We know some of you are perfectly content with the Green Bay Packers getting into the playoffs, maybe winning a game and then moving on to next season.
We are not. We expect dominance, championships and, more often than not, the type of play and results that allow us to look down on the rest of the NFL, which is, in fact, greatly inferior.
I’ll tell you who gets excited about a playoff appearance.
A Detroit Lions fan.
Aaron Rodgers knows.
He knows that since the 2010 season ended, the Green Bay Packers haven’t been good enough in the playoffs. He uttered those very words when asked about the team’s playoff performance in reason seasons: “Not good enough.”
Fuckin’ A right.
Since winning the Super Bowl, the Packers are 1-3 in the playoffs. The lone win came in a 2012 wild card game against a Minnesota Vikings team that started Joe Webb at quarterback. The losses came in divisional games against the Giants (2011), San Francisco (2012) and a wild card game against San Francisco (2013).
The first and last of those losses were at Lambeau Field.
Certainly, the Packers craptacular defenses of year’s past will take plenty of blame for those losses and deservedly so. However, Rodgers hasn’t played as well as he did during the 2010 run either and he knows it.
“I have high expectations every time I take the field and I think most people do of me, and that’s how I want it,” Rodgers said. “The bar has been set high and nobody’s going to apologize for setting it, and I’m not sorry for the bar being up there. I love an expectation of greatness because that’s what I expect of myself every time I take the field, and I know my teammates expect me to play well.
“I go into the game expecting to play and excited about the opportunity to be a guy that my teammates can count on.”
I think it’s safe to say the Packers need more from Rodgers than just good performances in the playoffs. They, at times, need him to carry them because, let’s face it. As long as Mike McCarthy is around, the Packers are never going to be able to or be built to win with great defense.
This year, the Packers defense appears to be good enough. Not great or dominant by any stretch, but certainly good enough to get them where they want to go. So long as Rodgers is playing like the best quarterback in football…
Rodgers hasn’t played particularly poorly in the playoffs since 2010, he just hasn’t been spectacular like he was during that run.
Here are the numbers.
2010: 1,094 yards, 9 TDs, 2 INTs, 68.2 completion %, 109.8 rating
Since: 972 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs, 63.9 completion %, 91.6 rating
Both stat lines are over four games.
Now, that second line looks just fine… if you’re Andy Dalton or Jay Cutler. It looks pretty mediocre if you’re Aaron Rodgers.
These Packers, simply, will go as far as Rodgers can carry them. Hopefully, he’s up to the task.
Good call, Monty. In the four playoff games since the SB run, Rodgers has played a C game at best, for him, in 3 of the 4 of them, with the game at San Fran being the exception.
The Packers need an A game from Rodgers. In fact, they likely need 2.
I would say Rodgers had B grade. The defense was a D- in those 4 playoff games since the title.
“These Packers, simply, will go as far as Rodgers can carry them. Hopefully, he’s up to the task.”
And the Broncos will go as far as Manning can carry them, and the Patriots will go as far an Brady can carry them, and the Colts will go as far as Luck can carry them.
In other news, water is wet.
I am drinking the Kool Ade. Go Pack Go!! We got this.
The offensive line and Lacy will assist greatly in Rodgers performance throughout the playoffs.
Relative to the dig at McCarthy, I think one of his flaws is his commitment and I guess a lack of willingness to cut guys loose…especially one Mr. Capers. So if that’s what you mean, I guess I agree. But I just get annoyed that people don’t realize the quality of coach we have in McCarthy. He’s easily top 10. You don’t have to look any further than our divisional rivals to see how bad it could be.
Agreed.
You are not going to go to or win the super bowl every year. If you can’t live with that stop being a fan.
McCarthy is most definitely one of th ebest coaches and you are miserable? Sheesh.
Having said that I most definitely hope ever year to win th big one but I am happy as well with good years after the stretch betwwen SB 2 and our next win.
Ligthen up, enjoy the process as well as the wins
While I agree winning the SB isnt realistic, you have to look at the fact that there are maybe 3 other QB’s in the league with HoF talent: one of them has 3 rings, one of them has 2 rings, and one one of them has a ring and 3 appearences to go with 4 MVP’s. So I think what upsets people is we may live through 30 years of Franchise, HOF Quarterbacking and only win 2 Super Bowls? Thats not good enough.
If MM and TT cannot help Aaron Rodgers win at least 2 SB’s then YES in Green Bay WI that is a failure. Sorry but thats the truth.
Now Rodgers needs to play better in the post season to make that happen, so yes, some of it is on him
I meant winning it every year. Wheres the fricking Edit button>?
it’s with the disqus censor button, but this is not disqus.
McCarthy’s strength isn’t coaching though he’s a good coach. But I think that if given time, he’s one of the best at improving the play of his quarterbacks and that’s key to winning in the NFL.
Players in general. One thing I’ve noticed is that when MM sets an off-season goal, it gets accomplished: last year it was the run game, this year the D, pretty sure the same for ’10, I think that says quite a lot about him as a coach. Nitpick his play-calling all you want, but he gets shit done when he sets out to do it.
good point. MM also stated at the start of this season that he had got the best O line he’s ever coached ready for this year. so looking back on their play this past fall he clearly was right on about that accomplishment as well. [cf. nfl.com packers.com august 2014]
hmmm, looks like the moderator decided to play a trick on me and stuck a ghost edit button in there that posted my edited post twice. sorry about that.