Brett Christopherson column: Green Bay Packers can be thankful San Francisco 49ers passed on Aaron Rodgers
GREEN BAY Since this is the week we're supposed to give thanks for our blessings, we'll use these column inches not to dwell on the latest injury news or that near second-half collapse, but to hand out a well-deserved game ball.
So here you go No. 12. You earned it.
"It's always good to get a win in this league," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said in matter-of-fact fashion after directing the Green Bay Packers to a 30-24 conquest of San Francisco on Sunday at Lambeau Field. "It's fun to play against a team that you idolized growing up and you watched every Sunday after church."
That's it? That's all you're giving us? No controversy? No smack talk? No sense of vindication? No wanting to "stick it" to the franchise that shunned you for keep the chuckling at a simmer, folks Alex Smith?
Can somebody please supply a little ammunition?
"Any time you go back home, as I will (this) week, you definitely want to win," receiver Greg Jennings said, referring to the trip to his native Michigan for Thursday's Thanksgiving Day contest against Detroit. "You definitely want to play well to show your fans back home that you've got a little something they wish they had where they're at."
That little something would be a franchise quarterback, a dude with elite physical tools and a mental toughness and coolness to match.
And he's all yours, Titletown. For at least the next decade barring any unforeseen setbacks, of course.
So, folks, go ahead and breathe a sigh of relief and add that to the list of "things to be thankful for." Rodgers could easily be sporting Niners red and gold instead of Packers green and gold.
Shudder the thought.
"He's everything this organization hoped he would be," left guard Daryn Colledge said of Rodgers, who sliced the San Francisco defense en route to a 344-yard, two-TD, 108.0-passer rating performance. "He's an amazing player. And if we can keep him upright, he's got a chance to be one of the best quarterbacks in this league."
While the primary storyline heading into Sunday's skirmish focused on the Packers' sudden playoff revival in the aftermath of last week's big W over Big D, the most intriguing subplot starred Rodgers and Smith.
As you may have heard, the two are forever conjoined given the circumstances of how the 2005 NFL Draft played out.
Here's the Cliffs Notes version: The Niners held the No. 1 pick that year and tabbed Smith over Rodgers, who played collegiately at nearby California and grew up close to San Francisco. Smith has since scuffled, while Rodgers, who plummeted to Green Bay at No. 24, has flourished.
In 34 starts, Smith has thrown 28 TDs and won 12 games, compared to 48 and 12, respectively, for Rodgers through 26 starts.
Sunday was the first game pitting the two quarterbacks, and Rodgers had his foot pressed on the gas from the outset, guiding the Packers to scores on five of their six first-half possessions to fill the most impressive 30 minutes of offensive football of the year and bring back images of those grandiose preseason days.
Rodgers, himself, threw for a single-half career-high 274 yards in a spurt that saw Green Bay open a 23-3 advantage as he took advantage of decent protection, a productive ground game and the return of tight end Jermichael Finley.
He played with patience, using his checkdowns and finding openings underneath. And he played with poise, completing passes to seven different receivers as the Packers churned out a season-high 484 total yards and went 10-of-18 in third-down efficiency, including six-of-nine in the first half, to extend drives.
His second quarter, 64-yard touchdown connection with Jennings on a slant route displayed Rodgers' growing mastery of the offense when he first looked right and then turned left and uncorked a BB through a small opening.
"It was actually perfect coverage," said Jennings, who finished with five catches for 126 yards. "He came back to me late, actually in the second window, and that was able to get me up the field more. And then I just turned it up and cut back on their safety."
Rodgers looked every bit the No. 1 overall pick, not to mention one of the top quarterbacks in the league. Smith? Not so much, save for a solid second half in which the Niners offensive staff thought it wise to get tight end Vernon Davis involved in the game plan.
But even more impressive than the stats and the slings was Rodgers' unwillingness to provide any interesting sound bites when asked about facing Smith and seeking payback against the team he once rooted for.
Much like he handled the Brett Favre saga, he managed this latest situation with grace and class.
No need to flap the gums. The play will do the talking, instead.
"I think Aaron takes every single game personally," Colledge said. "He's an extremely passionate player. He's exciting to play for. Maybe a little bit on the side, he had a little bit extra (motivation). But he was very professional with it about us and very motivational. He didn't freak out about it."
To be fair, Smith was thrust into the fray as a rookie, has suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder and has had to deal with a revolving door at offensive coordinator, while Rodgers had the benefit of serving as Favre's backup for his first three seasons.
But the clear winner in this debate is the Packers, a fact not lost within the victorious locker room.
"We're going to protect him the second half (of the season)," Colledge said. "And we're going to let everybody know who exactly Aaron Rodgers is. Because he's an extremely special player."