Last Tuesday Packer fans had to endure another update on what is going on in Mr. Rodgers’ Neighborhood, courtesy of the Pat McAfee show, which mostly exists inside his own head. Aaron Rodgers, of course, was bitching and moaning about people bitching and moaning about him, and frankly he only has himself to blame. The media constantly showers upon him such fawning accolades that he has a hard time taking the heat from fans when he isn’t always living up to the hyperbole. Anyways, After the Bucks won the NBA title and the Brewers winning their division, Wisconsin football fans needed some good news after another disastrous performance by Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz, who was the highest rated quarterback recruit in the school’s history.
Although not in the top-ten of his class of 2019, Mertz was rated as its best pocket passer/pro-style quarterback. So overrated was Mertz by the scouts that the Badgers last season were a preseason favorite for the final-four playoffs; instead, what we have seen is performances like Saturday’s against Notre Dame. The Badgers defense can’t be blamed for the 41-13 thrashing, allowing only 248 total yards. The Badgers took a 13-10 lead into the fourth quarter, and then the following occurred: a kick return for a touchdown, a Mertz fumble and a touchdown, a missed field goal, a Mertz interception and a field goal, a Mertz interception returned for a touchdown, and another Mertz interception returned for a touchdown. Notre Dame scored 31 points in the fourth quarter while only advancing the ball exactly 50 yards on offense.
So, how did the Packers do against their nemesis of the last few years, the 49ers? Rodgers and the Packers seemed to start off where they ended against the Lions last week, opening up a 17-0 lead until the 49ers managed to score on the last play of the half with the help of a long kickoff return and a third down penalty. Rodgers completed 16 of 18 for 184 yards in the half. But the 49ers scored on a long drive to open the second half to narrow the margin to 3 points and things started to look less promising. Rodgers once more had one of his frustrating long slow stretches at inopportune times, allowing the other team to either get back in the game or extend leads. For the first 29:30 minutes of the second half, Rodgers completed just 5 of 10 passes for 35 yards, and this allowed the 49ers to take the lead 28-27 with just 35 seconds to play.
Fortunately for the Packers, the 49ers defense does what often happens when the offense makes a big score and everyone is so “excited” that they forget the game isn’t over yet. Rodgers slung the ball to a wide open Davante Adams twice with 49ers playing the “prevents you from winning” prevent defense with only a token pass rush, eventually leading to Mason Crosby’s 51-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Hooray. The Packers managed to escape a result that could have just as easily opened up that can of worms about how the Packers rarely being able to play two halves of good football on both sides of the ball, let alone on one side. But hey, a win’s a win, and the Packers got that 49ers monkey off their backs.
Stats of the day: six of Rodgers 8 incompletions that were not spikes targeted Adams. That guy that Rodgers lobbied the Packers to get, Randall Cobb? No catches on one target. The offensive line did better, allowing “just” one sack and 3 tackles for losses. Third down pass interference penalties kept two Packer drives alive that ended in touchdowns.
Next week it is at home against the Steelers, a team that seems to be running on whatever Ben Roethlisberger has got left in the tank, which doesn’t seem to be much these days.
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