1) Introduction: It was a grind at times for Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Things didn’t look quite as easy as they did in 2011. When injuries mounted and adversity came and went, Rodgers kept the Packers in games and came through in the end more often than not. It wasn’t an MVP season, but it wasn’t far off.
2) Profile:
Aaron Rodgers
- Age: 29
- Born: 12/02/1983, in Chico, CA
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 225
- College: California
- Rookie Year: 2005
- NFL Experience: 8 years
3) Expectations coming into the season: 8,000 yards, 108 touchdowns, 1 interception and a QB rating of 607.3. Seriously, I think some people honestly expected those numbers from Rodgers. His 2011 run might have been a once in a lifetime thing. It’s unfair to expect that to happen every season, maybe ever again. Rodgers ended up leading the league in passer rating for the second straight season and made several plays when he had no business making a play. It was another great season, regardless if he failed to meet some people’s unrealistic expectations.
4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: This was my favorite Rodgers’ throw of the season. Amazing. Other highlights include the big game against Houston, making plays down the stretch at Lambeau against the Vikings and recovering nicely from an interception to beat the Saints in a must-win early-season game. If I could change one thing about Rodgers’ season, it would be the interception against the 49ers in the playoffs. Rodgers hasn’t had a holy crap that was awesome! type of playoff game since the Super Bowl. That needs to change.
5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: God knows where the Packers would be without Rodgers. We get mad at him for holding the ball too long and struggling a bit against two-high safety looks. Those criticisms are valid as long as you realize that we’re holding Rodgers to a ridiculously high standard. Yes, it’s a standard he should be held at, but it can be easy to get carried away if Rodgers isn’t flawless and the Packers don’t roll to easy victory after easy victory. The Packers are mediocre at best without No. 12.
6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: The postseason hasn’t been Rodgers’ time since the Packers won the Super Bowl. He hasn’t been terrible, but he’s looked tentative and just a little off at times. That was the case again this season. The 49ers loss wasn’t Rodgers’ fault, but the Packers need him to play better if they want to make another Super Bowl run.
Season Report Card:
(A-) Level of expectations met during the season
(A+) Contributions to team’s overall success.
(B+) Contributions to team during the playoffs
Overall Grade: A-
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Adam Czech is a a freelance sports reporter living in the Twin Cities and a proud supporter of American corn farmers. When not working, Adam is usually writing about, thinking about or worrying about the Packers. Follow Adam on Twitter. Twitter .
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I think he might make the team this year if he applies himself. 😉
They would create a lot of cap space if they cut him…..
Actually, no, he wouldn’t free up much cap space, smh. For his abilities, position, and tenure, he’s grossly underpaid, comparatively speaking…
Melanie: Wait until you read my Graham Harrell evaluation. You’ll totally change your mind about the Packers QB situation. Ted Thompson neeeds to cut Rodgers and use the money he saves to sign a new kicker and replace Mason Crsoby.
The Packers are damn lucky he’s not a whinner like Breezie. He signed his contract and he’s living up to that agreement. Enjoy the next season at his grossly under-paid salary. It’s the last one!
Despite your score, Rodgers had a tough year. He spent too much time hanging onto the ball and scrambling from pressure. I don’t think that MM did him any favors with the game planning and play calling. If you want to run a downfield vertical game then you need to establish a foundation of pass protection and a respectable run game. Neither of those two elements exist on the Packers. MM needs to design and call the play according to what the team can support or Rodgers will swim against the tide through these prime years.
Still wonder how good he would be with a RB, Oline and play calling that make running the ball a threat. If the pass rushers have to hesitate for the run, the advantage to Rodgers will be significant and this offense will not struggle against the better teams.
Giving ARod an A- under expectations is just appeasing those who do believe he should play better than he did in 2011…which is just ridiculous.
So you’re saying it should’ve been an A or A+ for expectations? You wouldn’t get much of an argument from me if you graded him that way.
I nicked him a little in that category because I expected the Packers to do more in the playoffs than beat a Vikings team w/ Joe Webb at QB. Is it Rodgers’ fault that the defense couldn’t stop Kapernick? No, but he could have been better in that game.
Really, I’m just saying that after reading this:
“8,000 yards, 108 touchdowns, 1 interception and a QB rating of 607.3. Seriously, I think some people honestly expected those numbers from Rodgers.”
I chuckled a little at the A-.
Yeah, again, I can’t argue with you.
This is the danger of putting letter grades on players. Everyone has slightly different standards, and it results in a perceived disagreement. In reality, we’re really not disagreeing.
I’ve been dodging reality for about 20 years.
That explains why you read what I write.
No, that’s dodging responsibility.
A group of stiffs at RB at least until Harris arrived late in the year. A below average LT. A Center who should never have been playing in the NFL. A RT who went out midway through the season who was replaced by the LG who was overmatched and who was himself replaced by an UDFA. In essence, a subpar OL and a below average running game.
A TE who was mercurial off the field and average on it. 2 starting WRs who missed much of the year.
Only the #3 and #4 WRs and RG played at or above expectstions in 2012.
To me ARod had an A+ season given the injuries and poor play by others on the O this season.
Is there a QB in the league who had to do more to help his team to win than ARod? I think you’d be hard pressed to find one.
I think the grade is fair and even in light of the OL and RB situation, accurately reflects how AR performed this year.
There are a couple of things that I saw this year that concerned me because they were out of character for him.
1) In a lot of games, AR looked as though he was angry at everyone around him. Not his usual nature and I wonder if it was frustration manifesting itself, or if he is becoming more of a taskmaster on the field. If so, I wonder how the players are responding to that.
2) Another area that was both vexing and perplexing, were the number of three and outs that the offense generated at critical times. Opening possessions of the halves, posesssions following turnovers, possessions following scores, etc. Maybe just spoiled by how well these siuations were handled in the past.
I hope that AR renews his fire. It seemed like he was running at 3/4 throttle a lot last year.
I may get a lot of heat for saying this, but maybe he needs to dial down the off field stuff a little bit. Less time studying ad lines and more time in the playbook.
Yeah, I’ll give you some heat for that.
Simply put, Aaron’s performances last season never gave any impression that he wasn’t prepared for a game, he never really had any sort of lapses where it looked like he neglected his preparation.
Rodgers always seems to have complete command of the playbook.
Appreciate the civil disagreement. A rarity in these anonomously vitriolic times.
Hopefully next year Rodgers can get a better overall grade then his backup.
You only need to say one thing, Rodgers is the best QB in the NFL. And it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon!
Best in NFL and not really close!