Frank Schwab should have gone into investing with his brother Charles; he clearly is suffering from Rodgers-Stockholm syndrome.
There are 1000 reasons why a team wins or loses a game. But, when the issue takes the perspective that GB has the best player [Rodgers] and he is being wasted; the idea being asserted is that MVP Rodgers plays great and his mates are letting him down. But the reality is that the reason we lost 5 straight playoff games is because Rodgers has not played anywhere near an MVP level in them.
Even though Rodgers started shaky in his 1st Playoff game and a batted pass ended the game, anyone saying Rodgers cost us the 2009 AZ game is a nut. Though not perfect, he played MVP-like
Rodgers career passer rating in Playoffs is 98.2. And in the 2009 AZ game and all Playoff wins his PR is 110.9. However, in Rodgers’ last 5 playoff loses Rodgers’ PR is only 79.6.
Notwithstanding any other excuse or reason offered, if Rodgers plays to his average and doesn’t choke in crunch time GB wins playoff games in 2011, 13, 14, 15. Though we couldn’t beat Seattle in ’13; we should have gone to SB in 2011, 14 and 15. We didn’t because our great MVP QB played more like Mark Sanchez than Aaron Rodgers.
Here’s Rodgers’ choking at crunch time:
2011 Giants game: Crunch time in this game was late 2nd and 3rd quarters:
With 1:47 left in half Giants took a 3 point lead. Obviously an elite QB will take us down to score so GB goes in at half up by 4 or tied and GB starts w/ the ball in 3rd Q. Or at the very least, if he cant score at least a good QB wont give Giants another scoring opportunity. But GB punted leaving enough time for Giants to score and they scored a TD.
Okay down by 10, the first drive of 3rd Q is critical; but Rodgers fumbles on 1st and 10 in FG range.
Then GB D throws a 3 and out.
Then Rodgers moves the ball to 2nd and goal at 5, but can only get a FG.
Then GB D throws a 4 and out.
Then Rodgers is sacked on 4th and Giants get ball back on downs.
These 4 drives with the offense effectively costing us 7 points and scoring only 3 pts, while the D was throwing a shut-out in the 3rd Q, essentially ended the game.
2013 49ers: Niners were the better team, but on this day if Rodgers played MVP in 2nd half, we win. We were down by 3 at half and the D again pitched a shut-out in 3rd Q [in 3 SF drives]. Rodgers sucked in his 1st 2 drives of 3rd Q to take/build the lead [In 5 drop backs: 3 INC and 2 sacks for -13]. In crunch time, SF up by 3 with 4 drives left, Rodgers got a FG and TD and Kapernick got a FG and a TD. In crunch time Kapernick [4-8-67, 1 TD and 35 yards rushing] > Rodgers [4-8-70, 2 yards rushing]; but to win we needed Rodgers > Kapernick. If Rodgers scores 2 TDs instead of FG and TD we probably win that game.
In 2014: we only needed Rodgers to get 1 or 2 first downs in the 4th Q or one score would have ended the game. Peppers direction was sound: have Burnett go down and not risk a blindside fumble and let the MVP get 2-3-4 first downs and kick a FG, Game Over! If Burnett got an extra 7-10 yards it would not have mattered.
Up 16-0 at half. Our next 5 drives were: 3 and out; 4 and out; 9 plays and FG [55 yards running, 7 passing]; 3 and out; and 3 and out. This is why we lost. Bostick played like Bostick, the D played like the D; the Special teams played like the special teams. The thing that actually was different in the 2nd half is that Rodgers played like a poor man’s Mark Sanchez instead of Aaron Rodgers.
2015: Rodgers played great for 2.67 quarters. Then from 4:58 in 3rd in 4 drives Rodgers was 3-12-18 [plus 2 hail marys to Janis for 101 and a TD]. Before the Janis TD drive; GB had 3 drives: 14 plays, 28 yards and no scores; conversely Palmer [Playing more like a crunch time MVP] put up 10 points in AZ’s 3 corresponding drives. This is why we lost in AZ. All Rodgers needed to do was have the offense produce the last third of game like it did the first 2/3s and we win.
All the stuff about Rodgers not having any receivers is RIDICULOUS! Cobb was in for 2.5 drives: (1) 3 plays, started at 17- punted at 17; (2) 3 plays, started at 25-punted at 31; (3 partial) 8 plays, started at 5, Cobb had 2 targets, 2 incompletions and got hurt w/ GB at 46. After Cobb’s departure GB got FG, FG, INT [tip by 6’ 8” Campbell as Sitton could keep him out of throwing lane-Abby was wide open]; and then TD. Then came those 3 disastrous drives. 3 really good drives to take lead and command of the game; then 3 really bad drives with the exact same weapons. It is illogical to assert the problem was the weapons. Again the thing that was different, the thing that was good, then bad, was the play of Rodgers.