Episode 120
BJ Reidell and Drew Mahowald recap the Minnesota Vikings’ 23-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers in which quarterback Aaron Rodgers was lost to injury.
Episode 120 is proudly sponsored by BlackStack Brewing and The Twin Cities Directory.
August 30, 2016. As a Minnesota Vikings fan, it is a date that I will never forget. Not only was it a tough day for the entire fanbase, but it was the day that will forever be remembered as a day that one of their most charismatic players in recent memory suffered one of the worst injuries an athlete has ever suffered.
Lets rewind time before that date though. During the first night of the 2014 NFL Draft, the team selected UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr No. 8 overall. The Christian Ponder experience was on its last leg and the franchise once again seemed to have a huge void at quarterback. Many fans repeatedly admitted that they went to sleep or cut off that draft in frustration as they passed on the likes of many other signal-callers who were potential fits as the next hopeful savior of the organization.
Out of nowhere though, it just so happened that on the very last pick of the night that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell excitingly uttered a phrase that many thought would never possibly come to fruition that night.
For months leading up to the draft, he was thought to be the consensus number one overall pick, but on draft night that nod went to defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (Houston Texans). One simple day, where his competitiveness of not putting his prize possession of gloves on his hands ultimately put his dreams on a much longer hold in the green room.
What we learned from the Vikings' 23-10 win over the Packers.
It’s difficult to quantify exactly how important the loss of Aaron Rodgers is to the Packers, but I’ll attempt: it’s possibly the most impactful player injury that could happen in today’s NFL. Rodgers is indisputably one of the top two quarterbacks in football, and we’ve seen the coaching wizard in New England put together an 11-5 season without his golden boy under center, so something tells me this loss matters more than a theoretical injury to Tom Brady. Regardless, the gap between Rodgers/Brady and the rest of the NFL is significant and, somehow, seems to be growing. Aaron Rodgers is one of the best at the most important position in sports, and he may be done for the season.
So the Packers are different now. There will be coach speak and jock talk about “next man up,” but it’s hogwash. The loss of Rodgers is crippling to a team that is decidedly average across the rest of its roster and too often has relied on its magic-maker at quarterback to cover up other deficiencies. That approach is off the table now, and regardless of who’s under center in Green Bay, the Packers will be exposed for what they are.
Packers at Vikings Week 6 Recap
The Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis Sunday by a score of 23 to 10. The biggest news stemming from the game: Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers left in the first quarter due to a broken collarbone. He could miss the rest of the season.
Green Bay was not the same after losing their star quarterback. Packers backup Brett Hundley replaced Rodgers in the second quarter and struggled. The 2015 5th-round pick went 18 of 33 for 157 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. He also fumbled once and was sacked four times for a total of 20 yards. His QB rating was 39.6.
Green Bay’s rushing attack also sputtered as it squared up against Minnesota’s 6th-ranked run defense. Running backs Ty Montgomery and Aaron Jones combined for 69 yards on 23 carries (3.0 YPC) as the Packers failed to get any momentum going on offense.
Aaron Rodgers Could Miss The Remainder Of The Season With A Broken Collarbone
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers left Sunday’s game against the Vikings due to a broken collarbone. Early reports suggest Rodgers may miss the rest of the season, depending on the severity of the injury and type of break.
On a second-quarter Packers drive, Rodgers released a pass while rolling out to his right. Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr, who was sprinting towards the quarterback, finished his tackle on with vigor. The effort resulted in Rodgers landing hard on his right (throwing) shoulder.
See the play via NFL.com here.
After a brief visit to the medical tent, the perennial Pro-Bowler was carted off the field. Rodgers was declared questionable to return after he left for the locker room. The 33 year-old had some choice words for Barr before he left the field. There was no penalty called on the play.
Rodgers was 2 of 4 for 18 yards before he left with the injury. Brett Hundley replaced Rodgers after his departure. Hundley was a 5th-round pick by the Packers in 2015. The former UCLA Bruin was 3 of 11 for 17 yards with 1 interception and no touchdown in his NFL career entering the game.
