Green Bay Packers vs Atlanta Falcons: 5 matchups to watch
1. Aaron Rodgers vs Joe Philbin
At the end of the day, the Packers will live and die at the hands of Rodgers. He has the ability to pick apart and dominate any defense in the NFL when he is clicking with his coaches and playmakers. Unfortunately, for much of this season, he has yet to really do that, outside of a few random spurts. Philbin helped Rodgers win the first of his two MVPs, but can he capture that lightning in a bottle again?
Rodgers is a strong-minded quarterback, and some have even accused him of being a bad leader, although those people are no longer with the organization. He likes to be challenged, and some have speculated that he gets bored with simple route concepts that get the offense up the field, which is why he prefers the improvisation. At the end of the day though, can Rodgers show that he can play within the offense, or will he remain untamed?
Next. Josh McDaniels is the best fit for the Packers. dark
Philbin made a move earlier in the week to show that he meant business when he fired linebackers coach Winston Moss for saying Philbin couldn’t coach Rodgers effectively. It’s unclear whether that will actually make the difference for Rodgers though. He has a shiny new contract that says he isn’t going anywhere. If Philbin wants a job anywhere next season, he has to make the marriage with Rodgers work, because he won’t get the house in the divorce.