Official what is wrong with Aaron Rodgers thread

I'll post thi thought now.. Maybe i'll write more when i'm more awake.

Arod it seems has some personal issues cropping up (the family thing) which distracts him. Add to that his skills are slipping and he isn't as quick with the reads as he once was. Isn't as eager to take the hits, and isn't able to read through all of the progressions which is why he misses the open guys short, cause he doesn't get there with his progression. Which of course means that MM's offense is hard to run. Remember also Arods ego. He may know he needs to change and fix things, but a big ego may prevent him from actually doing it...

Now MM also deserves some flak for not adapting his offense to Arods seemingly diminishing skills (he's still a great QB just not as magic as he was). The article alluded to that. Mostly isolation routes with no attempt at creativity. Which also means that his WR coach better be darn good, and he's not. You can see poor WR technique all game. Not getting separation, dropping balls, turning wrong ways, etc... And the TE's are non existent.

Arods drop in play is startling. but it's a combo of everything going on. And we would be remiss if we didn't throw in TT's inability to restock the talent on offense.

Want to know why I say it's time to move on and reload, get some new blood in there, new ideas and evolve with the game? Because it's not just one thing that needs fixing. And it's organizational inertia holding them back. TT and MM are set in their ways, and Arod seems to be as well.

So what's wrong with Arod? Basically his mental focus and the stale Packers organization.

And one last thing that bothers me. When you leader is down who is stepping up to help cover the slack? Who is stepping up to make those magical catches and runs to keep the momentum and the fire going? The oline for one. But the only other I saw today was Monty. Everyone else didn't rise to the occassion. Sure arod wasn't accurate but when he is Jordy and Cobb can't fumble or have balls bouncing off their hands. Your TE's can't disappear. And for the love of god your HC can't do something stupid like only having one injured RB on the roster for game day.
 
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CD- ' And it's organizational inertia holding them back.' Bingo, you're in the front roowww.
 
2 plays stood out to me yesterday. Cobb ran a simple post pattern and had 3-5 yards separation Rodgers over threw him by 5 yards. That play he should make in his sleep.

The second was the int by Church. Dallas was playing a simple Cover 2 rotating their safetys Church was playing man on the TE. He plain and simple did not read the coverage. It's not like Dallas was playing any type of exotic defense.

Both of those gaffes had zero to do with scheme. They were on the QB who is messed up with his footwork and seeing the field. And these problems are not new. Is the scheme perfect no. If coaches and scheme were perfect we would have 16-0 teams each year. But the harsh reality is that physically Rodgers us not the same player. And harsh reality is that he's not the same mentally either. Players peak and decline at different stages skill set wise. They also lose the ability to make quick reads.

Also this team plays tight. Like it realizes that the window is closing and they can see they are not the same explosive offense as in the past.

There are other reasons. Out WR ARE a bit oversold. Nelson is not 100% and Cobb and Adams are a at times very pedestrian. We don't have a legit threat at TE. And Lacy does not have the same burst he had before.

McCarthy did not overthrow Cobb. McCarthy did not throw the pick to church and misread coverage. McCarthy did not fumble at the 1. Aaron Rodgers did.
 
More food for thought. Packers last 5 drafts for offensive skill positions (not including QB and OL):

2012: NONE
2013: Lacy (hit on this pick), Franklin (injured/retired), Johnson (not on team), Dorsey (not on team)
2014: Adams (not developing), Richard Rogers (pedestrian), Abbey (can't get healthy), Janis (doesn't see much action)
2015: Monty (has potential), Rip (he's a FB and not very effective), Backman (not on team)
2016: Davis (has potential maybe)

See where I'm going with this? 5 drafts and ONE, just ONE player who can be viewed as anything but pedestrian or not developing (that 2014 draft class is entering their 3rd season and still play like rookies). Arod may be declining but he's not the only issue.
 
Posted so much in Shout last in real time as things came out that it's impossible to remember it all to post here. But overall think can relay those and my own in a summary type form.

This is a perfect storm of bad summed up in a terrible game yesterday.

Thompson: As pointed by others our talent and speed isn't great. This despite TT looking to improve overall team speed. Then head man that relies soley upon the draft, holds onto his players too long instead of trading them at max value when he knows can't re-sign them and settles for Comp picks, and doesn't use free agency, ignores these other avenues to improve his team and replace players like Pat's, Bronco's and others have done.

Then compound this with drafting for need over best available players and it tears the team talent down. Think, just how many picks wasted on O-Line, D-Line, and outside pass rushers that hasn't worked out while ignoring positions like TE, ILB,WR, CB? How good would Dez Bryant looked as a target for Rodgers? Could of had him. Jordan Matthews of Philly over Adams and so on.

Dix is a nice player but that year was loaded with top Safety free agents and we could have drafted and filled a better need with BAP. So TT not blameless here

One step further on our GM. The collapse of the Seattle play off loss was as bad as any can remember and IMO the team has never been the same since. That was the time TT should iof had the stones to make a HC change.

