We’ll make this short and sour--or at least sour. This wasn’t one of Aaron Rodgers worst games--his performance against the Buccaneers was his worst of all-time, no ifs, ands or buts about it. The Packers had two weeks to prepare for what was the marquee game on their schedule--against Tom Brady in his new climes. The Buccaneers did have one of the better defenses in yards allowed--298--but they were still allowing more than 22 points a game, which was only three PPG less than what the Packers defense was allowing. Brady was having a serviceable but not “great” by any means season. Last week he made a bonehead play that cost his team the game, when he forgot what down it was on their last possession, trailing by one point.
This was a winnable game for the Packers, and after the first two possessions of both teams it certainly looked like it was going to be just that. The Packers scored on their first two possessions to take a 10-0 lead, and then they got the ball back after the Buccaneers punted for the second time. Up to that point Rodgers had competed 8 of 12 passes for 107 in just the first quarter.
Then came the deluge, or tsunami, or the dam busting, take your pick. After two incomplete passes setting up third and 10, Rodgers threw a just plain horrible pass in the direction of Davante Adams on the sidelines that was intercepted by Jamel Dean, and there was no one close to stop him from returning the ball for a pick-6. But it was still a 10-7 lead. On another third down play on the next possession, Rodgers again targeted Adams, and again was intercepted, this time by Mike Edwards who just missed another pick-6. Two yards later it was 14-10 game. Brady and the Buccaneers had yet to produce much on offense, and the game was still just shrug-off from the Packers getting it back together.
It wasn’t happening. After two terrible interceptions that came within two yards of both being returned for touchdowns, Rodgers reverted to the kind of tentative play we saw the last few seasons. At that point he was 9 of 17 passing for 114 yards and the two picks; after that he completed just 7 of 18 for 46 yards--no more interceptions, but no touchdown passes. Rodgers was also sacked four times for 42 yards in losses--meaning the Packers had a net total of 4 yards passing. Throw in Tim Boyle’s sack of 11 yards, the Packers after the second interception had negative-7 yards net passing the rest of the game. The Packers gained 134 yards on their first two possessions; only 67 total yards afterwards. The Packers ran only three plays on seven possessions--and if I remember correctly they did not have any possessions in the previous four games in which they ran only three plays, unless it was at the end of the half or game.
And it wasn’t like Brady and the Buccaneers were all that impressive, at least not on paper. Brady completed 17 of 27 for 166 yards, not great by any standard. But the Packers’ anemic offensive performance was bound to have an effect on its defense’s ability to keep Brady and company in check for long. The 38-10 final was just that much more horrifying because people were beginning to believe that the Packers--or at least their offense--was near unstoppable. If this game proved anything, it was that this team stands or falls as Rodgers goes, and this game showed that Rodgers can easily be caused to play “scared” to the detriment of the team. Rodgers threw two bad interceptions; that shouldn’t have been a reason for him to play “scared” the rest of the game. I don't want to hear excuses about the "wind" when the Buccaneers put 38 points on the board, or the pass pressure that tends to get worse when the play is tentative.
Next week it is against the 1-5 Texans. That shouldn’t be just a “bounce-back” game--it needs to be one, for both the team and Rodgers.
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