prefer not throwing to covered receivers anymore.

On the other hand, he was 8/16, 50%, 1 TD in the 1st half not throwing to covered receivers, and 17/32, 53%, 3 TD's in the 2nd half throwing to covered receivers.

[pbmax]

Still prefer open receivers, but the second half left him no choice.

But even in the first half they were throwing to Cobb no matter what. Also helped he had some single coverage.

[pbmax]

I saw Perillo and Ripper. Anyone else see Abby and Janis?

The Packers plugged the likes of Jeff Janis, Jared Abbrederis, Justin Perillo and Aaron Ripkowski — all reserve players — into new or scarcely used personnel groupings in hopes of staving off stagnation, but when the defense of Dom Capers yielded 27 points in 30 minutes, the approach needed changing.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/aaron-rodgers-disappointed-with-his-performance-b99610571z1-343343192.html

[pbmax]

John @jrehor
Someone actually asked @Michael_Cohen13 in his post game chat if he thought Rodgers should be benched in favor of Scott Tolzien

[Maxie the Taxi]

I saw Perillo and Ripper. Anyone else see Abby and Janis?



http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packe...343343192.html

I know for a fact Abby did not play. It's in the official Gamebook of the game. Janis played on ST. Whether Janis took an offensive snap, I don't know.

[Maxie the Taxi]

John @jrehor
Someone actually asked @Michael_Cohen13 in his post game chat if he thought Rodgers should be benched in favor of Scott Tolzien

I love it. Those kind of slights motivate Arod like nothing else. (See his draft day for further reference.)

[Pugger]

Ryan got a lot of PT late. Was Palmer benched? I try to block out Aikman/Buck whenever possible...not that they would have talked about that anyways.

Thank god I couldn't hear those 2 at the bar yesterday.

[Pugger]

I know for a fact Abby did not play. It's in the official Gamebook of the game. Janis played on ST. Whether Janis took an offensive snap, I don't know.

I don't recall seeing either of them on offense yesterday either.

[Patler]

Athletes have ups and downs. No athlete is at their absolute best all of the time, and even the best ones have slumps. Rodgers has hit a rough spot, perhaps brought on be poor protection, perhaps just because he is human. Whatever the cause, his accuracy was off much of the game yesterday (last week too), and perhaps his situational responses could have been better on some plays. But, replace him because of that? Ridiculous.

[Pugger]

Athletes have ups and downs. No athlete is at their absolute best all of the time, and even the best ones have slumps. Rodgers has hit a rough spot, perhaps brought on be poor protection, perhaps just because he is human. Whatever the cause, his accuracy was off much of the game yesterday (last week too), and perhaps his situational responses could have been better on some plays. But, replace him because of that? Ridiculous.

He did seem to show some of that fire in his eyes in the 4th. Perhaps he's coming out of his funk? I say let's take our frustrations out on the loins and bares these next few weeks and get back on track - if nothing more than get our confidence back.

[mraynrand]

John @jrehor
Someone actually asked @Michael_Cohen13 in his post game chat if he thought Rodgers should be benched in favor of Scott Tolzien

I recall the drunk bastards calling in the post game shows after Favre interceptions and a loss in the '99 season saying that "Dey odda put Pedderson in dere, dontcha know!?"

[ThunderDan]

I know for a fact Abby did not play. It's in the official Gamebook of the game. Janis played on ST. Whether Janis took an offensive snap, I don't know.

Where did you find the Official GameBook? I couldn't find it by googling.

I am sure 84 and 83 were in for a handful of plays on Offense.

Jake Ryan was the leading tackler for the Packers yesterday with 10.

[Patler]

I have watched and rewatched the last few plays many times, and Rodgers responded uncharacteristically to several situations on the field.

On third down, on his intial drop he had Adams open at the 8 coming across the field, nearest defender at the 4 heading the opposite direction with Cobb, no pressure on Rodgers at that point, and a wide open throwing lane to Adams. Rodgers hesitated, spun out behind Bakhtiari and cut back to the middle of the field. At that point Adams was directly in front of him in the endzone a step behind a DB waving for the ball. With Adams leaping ability, a jump ball to him, or a flip toward the endline had a good chance of success. But Rodgers seemed fully committed to the run, with the ball semi-tucked, with no real chance to throw. He went down at the 4.

Then, on fourth down, with pressure/obstruction on his right, he did not respond in a way to open a throw to his primary target who would be (and was) wide open for an easy TD. Time and time again we have seen him, in that same situation, pivot counterclockwise while bellying back, to loop around his own right tackle, and either run or throw down field. With Cob his primary target being on that side of the field, it might have turned out well for him to throw to Cobb, or take it in himself. Even after he looked away from his right, he initially stepped up and had a throwing lane to Adams at about the 2, with a defender trailing Adams but not real tight. Another defender was coming at Adams, but a good distance away. We've seen Rodgers rifle throws like that for years. But, again, he hesitated. stutter stepped backward and flipped up a prayer.

I'm not suggesting any of these were easy situations. But Aaaron Rodgers did not react to them like the AAron Rodgers we know. That is what has made him special, but he just didn't have it going on those last few plays.

[Patler]

Where did you find the Official GameBook? I couldn't find it by googling.

I'm wondering too. The gamebook is not where it typically can be found on nfl.com

[mraynrand]

I have watched and rewatched the last few plays many times, and Rodgers responded uncharacteristically to several situations on the field.

On third down, on his intial drop he had Adams open at the 8 coming across the field, nearest defender at the 4 heading the opposite direction with Cobb, no pressure on Rodgers at that point, and a wide open throwing lane to Adams. Rodgers hesitated, spun out behind Bakhtiari and cut back to the middle of the field. At that point Adams was directly in front of him in the endzone a step behind a DB waving for the ball. With Adams leaping ability, a jump ball to him, or a flip toward the endline had a good chance of success. But Rodgers seemed fully committed to the run, with the ball semi-tucked, with no real chance to throw. He went down at the 4.

Then, on fourth down, with pressure/obstruction on his right, he did not respond in a way to open a throw to his primary target who would be (and was) wide open for an easy TD. Time and time again we have seen him, in that same situation, pivot counterclockwise while bellying back, to loop around his own right tackle, and either run or throw down field. With Cob his primary target being on that side of the field, it might have turned out well for him to throw to Cobb, or take it in himself. Even after he looked away from his right, he initially stepped up and had a throwing lane to Adams at about the 2, with a defender trailing Adams but not real tight. Another defender was coming at Adams, but a good distance away. We've seen Rodgers rifle throws like that for years. But, again, he hesitated. stutter stepped backward and flipped up a prayer.

I'm not suggesting any of these were easy situations. But Aaaron Rodgers did not react to them like the AAron Rodgers we know. That is what has made him special, but he just didn't have it going on those last few plays.

I think the simple explanation is that he is expecting the pressure, because it's there on every pass play. It's forcing him into scrambling and now seems to be leaking into situations where it's unwarranted. You get the good (the scramble to allow the fourth down pass to Jones) and the bad (what you describe above). Gotta shore up that O-line.