Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Packers 2013 Evaluation and Report Card

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Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers

1) Introduction:  One of the four best quarterbacks in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers was having another Aaron Rodgers type season. He racked up 15 touchdowns and three interceptions through Week 8. Then, in the following week Shea McClellin, who came into the game with three career sacks, sacked Rodgers and he fell awkwardly and broke his left collarbone, derailing the Packers’ season.

2) Profile:

Aaron Charles Rodgers

  • Age: 30
  • Born: 12/2/1983 in Chico, Calif.
  • Height: 6’2″
  • Weight: 225
  • College: California
  • Rookie Year: 2005
  • NFL Experience: 9

Career stats and more

3) Expectations coming into the season:  The stratosphere. He’s not only the best quarterback in the league at the most vital position but he’s also the most important human in the Packers’ organization. No wonder why Rodgers takes every read, call and snap so seriously, because he knows that he is the beacon of hope for this team.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: This one’s pretty easy. With the Packers trailing 28-27 with 6:24 left in the final regular season game with the Bears, that awarded the NFC North crown to the winner, Rodgers was at his very best. And he did it in his first game back from the collarbone injury that caused him to miss seven games. Rodgers orchestrated a 15-play drive in 5:46 that saw the Packers convert three fourth downs. But it was the final fourth-and-8 that was so memorable. Rolling to his left, Rodgers found Randall Cobb, who was completely forgotten about by the Bears’ secondary, for the 48-yard touchdown with 38 seconds left. Arguably one of the bedrock moments in Packers’ lore.

5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success:  Unquestioned.

6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: Making his second game back from the collarbone injury, Rodgers was facing the stiff 49ers defense. In dangerously cold temperatures that saw the wind chill drop to -10° at kickoff, Rodgers was sacked four times and never really got comfortable as the 49ers beat the Packers at Lambeau.

Season Report Card:

(A) Level of expectations met during the season

(A) Contributions to team’s overall success.

(C) Contributions to team during the playoffs

Overall Grade:  B+

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Cory Jennerjohn is from Wisconsin and has been in sports media for over 10 years. To contact Cory e-mail him at jeobs -at- yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter: Cory Jennerjohn

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14 thoughts on “Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Packers 2013 Evaluation and Report Card

  1. I don’t agree with an A for overall team success. I think if he played the whole season he would of got one easy. Even though getting insured was not is fault is still caused the team to melt down. When he returned the offense did get a lot better but the defense never really regained form. You got to think if he remained health both units would of been playing better in the playoffs.

  2. I don’t understand the “C” grade for the playoffs.

    Is it Rodgers’ fault that his receivers dropped a handful of easy balls, that his offensive line got mauled by a better squad and the pocket collapsed quickly as a result, or that his coach called an assload of runs to start the game (including one to JOHN KUHN ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!)?

    I don’t put that game on Rodgers.

    I put it on poor game-planning and play-calling, Micah Hyde not making a play, and the Niners being the better team.

    There were just too many plays that Rodgers made that no other player in the NFL makes. He kept them in it, along with Lacy dragging the team by his busted up ankle, and the defense punching above their weight class.

    1. You apparently don’t realize that Rodgers make most of the play calls at the LOS. If you did you wouldn’t go off blaming McCarthy automatically. Rodgers probably calls more plays the McCarthy does.

      1. Actually there is some debate on that, McCarthy and Rodgers have naturally never specifically divulged their play calling roles aside from the fact that Rodgers has the ability to change plays. Now does that mean Rodgers calls the plays before they line up like Peyton Manning has been rumored to do? I doubt it. My guess is that McCarthy still calls the original play and Rodgers has a couple options to switch to should he see something. I’m guessing Rodgers doesn’t have the full playbook to change to since it would be nearly impossible for everyone to get the new call to everyone under the full name. So the question becomes, if McCarthy calls a running play with Kuhn and Rodgers sees no reason why he should change it, would it be then Rodgers or McCarthy’s fault?

