Green Bay Packers 10 Keys to success: #3 QB1 in MVP Form

Aaron Rodgers did not play up to his lofty standards a season ago and in order for the Green Bay Packers to return to the playoffs, they need their MVP to be an MVP.

25 touchdowns. Two interceptions.

That was a “down” year for Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers and that seems crazy to say given that almost any other quarterback in the league would kill for that kind of off-year.

Even so, Aaron Rodgers is not any other quarterback. He’s the highest-paid player in the league and is considered one of the best quarterbacks in football. While the numbers may not show it, 2018 was a down season for Rodgers.

There are several reasons that he had a down year. One was Mike McCarthy’s offense which by many accounts was slow to adjust. Second, Rodgers played the majority of the season on a significant knee injury that left him hobbled.

There was also the fact that the offensive line play was poor, there was inexperience at the receiver position and Jimmy Graham did not pan out the way GM Brian Gutekunst hoped when the team signed him.

Those are all things that will be brought up by Rodgers’ defenders and they’re all valid.

With that said, Rodgers was not himself last season. He played outside of the system as he was constantly looking for big plays that were not available. He would pass up the easy plays, looking for something better.

That’s a bit of the catch-22 with Rodgers. Part of his brilliance lies in his ability to extend plays and turn a four-yard play, into a 64-yard-play.

That being said, it’s not a sustainable way to play offense. Part of the brilliance in Tom Brady’s game is his willingness to simply take what the defense is giving him.

Part of Matt LaFleur’s challenge will be reigning Rodgers in, to be more willing to take the small plays, so big plays can come later on.

Although the Green Bay Packers may have spent their offseason trying to take some of the pressure off of him, this team will still only go as far as Aaron Rodgers takes them.

It’s evident that the Packers are aware of that as well and that’s why they spent a lot of capital on the offensive guard position this offseason.

Billy Turner was a player that was overpaid by industry standards but now, he’s their starting right guard. Elgton Jenkins was a top-50 pick and sooner than later he’s likely to start at left guard. And they now have better contingency plans at offensive tackle should Bryan Bulaga or David Bakhtiari go down.

The offense that Rodgers plays in under LaFleur is designed around marrying the running game with the passing game with the ultimate goal being that they make things easier on their star quarterback.

That said, the goal in Green Bay is always to win championships and elite quarterbacks have to play great in order to do just that. And contrary to what many think, Rodgers is still capable of that as we’ve seen in the not too distant past. While whispers have begun that Rodgers could be declining, that’s an asinine assumption quite frankly.

Rodgers was the MVP front-runner in 2017 prior to breaking his collarbone. Before that, he was the MVP runner-up in 2016 and he won the MVP in 2014.

While he had a down year last year, he was still an above-average player. That certainly isn’t a player that’s declining. This season Rodgers should have his health back, while he also looks refreshed and legitimately excited for this new offense.

Something else to consider is the chip that Rodgers notoriously carries on his shoulder. There’s no question that he has heard all the noise this offseason. He’s openly responded to some of the claims made about him and he’s as motivated as he ever has been to prove to everyone that he’s still a great player.

All the talk about his relationship with coaches, his issues off the field will go away with one simple formula that has worked for more than a decade – Aaron Rodgers plays great, the Green Bay Packers win 10 or more games and they make the postseason.

The two have gone hand in hand for Rodgers’ entire career. For the Packers to get back to the playoffs, they’ll need their quarterback in MVP form.