Preview: How Much of a Factor Is Aaron Rodgers Still?
Bill Huber covers the Green Bay Packers for Packer Central. He answered five questions heading into the Lions-Packers matchup at Lambeau Field Sunday.
1.) What have the Packers done differently to go from 4-8 to their present record of 8-8?
Bill Huber: It’s improvement in all three phases, I’m sure you’ll be shocked to hear.
The offense isn’t great, but it is better. Actually, the improvement pre-dates the winning streak, but over the last four games, the Packers are fourth in scoring; they’d be third had they not taken a knee at the Rams’ 1-yard line. The emergence of receiver Christian Watson, who scored six touchdowns in a three-game span vs. Dallas, Tennessee and Chicago, has been a game-changer. He’s such a big-play threat that he doesn’t even have to get the ball to impact games.
Defensively, Green Bay gave up a zillion rushing yards to the Eagles to fall to 4-8. That phase has gotten much better. Even with all eyes on Justin Jefferson last week, the Packers stopped Dalvin Cook. A dozen takeaways the last four games matches their total from the first 12 games.
And, Keisean Nixon might wind up being the All-Pro kick returner, even though he didn’t get his first opportunity until Week 6. He has five kickoff returns of 50-plus yards -- three more than anyone else. Last week, even he didn’t think he’d be ready to play. Then, he rolled out of bed on Sunday, felt like a “Ferrari,” as he put it, and took a kickoff back 105 yards for a touchdown.
2.) How would you evaluate the play of quarterback Aaron Rodgers this season?
Huber: Okay. We’re so used to him putting the team on his back and throwing three touchdowns per game that it’s weird seeing him have games of one touchdown and one interception. He’s got a chance to finish with career-worst numbers in passer rating, touchdown-to-interception ratio and interceptions. That Green Bay has won four in a row without Rodgers playing the role of Superman is rather shocking.
It’s been a challenge having to count on two rookie receivers. It’s been even more challenging that one or the other of those rookies has missed big chunks of the season with injuries. So, there’s not a great feel or rapport. Rodgers has missed some throws, and has made some bad decisions, too. He’s got to play better for this season to continue deep into January.
3.) Is the future bright for the Packers, or do you see a steady decline in their NFC North reign?
Huber: Ask me that when I know what the future is at quarterback.
As we all know, if you don’t have a quarterback, you don’t have a chance. Does Aaron Rodgers want to play in 2023? And, if he does, will he play at a higher level with a more experienced receivers corps? If Rodgers doesn’t come back, is Jordan Love the real deal? For public consumption, the team has voiced a lot of confidence in the 2020 draft pick. In his third season with the team, the coaches should know what they’ve got.
The salary-cap outlook isn’t bright, and the downside of this run to the playoffs is they’ve run their way out of a top-10 draft pick. If I had to pick the team with the brightest future in the NFC North, I’d probably take Detroit -- which might wind up with a top-five pick, thanks to the Matthew Stafford trade -- or Chicago -- which has a national debt’s worth of cap space.
4.) How will the Packers address Detroit's surging defensive line, led by Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston?
Huber: Last week against Minnesota, Green Bay’s offensive tackles -- left tackle David Bakhtiari and right tackle Yosh Nijman and his replacement, rookie Zach Tom -- pitched a shutout against the high-powered duo of Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter. Both those guys have double-digits sacks, and were in the top 10 in pressures. Hunter had three pressures, Smith had zero and neither laid a finger on Rodgers. So, I’d guess Green Bay will be just fine. The X-factor this time of year is Lambeau Field. Cold weather and a slick surface always work to the advantage of the offensive line -- Green Bay’s line and Detroit’s, too.
Junfu Han, USA TODAY NETWORK
5.) Who wins this Week 18 Sunday Night Football contest?
Huber: After the Packers beat the Bears to get to 5-8, a couple of my colleagues said the Packers were going to win out and get to the playoffs. I told them they were nuts. With each Green Bay victory, and with each loss by the teams ahead of them in the standings, the joking around our work offices at the stadium continued. I kept telling them they were nuts. I thought Green Bay would lose to Miami a couple weeks ago. I thought Washington would beat Cleveland last week. (Well, at least I did until Ron Rivera went with Carson Wentz.)
But, here we are: The Packers have won four in a row, and everybody that has needed to lose has lost. I don’t buy into things like team of destiny. And, recalling last year’s playoff loss to the 49ers, playing in the cold of Lambeau Field hasn’t meant a hill of beans.
But, Green Bay’s defense is legitimately better, and the special teams are really good -- something I’ve never said in my 16 years on the Packers beat.
Is Detroit built to win on the grass in January? Is it experienced enough? So, I’ll go with Green Bay.
