Blaming Rodgers Is Getting Old, He’s Surrounded By Average
I'm just going to address it right out of the gate because I know that the Tom Brady comparison is going to flood my Twitter account.
Tom Brady is the most accomplished quarterback of all-time. No doubt about it. He has five Super Bowl rings and he has definitely earned every single one of them.
However, Brady has been blessed with some damn good defenses to help him during his Super Bowl runs. In fact, he's won a Super Bowl with a defense ranked 6th, 1st, 4th, 8th and 1st in points allowed.
Here's a list of the Packers rankings in points allowed since Rodgers has started: 2016 - 21st, 2015 - 12th, 2014 - 13th, 2013 - 25th, 2012 - 11th, 2011 - 19th, 2010 - 2nd (Super Bowl), 2009 - 7th, 2008 - tied 26th.
Some of those aren't horrible rankings, but they're definitely average and not what Brady has worked with. Rodgers has had two years with a top ten defense in points allowed and one of them turned into a Super Bowl.
The secondary for the Packers defense has been absolutely atrocious the past couple seasons, it's been so bad that isn't not even been laughable. It's beyond concerning that Don Capers hasn't figured out he can't play man coverage with these bums at corner. It's even more concerning no one from the organization has stepped in and stopped him from doing this.
Even offensively Randall Cobb, Eddie "Golden Corral" Lacy, Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley and Davante Adams have been or were decently average but they weren't ever great.
They were guys that Rodgers definitely made look a lot better than they were. Jennings left and got exposed for the average receiver he was and Cobb has really only had one season that's been worth a damn. We'll see if Lacy finds the local buffet or signs up for the rewards program at Buffalo Wild Wings in Seattle.
Jordy Nelson and Donald Driver are the two best receivers that Rodgers has played with but Driver was definitely just a third or fourth option at the end of his career. Nelson however, has been an absolute stud for Rodgers, there's no debating that.
Mike McCarthy hasn't helped Rodgers much either, there are times that I seriously wonder if McCarthy is paying attention to the game. 3rd and 4 with Rodgers under center and you want to hand the ball off to Cobb for a dive? Really? You may as well let me run the ball because I weigh more than Cobb does for goodness sakes and not because I hang out with JT at McDonalds every week.
Ted Thompson is the one who has held Rodgers back the most from more Super Bowl rings. The Packers only big free agent signing since the Super Bowl win was a 34-year-old Julius Peppers in 2014. And now a 30-year-old Martellus Bennett, which is a signing I actually love.
But the point is Thompson hasn't broughten any players in to help Rodgers make a run all the way to the Super Bowl. Instead he pays average guys like Randall Cobb 10 million a year to not get open, drop eight passes and only catch five touchdowns.
All in all, Rodgers has gotten screwed because "he's done his job" and that's been to carry the team as possibly far as he can. He, just like Brady, needs a few other guys that are above average to help him get another ring.