Every single week, for the past eleven straight weeks, the Green Bay Packers have emerged from the football field victorious. For eleven straight weeks, hapless Vikings fans have had to endure the torture of watching their hated rivals shred every team that has stepped into their path. However, this wonderful Thanksgiving afternoon things were different. The Packers looked surprisingly vulnerable, and the apparent fragility of the best team in recent NFL history was exposed.
Aaron Rodgers represents the entirety of what the Green Bay Packers have become. While I don’t want to spend time and effort discussing his superiority, it is incredibly difficult. Just watch Sportscenter. There isn’t a fifteen minute period of that program that doesn’t reference Rodgers in some fashion. It’s disgusting really, but the coverage isn’t entirely unfounded. However, what most viewers fail to see during the Rodgers-a-thon is how average the Packers would become without him. This was presented today during their contest against the Lions.
Any NFL fan would understand how important it is to manage time of possession. The math works out pretty well actually. More time to score will inevitably translate into more scores right? It’s economics. It’s basic. However, in the case of the 2011 Packers, that is most likely the largest weapon that an opposing team can use. Keeping Rodgers off the field is paramount. At this point, he is utterly unstoppable. Teams just have to hope he misses, or that they can keep up in the slugfest because Rodgers will not be the reason Green Bay loses game one. He is simply that good right now.
What teams need to do is exactly what the Lions did. They need to keep Rodgers off the field and disrupt his zen-like tempo. Coming into the game, the Lions seemed like the prototypical team to end the Packers’ success; a formidable front four and an equally explosive offense that can match Green Bay stride for stride. Had N. Suh not went certifiably insane, the pressure on Rodgers would only increase. Pressure leads to mistakes, and while Rodgers doesn’t make many, he is still by all accounts human. As far as we can tell.
The problem that teams face when playing Green Bay is their ability to make seemingly zero mistakes. Rodgers has thrown four interceptions. Four. With turnovers that low, any team that is fortunate enough to grab a turnover from Green Bay absolutely must capitalize on that opportunity every single time. If you don’t, Green Bay will score on their next possession. Something they are very good at doing.
Just like the Lions, teams need to avoid beating themselves out of games. The amount and timing of Detroit’s penalties on Thanksgiving were not only unfortunate, they were absolutely unacceptable. Any time you give Rodgers another chance to make a play, any play, you are signing your death certificate
In short, Green Bay’s kryptonite starts and ends with Rodgers. The simple way to beat Green Bay, and maybe the only way, is to ensure that he remains off the field. He has been playing with special “concussion-proof” helmet since late last season. One nasty hit and it could be curtains. Keep Rodgers off the field by managing the game, running an efficient offense, and keeping his time of possession as low as possible. Teams need to make less mistakes. They need to play professionally and aggressively. They need to stop letting Rodgers beat them and MAKE Rodgers beat them.
In the mean time, watch LeGarrette Blount embarrass the Green Bay defense. This has to be one of the most astounding football plays in recent memory and literally represents a player putting a team on his back. Literally. Most of the Green Bay defense was on his back at some point. It should makes Vikings fans feel better. Enjoy!