MM- think all have covered this pretty well and not much to add....seems ignorant to change, imposing his will instead of adapting to his players strengths, IMO suffers a bit from a god complex, seems his message is old and stale, and cutting Sitton and getting nothing and Sitton going to a divisional for is inexcusable. Might add Thompson should have put his foot down if TT really believed Sitton was one of his best players and picks.

Rodgers: multiple of issues here. Not sure am buying his skills are on decline. But his attention to details and the little things are what think is lacking. Evident by his sloppy footwork, his reads, missing open players and over- throws, Ints, Fumbles.

Clearly seems to have a confidence problem and that is coming out from football circles. Why is the question. Is it because he was so close to his family and now has no contact since he got into it with his brother on the Bachelor? Is it his drinking of scotch now during the season that he would never do before? Is it the Offensive scheme? Rift with MM? Etc

What we have here is not one bad game but a multitude of problems that have been building for awhile and coming to a head now.
 
And one more thing. Some fans are in denial that this is happening. They expect the same Rodgers from 2010 and 2011. He not. But to many perception is reality. Elway was a shell of himself in winning a Super Bowl. So was Manning. Could Montana carry KC? No

Rodgers was the anti Favre. The Golden boy. He won a SB. He was the face of the Green Bay Packers But now his skill set is declining but fans, some can not accept that. It has to be someone else's fault. But it can't be Thompson either. He's the "architect" Look he drafted Nelson Cobb. All fan favorites. But many of those same fans are in denial on how many he has missed on. Lack of deoth and unwilling to get into free agency.

The divorce process is beginning. It's going to be ugly
 
I'm with Favre on this one who said Rodgers' slump is a "mental struggle" rather than physical. Pro sports can be very humbling, especially for the top players with big egos... and Rodgers is a top player. :) I assure you, Rodgers knows he has an issue and his confidence is shaken. We all remember when Crosby went through his slump with many fans demanding his release. That gets in your head. It wasn't physical. Look how he is doing now!

Those who are baseball fans know hitters and pitchers deal with this ALL THE TIME! Being knowledgeable with baseball (and slumps) through playing and coaching, here's my thoughts on what might help Rodgers.

Most people think a slump is due to mechanics or age or injury - something physical. Mostly however, a slump is a player struggling mentally. This does not mean you ignore physical problems. In fact, since physical problems are easier to fix, start with them first. Then address the mental aspect.

The Physical
Look at game tape, identify a flaw or two, choose a drill or two to address, and drill-baby-drill! Get the mechanics back. Part of me wants to believe that because Rodgers didn't have enough game time in pre-season he is still knocking the rust off. However, how does that explain Brady? (Another thing I noticed was his eyes. Maybe a vision check? He did say he didn't see the defender who intercepted his pass. That's not Rodgers.)

The Mental
This is a matter of getting confidence back. Again, practice with drills where he can make some big throws to his receivers and feel comfortable. During a game against an easy team (Da Bears, hint hint ;)) give him the opportunity to make more than a few big plays to get his feel and confidence back. Have someone there who he respects compliment him. Have him visualize success. I'd do this when learning TKD forms or one- and two-step sparring techniques. It may sound weird but this is very effective.

The good news about mental struggles is all it takes is one good game. A 350 yard game, three TDs, with no interceptions - and the slump is history! Thursday's game against the Bears may just be that opportunity.
 
Nice call Oak! The reference to Crosby is a great example. Mason worked through his funk, got back to basics and is right down the middle this year.

Before Sitton got cut a lot of people thought the Pack was going to be very good this year, myself included. It has been a sh**storm since. People who sit back now and say they saw it coming are full of baloney. Nobody saw Shields concussions coming back in such full force. The secondary was seen as a strength, but injuries to your top three CBs would wipe out most any team. We thought they addressed TE, but there is no one there. Jordy doesn't look nearly the same. Eddie didn't lose weight, he just repoportioned it (really?!?!) ARod is off, no doubt about it. TT's drafting in the late 20's is catching up to us. I know MM doesn't miss a WR or fumble, but we don't look like we know what we're doing out there! In this business it's usually the coach that goes because you can't fire all the players.
You've watched the games. You've felt the frustration. You've watched the other team make the adjustments. Blame ARod all you want, but here is the stat that represents my point the most:
Packers rank 30th in the league in second half points per game coming in ahead of Cleveland and the Jets. That is coaching, if you don't believe it you're in denial.
 
oakleaf said:
The good news about mental struggles is all it takes is one good game. A 350 yard game, three TDs, with no interceptions - and the slump is history! Thursday's game against the Bears may just be that opportunity.
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Good overall post oak but I don't agree with the above. One game, against the Bears, does not fix a slump. It's a bad team and they should destroy them. The test again, much like the Dallas game, will be when they face the Falcons. That will tell us if he can do it against a very good team. I don't disagree with the rest of your thoughts.
 
Budman said:
Good overall post oak but I don't agree with the above. One game, against the Bears, does not fix a slump. It's a bad team and they should destroy them. The test again, much like the Dallas game, will be when they face the Falcons. That will tell us if he can do it against a very good team. I don't disagree with the rest of your thoughts.
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You're right. I should have said, "The good news about mental struggles is *sometimes* all it takes is one good game. Thursday's game against the Bears may just be that opportunity *to at least begin turning it around*".
 
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