I'm not making the line out as the scapegoat. However, I firmly believe they didn‘t respond well to being punched in the mouth. Rodgers didn’t have many throwing lanes, and when he did, the wide receivers weren’t open. This was a collective butt-whipping courtesy of the San Francisco 49ers.
Also, Rodgers won‘t duplicate last year‘s level of play. Perhaps the last 25 games have spoiled us, but it's not realistic to expect him to sustain it. That's why I have higher expectations for protection. The pocket must be cleaner if teams are going to defend the Packers as the 49ers did. Yes, you can point to screens and a rushing attack, but that's not this team's identity. It won't be so long Mike McCarthy is head coach. They believe in a spread attack. You can attack San Francisco in that way, but you'll need to connect on your big plays, and keep your quarterback comfortable. The Packers did neither. Some of that is on Rodgers, though.
It’s just one game. People are overreacting to it. This might put the Packers back into hunter territory instead of everyone hunting them. No question San Francisco played up the underdog role heading into this game. This team is going to improve based on a collective of players within the system. Randall Cobb is one of these players and it looks as if he’ll play a vital role in the offense. We also have to examine Nick Perry, Jerel Worthy, D.J. Smith, Jarrett Bush, and Jeron McMillan as contributors. Not one of those players will emerge as a Pro Bowl caliber player. However, together they could take baby steps forward in progression, which in turn develops the defense.
Finally, Rodgers is a notorious slow starter. Last year was the exception. He was not great early in ‘09 or ‘10. I think that’s worth pointing out, especially with a mini bye-week around the corner.
Originally Posted by: porky88