That serves me right to count out Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers gave their all on that field today as they came out of Miami with an improbable 26-20 win over the Dolphins, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.
There’s no way Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are actually going to make the playoffs, right?
This team was dead and buried three weeks ago in Philly as the Eagles trounced Green Bay, knocked Aaron Rodgers out of the game with rib and hand injuries, and gave them their 8th loss on the season, doubling what they had last year in half as many games.
The 40-33 loss to the Eagles was supposed to be the nail in the Packers coffin that was going to get Aaron Rodgers benched, Matt Lafleur fired, the offense completely rehauled, and the defense blown up in an attempt to rebuild.
What has gone wrong (or right, if you’re a Packers fan)? Well, I have a two-word answer: Aaron Rodgers.
The legendary quarterback was not going to lie down and just take getting humiliated week after week for much longer. When he said that he believed the Packers could run the table, he meant it. And we all should have believed him.
Rodgers was sensational in this game as he threw 24/38 for 238 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT, even though he was down his #1 WR, Christian Watson (6 REC, 49 yards), for most of the game. From the desperation and the ungodly arm angles, Rodgers looked like the old A-Rod again as he was linking up with every single receiver on the roster.
Whether it be Randall Cobb (1 REC, 5 yards), Romeo Dobbs (3 REC, 36 yards), Allen Lazard (5 REC, 61 yards), Aaron Jones (6 CAR, 25 RUSH yards; 2 REC, 9 REC yards), Mercades Lewis (2 REC, 32 yards, 1 TD), or even Josiah Deguara (1 REC, 4 yards), everyone was catching a pass from Rodgers.
I’m not sure if this is true, but I think Rodgers actually set a Green Bay team record with at least one completion to 10 different passing options, which would be perfectly fitting of how he and the Packers offense played today. They were clinical when they needed to be with their two touchdowns and desperate when the moment required as they went for it on 4th down 5 times (completing 3/5)!
Moreover, what was even more impressive was how well the Packers defense played.
For being one of the worst rush stopping defenses in the league, the Packers frontline of Preston Smith (5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 QB hit), Jarran Reed (6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 2 QB hits), T.J. Slaton (2 tackles, 1 TFL), and Kenny Clark (1 tackle) proved their worth today as they silenced Raheem Mostert (8 CAR, 45 yards), Jeff Wilson Jr. (9 CAR, 37 yards, 1 TD) and the Dolphins running game to less than 100 total rushing yards.
Plus, with Jaire Alexander (4 tackles, 1 PD, 1 INT), De’Vondre Cambell (3 tackles, 1 PD, 1 INT), Rasul Douglas (3 tackles, 2 PD, 1 INT), and the rest of the Packers secondary coming away with interception after interception on practically every Miami drive, the Packers defense finally lived up to its storied legacy and expectations.
Though, they weren’t perfect as Jaylen Waddle (5 REC, 143 yards, 1 TD) and Tyreek Hill (4 REC, 103 yards) again had monster performances with a combined 9 receptions for 246 yards and 1 touchdown outing. But, when you have Tua Tagovailoa (16/25, 310 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT) throwing you the ball every possession, those receiving stats don’t really matter.
Speaking of Tua, this was easily his worst game this season.
He looked like last year’s Tua with bad turnovers, poorly placed passes, and a general lack of mobility in the pocket. Out of all of his interceptions, I’d say the third one was the worst as he stared down his man the whole time, underthrew said man, and it happened with 1:40 left on the clock and the Dolphins had 0 timeouts. That will get you benched as a QB.
You can’t give Tua all of the best receivers in the game and have good defensive performances (which Miami had today), but if he’s going to turn the ball over for fun, the Dolphins (8-7) will never see a Super Bowl in South Beach again. I know he can play better as he’s proven this season, but these last few weeks have seen a regression in his confidence and play.
As for the Packers (7-8), the issue with Aaron Rodgers prediction of winning out and making it into the playoffs as a 7th seed always had one major contingent: other teams losing.
Given how Green Bay played today, I don’t doubt that they can go back home and sweep aside the Vikings and Lions to complete their regular season with a 9-8 record. However, I do think it’s unlikely that the Seahawks, Lions, Giants, and/or Commanders will lose out for their final two games as needed for Green Bay’s entry.
So, the Packers might have a sweet ending to the year for their home fans, but it might be a bittersweet one if results play out as they should.
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