How Valuable is One Player?
Last Sunday, Aaron Rodgers’ MVP candidacy was strengthened, as his absence revealed all of the worts of the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers was knocked out of the Bears-Packers Monday Night game with a fractured collarbone, taking the Packers high-octane offense with him.
Going into that game, Green Bay was 5-2, one of the best records in the league. Since losing Rodgers to injury, the Packers have lost three games in a row, and most recently tied the Minnesota Vikings 26 to 26 this past weekend. In Minnesota earlier this season, Rodgers played, the Packers won 44-31, but the game was a lot more lopsided than the score indicated, as Rodgers and the offense effortlessly picked up first down after first down. This past weekend, the Packers needed a furious comeback by Matt Flynn against an inept Vikings defense to rally from a 7-23 deficit. Going into this game, the Vikings had two wins. TWO. Playoff teams don’t play the Vikings to a draw. Ties do not exist in the playoffs, but in the regular season they do. In regular season overtime, they put fifteen minutes on the clock and if the scored is still tied after fifteen minutes, its a tie. In the playoffs, the teams just keep playing.
The biggest thing a quarterback like Rodgers brings to the table is not measured in wins and losses. It’s the intangibles. When Rodgers plays, everyone on that sideline plays with an added energy, an attitude. Defensive players hop up after making tackles, high-fiving and whooping for joy. Playing the game is just fun. Last Sunday, the defense went through the motions, looking flat all game, as they have ever since their team leader was sidelined.
On offense, the differences are more glaring. When Rodgers plays, going no huddle is customary, with him rushing everyone to the line, looking to aggressively exploit weakness in other teams’ defenses. Since his departure, the team has huddled up on every play, not feeling comfortable ad libbing and playing with a freewheeling, gun-slinging style that the Packers are known for. While Matt Flynn did guide them back to a tie and an almost win in overtime, you have to think that when they had a first and goal on the Vikings eight yard line, that Rodgers would have found a way to get the ball across the goal line. Flynn and Co. settled for a field goal and a tie. So really, what is Rodgers’ value? A win? Two? Three? I believe his value is inestimable.
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An FWCD student since freshman year, Podell hails from the North (Wisconsin) as well as Georgia and is an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers and Georgia...
Aaron • Dec 3, 2013 at 8:41 am
Great question. More than talent alone, value in this case also includes leadership. Did the Packers make a mistake by not putting more care into the backup quarterback position? Probably so. But look what happened to the team when Rodgers went down. No one else stepped up to lead the team. The offense didn’t adjust well. The defense didn’t step up and take charge of the team’s fate until their star returns. No team is one man alone, but this team has clearly shriveled without their leader. Worse, when he returns, every opponent will have the recipe for beating the Packers – take out Rodgers and the team crumbles.