Packers: The Team to Root For

With only four teams left in the playoff picture there is a pretty good chance that your team is not in the running. The question for most NFL fans become 'who should I root for?' I think the obvious answer to this question and the team that most people are pulling for is the Green Bay Packers.

Why the Packers?

1. Aaron Rodgers - You have to like the way Rodgers goes about his business. Rodgers was snubbed in the draft and was passed up by his home town team the 49ers (who picked QB Alex Smith who is considered a bust at this point). He had to wait as 23 more teams passed on him only to be drafted by the Packers and sit behind QB Brett Favre. Instead of complaining, Rodgers sat quietly and waited his turn even though he was probably the better quarterback. When he finally got a chance to start in 2008 he played really well (28 TDs -13 INT) in essentially his rookie year. Since then he has quietly become one of the best quarterbacks in the league. You don't see Rodgers in lots of commercials or constantly in the media like the quarterbacks that lead some of the other playoff teams. Rodgers just goes to work and does his job and leaves the media focus for others, you have to respect a guy like that.

2. They are the best option left - It is really tough to root for the rest of the teams in the playoffs. You have the Jets who love talking almost as much as winning. I loved Hard Knocks and thought Rex Ryan and the players were a really fun team to watch. But now the trash talk and cocky attitude are just getting tiresome, its like hearing a song you like on the radio over and over until you begin to hate it. The Bears are likable except for their whinny quarterback Jay Cutler who is the epitome of a spoiled superstar. Then there is the Steelers, I don't think any fan wants to see them win again, because winning would mean they have become a dynasty. Unless its your team, no one likes seeing a dynasty.

3. Packer Fans - Its hard to imagine what its like being a Packer fan. Brett Favre coming out of retirement only to sign with the Packers rival the Minnesota Vikings was probably the worst day in Packers fans history. They found out a guy they idolized and believed in did not care as much about them. You have to be pulling for the Packers and there fans. If they can win the super bowl, and I think they have the best chance, then Favre and his antics will be long forgotten.

Slide, Aaron, Slide!

This ladies and gentlemen is exactly why all quarterbacks should slide unless we’re talking about a play with the game on the line. I love the attitude of Aaron Rodgers, he is obviously a true competitor, however he really hurt the team with this play. If he slides in this situation, Rodgers probably leads Green Bay to a win versus the lowly Lions and their playoff situation looks pretty good. Instead Rodgers gets a concussion, and the Packers have a tough road ahead of them and have to possibly play the Patriots without Rodgers. No running game + no Aaron Rodgers is pretty much an automatic loss.

Brett Favre ironically is a good example of a player who has stopped taking unnecessary injury risks. Early in Favre’s career he was very hard to take down as a QB, and wouldn’t slide very often. However after playing through many injuries and after his legs slowed down he realized his health was worth more to the team than an extra couple yards. Of course he still sometimes makes boneheaded decisions like trying to block cornerbacks on a direct snap (in a pre-season game no less), but for the most part he has done what he needed in order to stay healthy.

Now that Favre’s streak is over, Peyton Manning holds the current consecutive start streak for a QB. If you watch Peyton play, he almost always slides and is very easy to take down if a player gets his hands on him. Some people may question Manning’s toughness, but if he gets injured the team goes down as well. There is no point for elite QBs to be risking their health if the game is not on the line.

Players like Rodgers, and to a greater extent, Michael Vick, use their legs as weapons, which is large part of their success. I would encourage both players to continue to scramble and get yards when they can, but always to slide instead of taking a hit. Aaron Rodgers is a smart player and I believe he will learn from this situation, and hopefully other young competitive QB’s will learn from this as well.

Surprises and Rookie Spotlight

Three Surprises:

1. The Packers lost against the Bears- The Packers literally did everything they could to hand the game to the Bears. The Bears did do a great job stopping the run, but the Packers had 17 penalties, and played very sloppily. They could have easily had 3 or 4 interceptions against Jay Cutler, and Aaron Rodgers completed 76% of his passes for 316 yards and yet they only put up 17 points. I think this was just a bad game for the Packers, I still see them as super bowl contenders, and Aaron Rodgers looked pretty good.

2. Pittsburgh is 3-0- The Steelers have been able to win three games without starting QB Ben Roethlisberger, and they have beaten some pretty good teams already: Falcons, Titans and Buccaneers. They have been able to do it because their defense has been nasty. The Steelers are one team I would not want to play at all especially with Roethlisberger coming back in 2 weeks. Look out for WR Mike Wallace, he is ridiculously fast, he averaged 19+ yards per catch last year, and is averaging 26+ per catch this season.

3. Jay Cutler and Mark Sanchez playing well – Two guys that I had given up on are looking pretty good. Cutler looks better, but I think much of Cutler’s success can be contributed to the offense under Mike Martz and RB Matt Forte. Mike Martz offense’s seem to always put up good numbers, and Forte, who is the leading receiver, has helped Cutler by averaging 12.9 yards after the catch. He still seems to throw the ball off his back foot and force balls so I’m not completely sold on him. Sanchez has looked very good he is making good decisions and getting the ball out quick. Will see if he can keep it up.

Rookie Spotlight

3 Stars

Earl Thomas – Had his first 2 interceptions of his career in the Seahawks win against San Diego, looks like the next Bob Sanders (hopefully he can stay healthy though).

2 Stars

C.J. Spiller – Had a 95 yard kickoff return and a receiving touchdown, he showed that he can run by people in the chances he has been given.

1 Star

Dexter McCluster – McCluster had a big touchdown, and has helped the Chiefs start off 3-0. I was shocked when McCluster ran a 4.5+ in the 40 at the combine, he is really fast, he is one of those guys that gets faster when he puts on the pads.