Blame the Packers ‘loss on Aaron Rodgers’ off-field behavior

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Get the jab, stay at work.

What if you don’t get the jab?

Make sure you are not infected.

That’s the glowing message for NFL quarterbacks, given the Green Bay Packers’ downfall in Kansas City on Sunday with Aaron Rodgers quarantined in Wisconsin.

The consequence of Rodgers’ choice not to get the coronavirus vaccine was that the Packers lost an important game they arguably would have won had the reigning league MVP who said he was in good health had play.

The Packers sorely missed Rodgers against the defensively below-par Chiefs and fell, 13-7, behind hesitant and inaccurate Jordan Love on his first NFL start.

The Packers (7-2) stay on a downhill course to win the pitiful NFC Central where the Minnesota Vikings (3-5) and Chicago Bears (3-5) are 3 1/2 games behind.

Rodgers, 37, who can join the squad on Saturday and face Seattle a day later, could benefit physically from the 10-day hiatus he got from testing positive Wednesday as an unvaccinated player.

Heat will be on him to make amends. The Packers’ margins in search of a golden ticket to the playoffs were squeezed by dismal offensive performance and two failed tries against the vulnerable Chiefs (5-4).

If the Packers end up not claiming the NFC seed and the playoff leave he wears, their road to the Super Bowl will become steeper. They would need to win not two but three NFC playoff games to qualify for the Kroenke Dome in Inglewood. Although Rodgers led the 2010 Packers to three straight playoff wins, all on the road, only eight of 38 (21%) Super Bowl entrants have not had first-round passes in the current era. of the 32 teams. Of those 19 Super Bowl winners, 12 (64%) received a goodbye.

Rodgers isn’t the only starting NFL quarterback to turn down the vaccine. Kirk Cousins ​​(Vikings), Josh Allen (Bills), Lamar Jackson (Ravens) and Carson Wentz (Colts) have indicated in preseason that they are not vaccinated, knowing that if they must be tested positive for the virus, they would be quarantined for 10 days. instead of the 24 hour window for a vaccinated player, pending further testing.

By testing positive as an unvaccinated player, Rodgers opened up to criticism that he had failed with his team.

Aaron Rodgers, for me, didn’t do all he could to stay off that list (10 days of inactivity), Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy said on Sunday night.

Former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Drew Brees, an NBC colleague at Dungys, said: The most important thing is that you are available for your team on Sunday so that you can help them win.

Rodgers could once again say to his detractors: RELAX.

Following that critical response after the teams 1-2 started in 2014, he led Green Bay to an 11-2 which claimed a playoff pass.

This year, the NFC field may be deeper: defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Bucs (6-2), the fast Arizona Cardinals (8-1), the Dallas Cowboys (6-2) and the stars. Los Angeles Rams (7-1, before Sunday’s game against Tennessee) vie with Green Bay for the NFC seed.

Without Rodgers on Sunday, the Packers did not score until the end of the fourth quarter against a team that was 25th in runs allowed and 28th in rushing yards allowed per attempt.

The Green Bays offense, who failed to convert in their first eight third-down tries, undermined a strong defensive performance against a failed Chiefs offense.

Enjoying brutal performance was typical for a young quarterback making his first start. Increasing his challenges, Love had little training time with No.1 wide receiver Davante Adams out for most of last week and faced sophisticated blitzes and disguises from coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who won two. Super Bowls facing Tom Brady.

But Love (19 for 34, 194 yards; 27.5 QBR) was much less productive on Sunday than fellow 2020 Draft Justin Herbert was in the NFL’s first start, a solid performance against the Chiefs last year.

There is no shame in following Herbert, who has avoided most of the pitfalls that distract young quarterbacks. Overall, Loves’ performance was slightly underwhelming for a quarterback who had over a year in the system from coach Matt LaFleurs and could learn from a triple MVP.

On Sunday, even glimmers weren’t clear on the potential of the NFL star the Packers saw in Love when they traded to draft Utah State’s 26th overall alum.

If he’s true to form, Rodgers will play well on his return, while LaFleur, whose program has an 82% win rate in three years, will change what can be changed in attack.

Rodgers still has a real chance in a Super Bowl second ring.

Without it, the pack is not immune to a sudden fall.

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