[img_r]http://cmsimg.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20081005&Category=PKR01&ArtNo=81005058&Ref=AR&Profile=1058&MaxW=318&Border=0[/img_r]Years from now, if Aaron Rodgers comes anywhere close to the iron-man streak of his predecessor Brett Favre, a game like this will become part of the legend.
After missing nearly the entire week of practice, the Green Bay Packers first-year quarterback walked into the Don Hutson Center at 8:30 on Sunday morning to embark on a throwing workout that would determine whether the right shoulder he sprained a week earlier against Tampa Bay would allow him to start against the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field.
In pain but determined to play, Rodgers threw a variety of passes, short and long, then looked coach Mike McCarthy in the eye.
I think Mike wanted to look into my eyes and see if I wanted to play, Rodgers said. I told him, I want the ball. I want to be out there. I just knew I was going to have to deal with the pain.
Without the help of any injection of medication, Rodgers not only started and played the entire game, but performed perhaps better than expected. He made only one significant mistake a fourth-quarter interception deep in the Packers territory and threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns.
Despite completing 25-of-37 passes and posting a passer rating of 109.4, Rodgers admirable showing wasnt enough to prevent a 27-24 loss.
He just continues to prove the point Ive made all along hes a special guy, Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman said. No one knew whether he was going to play or not, and (it was) a gutsy performance.
Rodgers looked shaky early. Former Packers defensive tackle Grady Jackson sacked him on the Packers first play from scrimmage, and Rodgers went three-and-out on the games first two series.
On the first play of the third series, Rodgers badly overthrew Greg Jennings near the sideline. Yet it was on that same series that the decision to play Rodgers paid dividends. On third-and-1 at the Falcons 44-yard line, Rodgers dropped back to his 48-yard line and threw a ball that traveled some 55 yards in the air. Donald Driver, despite being flanked by double coverage from cornerback Brent Grimes and safety Erik Coleman, hauled in the pass in the end zone for the Packers first touchdown with 9:42 remaining in the second quarter.
I wasnt sure if I was going to be able to throw it that far because I only threw it about 40 yards in this mornings warm-up, Rodgers said. So I gave that one just about all I had, and Donald made an incredible catch in the end zone.
Still, Rodgers did not appear to have 100 percent of his arm strength. In the third quarter, he came up short on a deep throw across the field to an open Jennings on what would have been a 35-yard completion.
Unfortunately, I ran out of arm on that one, Rodgers said.
After several of his throws, Rodgers grabbed at his right shoulder but never appeared to be in jeopardy of dropping out of the game like he did for two series the previous week in Tampa.
Backup quarterback Matt Flynn, who got the bulk of the practice reps last week, said he could not tell if Rodgers was in pain.
I didnt really ask him, Flynn said. It didnt seem like it.
But Rodgers was hurting, saying, it was painful the entire time.
Rodgers threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jennings that tied the game with 10:08 remaining and another on a 4-yard shovel pass to Donald Lee that pulled the Packers to within three with 1:56 to go.
The touchdown to Lee followed Rodgers lone interception. Trailing 20-17 in the fourth quarter, Rodgers forced a pass to Ruvell Martin on third-and-19 from his 21-yard line. Linebacker Michael Boley picked it off and returned it to the Packers 19-yard line to set up a touchdown that would give the Falcons a 10-point lead with 3:35 remaining.
Boley made a nice play, Rodgers said. But third-and-over-15 (yards) like that under 5 minutes still only down by three, thats definitely a time I should have checked it down to the back.
He may never admit it, but surely Rodgers felt some pressure to start in his only his fifth game as Favres replacement considering Favre started 253 straight regular-season games for the Packers.
I was told before the game that I couldnt reinjure it by playing, so we felt confident after I threw this morning that I was going to be able to play, Rodgers said. I felt confident that I was going to be able to deal with the pain, and I think I did that pretty well.