Prime-time stage keeps Rodgers under microscope
By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Aaron Rodgers gave a preview of coming attractions last fall in a 37-27 Thursday night loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Brett Favre was on the sidelines with an injury for one of the few times in his career. Against an aggressive Cowboys defense, Rodgers moved well in the pocket, completed more than 70 percent of his attempts and kept the Green Bay Packers in the game. That experience was invaluable. It gave Packers management confidence it had hit on a quarterback.
Now, prime time has returned, and Rodgers runs the Packers' offense. On Sunday night, the Cowboys come to Lambeau Field. Favre is gone. Rodgers will have a full game to compete with Tony Romo and prove he's at the elite quarterback level.
This matchup features two teams currently considered the best in the NFC. The Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers still are positioning themselves in NFC South. The Arizona Cardinals are rising on the arm of Kurt Warner in the weak NFC West, where the Seattle Seahawks are struggling to find healthy receivers who can catch Matt Hasselbeck's passes.
Coming off their Monday night victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys are considered the team to beat. The Packers, who handled the rival Minnesota Vikings in their season opener, would like to wrestle top honors in the conference from the Cowboys.
Normally, a letdown follows a Monday night game that was that exhausting. The Eagles-Cowboys matchup was one of the best games in years. Both sides played at playoff levels in the 41-37 shootout. Coming back on a short week and trying to match that intensity will be tough for Dallas.
Making matters worse for the Cowboys are injuries. Tight end Jason Witten is attempting to play with a separated shoulder. Fullback Deon Anderson underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss the game. The run defense won't be as strong because safety Roy Williams is out with a broken forearm.
Still, the pressure of this game is on the Packers. Rodgers has eased the worries of Packers fans with two solid performances. He's completing 70 percent of his passes. He hasn't thrown an interception. His quarterback rating is 117.8. Green Bay's offense is scoring 36 points a game.
The Packers' 2-0 start has temporarily quieted Packers fans who were angry to see Favre depart for the New York Jets. They have thrown all their support behind Rodgers and seem to be having a good time. Rodgers is hoping to let the good times roll past Sunday night.
Last year's Packers-Cowboys game was a warm-up act for Rodgers. On Sunday night, he's on center stage.
ESPN.com
Aaron Rodgers gave a preview of coming attractions last fall in a 37-27 Thursday night loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Brett Favre was on the sidelines with an injury for one of the few times in his career. Against an aggressive Cowboys defense, Rodgers moved well in the pocket, completed more than 70 percent of his attempts and kept the Green Bay Packers in the game. That experience was invaluable. It gave Packers management confidence it had hit on a quarterback.
Now, prime time has returned, and Rodgers runs the Packers' offense. On Sunday night, the Cowboys come to Lambeau Field. Favre is gone. Rodgers will have a full game to compete with Tony Romo and prove he's at the elite quarterback level.
This matchup features two teams currently considered the best in the NFC. The Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers still are positioning themselves in NFC South. The Arizona Cardinals are rising on the arm of Kurt Warner in the weak NFC West, where the Seattle Seahawks are struggling to find healthy receivers who can catch Matt Hasselbeck's passes.
Coming off their Monday night victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys are considered the team to beat. The Packers, who handled the rival Minnesota Vikings in their season opener, would like to wrestle top honors in the conference from the Cowboys.
Normally, a letdown follows a Monday night game that was that exhausting. The Eagles-Cowboys matchup was one of the best games in years. Both sides played at playoff levels in the 41-37 shootout. Coming back on a short week and trying to match that intensity will be tough for Dallas.
Making matters worse for the Cowboys are injuries. Tight end Jason Witten is attempting to play with a separated shoulder. Fullback Deon Anderson underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss the game. The run defense won't be as strong because safety Roy Williams is out with a broken forearm.
Still, the pressure of this game is on the Packers. Rodgers has eased the worries of Packers fans with two solid performances. He's completing 70 percent of his passes. He hasn't thrown an interception. His quarterback rating is 117.8. Green Bay's offense is scoring 36 points a game.
The Packers' 2-0 start has temporarily quieted Packers fans who were angry to see Favre depart for the New York Jets. They have thrown all their support behind Rodgers and seem to be having a good time. Rodgers is hoping to let the good times roll past Sunday night.
Last year's Packers-Cowboys game was a warm-up act for Rodgers. On Sunday night, he's on center stage.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:07 PM
<< Home