ESPN<\/cite><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
Not only is Rodgers struggling to extend plays, but he’s also struggling to push the ball downfield without superstar receiver Davante Adams opening up the offense. Rodgers is currently tied with Kyler Murray among full-time starters this year with just 3.4 air yards per pass attempt.<\/p>\n
Rodgers is still wanting to throw deep, but the timing with his new receivers and his usually perfect ball placement is no longer there. His numbers on throws 20-plus yards down the field are n’t great, completing just 30.3 percent of his passes for a passer rating of just 81.1 with three touchdowns and an interception.<\/p>\n
However, the numbers are even worse with context. Lazard’s 25-yard touchdown is the longest scoring play Rodgers has produced this season, and all three of those \u201cexplosive\u201d touchdowns came between 20 and 25 yards, meaning that there have been no truly explosive deep-shot touchdowns like in the past. Thanks to help from APC’s Paul Noonan, we can see even more concerning numbers when looking at Rodgers’ pass attempts 25-plus yards down the field.<\/p>\n
According to Noonan, Rodgers completed 40.7 percent of his passes 25-yard or farther downfield in 2021. This season, that number has plummeted all the way down to 22.2 %. <\/p>\n
Some of that is on the new cast of receivers, and the struggles of the offensive line deserve blame as well. However, the film has shown week after week that Rodgers is missing on his deep shots, even when not under duress.<\/p>\n
Even the way that the Packers run the ball is being dictated by the 38-year-old quarterback. For as dynamic of a weapon as Aaron Jones has been, the star running back ranks just 21st in the NFL in rushing attempts despite leading the NFL in the percentage of his runs going over the expected yardage (ROE%). <\/p>\n
Rodgers’ decision-making on RPOs, or plays with \u201crun solutions\u201d as he likes to call them, is limiting the opportunities that Green Bay’s most dynamic playmaker has to make plays with the ball in his hands. According to Next Gen Stats, Jones is only running against a box with eight-plus defenders on 3.85% of his attempts, far and away the lowest rate in the NFL.<\/p>\n
That number is a shining example of one of Rodgers’ biggest strengths turning into a major liability for the offense. For as much as the Packers quarterback prides himself on making the \u201cright\u201d read pre-snap, the rate at which he runs or passes is being entirely dictated by the defense, and defensive coordinators are catching onto this. Defenses are giving Rodgers these pre-snap looks to dictate whether or not they want him to throw the ball. <\/p>\n
Green Bay’s failed fourth-down attempt against the New York Giants was a perfect example of this. Facing an eight-man pressure look on 4th and 2, Rodgers aborted a potential handoff to AJ Dillon, opting instead of throw to a blanketed Allen Lazard. The pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage, ending the game, but a strong block by Josh Myers looked like it would have given Dillon the space to move the sticks and keep Green Bay’s drive alive.<\/p>\n
Even Jones, who is normally one of the more reserved players on the Packers, expressed his frustration with the decision-making on that play following the game. Unfortunately, with Rodgers being able to change any play call or abort a handoff at almost any time, there is little that Jones can do to stop it.<\/p>\n
More could be said about Rodgers and the conversations about him \u201ctrusting\u201d certain players over others. There are times on film where Rodgers seemingly ignores open players who have been recently struggling, as this clip from Sunday’s game against Washington shows with an open AJ Dillon available as a check down.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, this is the way the Packers’ offense is being run right now. Their back-to-back MVP is making all of the decisions pre-snap, limiting the touches that the running backs are getting on the ground, and potentially ignoring players in favor of feeding the established veterans he trusts. All while his level of play is declining with age.<\/p>\n
As Packers fans who have watched Rodgers bring the team a Super Bowl title, lead some of the most exciting offenses over the last two decades and win four MVP trophies, the conversations about his decline can be (understandably) emotionally charged.<\/p>\n
However, with the situation that’s unfolding in Green Bay, it’s clear that Rodgers is holding the offense and the front office hostage with the way he’s playing and the looming threat of his retirement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n