The Green Bay Packers suffered heartbreak following a 37-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in this year’s NFC Championship, but veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers remains positive about his team’s future.
Here are some notes on the Packers’ past, present and future.
Aaron Rodgers Optimistic Despite NFC Championship Setback
In Case You Already Forgot
Rodgers and the Packers last won a Super Bowl on February 6, 2011, with a 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Positive Energy
In a Sports Illustrated article, Rodgers reportedly admitted that losing to the 49ers was harder to swallow when you’re 36 years old.
There has been a lot of commentary on Rodgers’ age and ability, but at the end of the day, Rodgers is a human being with all sorts of emotions, so let’s focus on the positives inside of the negatives.
Of course, there are more opportunities for a trip to the Super Bowl, and after Sunday’s game, there was plenty of optimism in the Packers’ locker room.
Davante Adams told Sports Illustrated, “I wouldn’t change anything about what we have going here other than winning the game. We have all of the pieces in here. We’ve got the players, we’ve got the coaching, we’ve got the right attitude.”
Bryan Bulaga chimed in to Sports Illustrated, “We developed a way to find out what guys are good at and put them in a position to succeed.”
Team Game
The Packers’ loss wasn’t solely Rodgers’ fault. The Packers didn’t look like a 13-3 team prior to the NFC Championship at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The Packers not only underachieved under Rodgers, but their offense also remained in the neutral zone as opposed to their defense, which improved and finished 10th in the Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA).
The defensive reconstruction, a head coaching change, and culture reset weren’t enough to help the Packers regain their mojo like the 2017 roster who edged the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium as time expired and Mason Crosby kicked the game-winning field goal.
The 49ers had the right schemes, personnel and run fits. That was a factor in their recent success, which was well-deserved considering the fact the 49ers haven’t punched their tickets to the Super Bowl since 2013.
The Packers were the “better” team, but the New Orleans Saints were also the “better” team yet lost to the Minnesota Vikings 26-20 in this year’s NFL Wild Card Round.
The Packers have to realize they can’t rely on Rodgers to carry them to the Super Bowl. This offseason, Green Bay has to get better, and hopefully, snag some promising players in the 2020 NFL Draft to meet their off-season needs in the wide receiver, offensive tackle, linebacker, tight end, interior offensive line, defensive line, running back and cornerback positions.
Support From Significant Other
Rodgers didn’t have his best postseason game, but his significant other, Danica Patrick (retired NASCAR driver), wrote some kind words in an Instagram post.
Patrick wrote, “Proud. Beyond words. Endings are always hard. But this season was still pretty amazing and we nearly had our bags packed for the super bowl. I will ever forget the good times we had. Thank you for the memories Aaron Rodgers and squad. Something tells me this is just the beginning of a good long run for the Packers.”
Here’s her full post.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7h0wWHnT9R/
According to CBS Sports, Patrick reportedly thinks that there’s more success in store when Rodgers returns for his 16th NFL season.
Final Thoughts
The Packers should draft some offensive playmakers. That, my friends, should be a tough task as Green Bay has used its first draft pick on a defensive playmaker every year since 2012. Green Bay hasn’t selected a wide receiver in the first round since 2002.
The Packers are doing just fine with Aaron Jones, but they might want to increase their speed on the offensive side of the ball with a wide receiver or tight end or both.
