M
Mark Eckel
Guest
By BOB McGINN
This is the fourth of a nine-part position-by-position series in which the 67 players on the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster and reserve/injured list at the end of the season are graded. Playing-time percentages are from offense and defense only.
QUARTERBACKS (3)
JOE CALLAHAN (0.7%): Mike McCarthy has a thing about Callahan. He surely played a role in signing him as an undrafted rookie from Wesley (Del.) College two years ago, placed him on the 53-man roster for 11 weeks last season and then nine weeks this season. Even when Callahan was less effective this summer than last summer, McCarthy made sure he was on the practice squad to start the season. Callahan has excellent eyes and a penchant for making something out of nothing. He’s also short (6-1) and slow (4.98), doesn’t have much arm talent and is maybe as good as he’s going to get. If a player isn’t good enough, what’s the sense in keeping him around? Grade: Incomplete.
BRETT HUNDLEY (59.4%): After not playing a meaningful snap in his first two seasons Hundley made nine starts and played 9 7/8 games. He won three of his nine starts and was 3-7 as the quarterback of record. He finished 30th in passer rating (70.6) after a sluggish exhibition season in which he also finished 30th (88.8). Hundley demonstrated a steady pattern of improvement until regressing in his last two starts. He played with remarkable poise, refused to fluster and at least attempted to execute the offense. He earned plaudits from coaches and teammates alike for his commitment, work habits, arm strength and leadership. He ran for 270 yards, both scrambling and on designed runs, 10th most among quarterbacks. On the other hand, he demonstrated a glaring lack of accuracy (60.8%), an inability to work through a two- and three-receiver progression and minimal presence in the pocket. He often bolted prematurely and then, time after time, drifted to his right and ended up tossing the ball out of bounds. He had too many interceptions (12), lost two fumbles and squandered an excessive number of timeouts. Despite criticism that at times was over the top he seemed to remain confident even though McCarthy did him few favors by not tailoring the offense to his strengths. He directed come-from-behind victories over Tampa Bay and Cleveland, feats that repeatedly eluded Aaron Rodgers in his first season as a starter (2008). His best performance probably came in the 31-28 defeat at Pittsburgh as a 14-point underdog. He was awful against the Vikings (twice), Saints, Ravens, and Lions. It’s entirely possible no team would want Hundley as No. 1. Given his wheels and new-found seasoning, many teams probably would like him as No. 2. Grade: C-minus.
AARON RODGERS (39.9%): Was off to a solid start and the Packers were 4-1 when he suffered a broken right collarbone on the eighth offensive snap of the sixth game of the year in Minnesota. The team’s fortunes dropped without him. On the legal hit by Anthony Barr, Rodgers simply misjudged the big linebacker’s blazing speed and held the ball a count too long. It wasn’t one of his frequent daredevil plays this season and in the past in which he almost invited hits and punishment. In his poorest game of the season, Rodgers held the ball so long (5.1 seconds) from his own end zone in the last minute of a blowout defeat in Atlanta that DE Adrian Clayborn had time to deliver a bone-jarring blow that was a much tougher hit than Barr’s. He dusted himself off after Clayborn but his luck ran out after Barr. At 34, and entering his 14th season, Rodgers holds the team’s fate in his hands every time he decides to take on unnecessary contact. His injury resume includes a torn ACL in high school, a fractured foot in 2006, two concussions in 2010, a broken collarbone in 2013, a pair of calf injuries in 2014 and arthroscopic knee surgery in January 2016. With the season on the line, Rodgers returned to start Game 14 in Carolina and was at fault on his three interceptions in a crushing defeat. Described as “sore,” the decision was made that he wouldn’t play in what became lopsided losses to the Vikings and Lions. Grade: B.
The post Final Grades: Quarterbacks appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
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This is the fourth of a nine-part position-by-position series in which the 67 players on the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster and reserve/injured list at the end of the season are graded. Playing-time percentages are from offense and defense only.
QUARTERBACKS (3)
JOE CALLAHAN (0.7%): Mike McCarthy has a thing about Callahan. He surely played a role in signing him as an undrafted rookie from Wesley (Del.) College two years ago, placed him on the 53-man roster for 11 weeks last season and then nine weeks this season. Even when Callahan was less effective this summer than last summer, McCarthy made sure he was on the practice squad to start the season. Callahan has excellent eyes and a penchant for making something out of nothing. He’s also short (6-1) and slow (4.98), doesn’t have much arm talent and is maybe as good as he’s going to get. If a player isn’t good enough, what’s the sense in keeping him around? Grade: Incomplete.
BRETT HUNDLEY (59.4%): After not playing a meaningful snap in his first two seasons Hundley made nine starts and played 9 7/8 games. He won three of his nine starts and was 3-7 as the quarterback of record. He finished 30th in passer rating (70.6) after a sluggish exhibition season in which he also finished 30th (88.8). Hundley demonstrated a steady pattern of improvement until regressing in his last two starts. He played with remarkable poise, refused to fluster and at least attempted to execute the offense. He earned plaudits from coaches and teammates alike for his commitment, work habits, arm strength and leadership. He ran for 270 yards, both scrambling and on designed runs, 10th most among quarterbacks. On the other hand, he demonstrated a glaring lack of accuracy (60.8%), an inability to work through a two- and three-receiver progression and minimal presence in the pocket. He often bolted prematurely and then, time after time, drifted to his right and ended up tossing the ball out of bounds. He had too many interceptions (12), lost two fumbles and squandered an excessive number of timeouts. Despite criticism that at times was over the top he seemed to remain confident even though McCarthy did him few favors by not tailoring the offense to his strengths. He directed come-from-behind victories over Tampa Bay and Cleveland, feats that repeatedly eluded Aaron Rodgers in his first season as a starter (2008). His best performance probably came in the 31-28 defeat at Pittsburgh as a 14-point underdog. He was awful against the Vikings (twice), Saints, Ravens, and Lions. It’s entirely possible no team would want Hundley as No. 1. Given his wheels and new-found seasoning, many teams probably would like him as No. 2. Grade: C-minus.
AARON RODGERS (39.9%): Was off to a solid start and the Packers were 4-1 when he suffered a broken right collarbone on the eighth offensive snap of the sixth game of the year in Minnesota. The team’s fortunes dropped without him. On the legal hit by Anthony Barr, Rodgers simply misjudged the big linebacker’s blazing speed and held the ball a count too long. It wasn’t one of his frequent daredevil plays this season and in the past in which he almost invited hits and punishment. In his poorest game of the season, Rodgers held the ball so long (5.1 seconds) from his own end zone in the last minute of a blowout defeat in Atlanta that DE Adrian Clayborn had time to deliver a bone-jarring blow that was a much tougher hit than Barr’s. He dusted himself off after Clayborn but his luck ran out after Barr. At 34, and entering his 14th season, Rodgers holds the team’s fate in his hands every time he decides to take on unnecessary contact. His injury resume includes a torn ACL in high school, a fractured foot in 2006, two concussions in 2010, a broken collarbone in 2013, a pair of calf injuries in 2014 and arthroscopic knee surgery in January 2016. With the season on the line, Rodgers returned to start Game 14 in Carolina and was at fault on his three interceptions in a crushing defeat. Described as “sore,” the decision was made that he wouldn’t play in what became lopsided losses to the Vikings and Lions. Grade: B.
The post Final Grades: Quarterbacks appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
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