        1. On the play calling issue, this has been evolving during the course of Rogers career. Obviously in the beginning MM called the majority of the plays. As Rodgers has matured in the offense a higher and higher percentage of play calls have been made by Rodgers. Stroh is probably correct that MM and Rodgers have reached the point where Rodgers calls most of the plays. Keep in mind that over the course of a season things evolve, change, etc… When the team suffers injuries to play makers like Finley and Cobb there may be times in a game when MM is calling more plays to help settle less experienced players into the offense. However, in the end, Rodgers reads the defense and adjusts the play accordingly, keeping in mind the personnel on the field, the score, field position, down and distance, etc… When the team is healthy MM is calling base formations based on the package he has on the field and the prep work studying the opposing defensive tendencies. After that Rodgers is making the calls. I think based on watching the games that Rodgers calls the actual play that is run about 60-75% of the time and in some games probably as high as 80%. There will be a few games, due maybe to weather or injury considerations the split goes down to 50/50 or even 40/60. But Rodgers is running that offense when everyone is healthy and they are hitting on all cylinders. I don’t see why he wouldn’t or why he would accept not to. Thanks, Since’61

          1. I think just by watching the game can be misleading. For instance there is no indication of who is calling the original play; McCarthy has communication only with Rodgers before the snap and therefore Rodgers could only be repeating the play that McCarthy has already called. On the flip side, McCarthy might just be pointing something out to Rodgers who then calls the play, no one really knows. I would bet McCarthy likely calls the majority of play calls, it’s rare for head coaches to call their own plays and one of the things that McCarthy said he would always do when he was hired was call the offensive plays. Obviously with an superstar quarterback like Rodgers behind center, he’s probably more open to calls getting changed but I still think McCarthy has the most input in the initial play selection.

            As for calls after the initial play is called, there are two possibilities. The first is that Rodgers isn’t changing the play, he’s only altering how the play is run; for instance calling out the mike to set the protection scheme or calling for an option hot route is not really changing the play per say (also keep in mind the offensive line has said they sometimes call out their own protections so its not just Rodgers that has that ability).

            The second option is that Rodgers changes the play completely, my guess is that the offense has a set of plays to change to and while Rodgers can pick within that set, again I don’t think he’s calling from the full playbook. If you’ve heard our podcast our intro has a sound clip of Rodgers calling out a play….and it is long, really long. I don’t Rodgers typically has the time after lining up to call a full play let along make sure that the wide receivers out by the boundaries can hear it. More likely he only has a couple options that all the other offensive players are already aware of.

            1. Thomas, thanks for the feedback. The way I see it is this way. If the Packers run 66 plays in a game, about 1/3 of the plays are going to be called by MM and probably not changed by AR. Another 1/3 are probably called by AR especially during the no huddle drives. The Packers usually run 2 no huddle drives and sometimes more. I’m confident that there are a limited number of play choices during the no huddle drives (worked on during the week)with some audibles by AR. The other 1/3 may or not be called by MM but as you say Rodgers can change how the play is run or maybe audible out of run to pass or from pass to run. All of these adjustments are based on the players on the field so in that case the whole play book is never available for use. Saying that AR calls most of the plays maybe too strong but the combination of plays he does call and adjusts is probably about 2/3 or more over the course of a game. Also remember that MM is giving AR feedback from the coaches observing from the booth upstairs. This also impacting play calls and play adjustments. Thanks, Since ’61

          2. I would agree that the final play run is probably about 60% or more a play that Rodgers had more control over than McCarthy. Basically agree w/ everything you touched on. Obviously we don’t know and the Packers aren’t telling.

            In the end the offense is as much if not more controlled by Rodgers these days. I doubt there are many plays that are run that Rodgers doesn’t have complete freedom to change.

            This was the whole idea behind going no huddle a lot w/ Rodgers at QB. You can get the D in a certain package and if you have a perceived advantage, you leave the personnel that you have, don’t huddle or change and keep taking advantage of it. That means most of the calls made on the field have Rodgers in control of taking advantage of the mismatch or favorable situations.

            We know that most plays have built in adjustments that Rodgers can got to and that he can go outside those adjustments as he sees fit. The Offense really is built to take advantage of Rodgers physical, and maybe even more importantly MENTAL abilities.

        2. From my understanding McCarthy sends a play that is for the defensive personnel they expect on down and distance and expected alignment. Rodgers then sees the actual D alignment and has built in audibles to get the playcall to beat the alignment. He can also completely go outside the original play call and built in audibles.

          This all leads me to believe that the play run us controlled more by Rodgers than McCarthy. Sure a smaller % of plays are also no audible or changable.

          But to take full advantage if Rodgers abilities the majority are controlled more by him rather than McCarthy.

  3. I’m still trying to figure out Tolzien getting a B- grade much less argue if Rodgers should get an Grade A….

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