Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been himself — not for a long time. But perhaps we’re about to witness Rodgers’ resurgence.
The conversation about the Green Bay Packers has ebbed and flowed from one hot take to the next. HE’S THE G.O.A.T.! HE’S FINISHED! A few years ago, there was chatter that he was the perfect quarterback. Winning seemed effortless.
As recent as Week 1, he looked like he was lacking effort in an ugly season-opening win over the Chicago Bears. Even in wins, he seemed listless. The overreaction was that Matt LaFleur wasn’t enough to bring back the Rodgers of 2016. There was some question as to whether we’d ever see that version of Rodgers again.
But in Week 8, Rodgers had an awakening. Against an admittedly porous Oakland Raiders defense, the Packers quarterback completed 80.6% precent of his passes for 429 yards with six touchdowns (5 passing, 1 rushing). Surely, the Raiders’ shortcomings in the secondary contributed to Rodgers’ big game. But the performance was so dominant that context almost didn’t matter. (Yes, it still matters.) LaFleur and Rodgers look like they’ve moved past the adjustment phase. Perhaps they’re entering a phase where performances like Rodgers’ Week 7 outing will become more regular.
Week 8 should provide a nice platform for Rodgers to prove this resurgence wasn’t just a blip. He’ll get to prove himself against the Chiefs defense. While Kansas City’s secondary was a mess in 2018, they have quietly been competent in 2019 with the ninth-fewest yards allowed per game (228.6). Rodgers can prove his six-touchdown performance wasn’t a fluke with another strong outing against the Chiefs.
