When you’re a superstar MVP caliber Quarterback, you’re expected to shine the brightest in the biggest moments. As it pertains to Aaron Rodgers, he couldn’t have been any dimmer. Fair or not, the Quarterback of an NFL team takes the lions share of everything. They get the bulk of the credit as well as the bulk of the blame. After all, they touch the ball on every snap. After failing to capitalize on back to back fourth quarter interceptions, Aaron Rodgers is a strong candidate to take the bulk of it.
Truthfully, there’s plenty of blame to go around. The Packers defense couldn’t have been much worse in the first half if they wanted to. The pass rush couldn’t sniff Tom Brady and the coverage wasn’t any better. Especially on the final play of the first half.
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— PFF (@PFF) January 24, 2021
pic.twitter.com/OIP7cOIw4J
Likewise, the third quarter didn’t start much better. The first possession ended with an Aaron Jones fumble which led to a Bucs touchdown. Up 28-10, it felt as if the Buccaneers were about to run away with the game. That is, until the Packers much maligned defense showed up. Not only did they force Tom Brady into three second half interceptions, but they held him to just three points for the remainder of the game. With all the momentum seemingly on the Packers side, it was up to Aaron Rodgers to take them home.
News Flash… He Didn’t
The Packers scored a total of six points off the three Brady interceptions. In fact, the only time the offense got into scoring range was after the first interception. Rodgers remained under heavy pressure, and his receivers couldn’t get open. Plain and simple, when Todd Bowles defense absolutely needed to make a play, they did. When Rodgers needed to, he couldn’t.
Give credit where credit is due. In the fourth quarter the Bucs were playing without both of their starting safeties, and yet they themselves held the Packers to only three points. Again, lets give credit (or in this case blame) where it’s due. Down eight points with under three minutes remaining, there were two key decisions that cost the Packers. One was by Aaron Rodgers, the other was made by head coach Matt Lafleur.
Questionably, Aaron Rodgers decided to attempt a tight-window touchdown pass on third and goal instead of running it.
Do y’all think Aaron Rodgers could have run this in???? pic.twitter.com/sA9bUATSUY
— #RingerNFL (@ringernfl) January 24, 2021
Ravens Wide Receiver Dez Bryant was puzzled by the decision himself.
Why not Run the ball A rod!
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) January 24, 2021
Even if the run didn’t result in a touchdown, it would’ve no doubt set the Packers up for a much more manageable fourth down play. With a longer fourth and goal looming, Matt Lafleur sent out the field goal unit, and sent the “greatest red zone offense in league history” to the bench. To say NFL Twitter was shocked is an understatement. Not to mention Aaron Rodgers basically threw his head coach under the bus.
In the End…
Aaron Rodgers defense gave him three golden opportunities to not only take a lead, but to bury the Bucs. Using the excuse that Rodgers was sacked five times and didn’t have his top running back doesn’t cut it. He’s won games before with less. Rodgers had every chance to show exactly why he’s the future MVP, and he simply didn’t. It all seems to come down to the Buccaneers just being a bad matchup. Like the 49ers of last year, both teams had pass rushes that the Packers offensive line couldn’t handle.
While the second meeting was closer between the Bucs and Packers than it was for the Niners and Packers, the result at the end of the day was the same. Another crushing loss in the NFC Championship.
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