Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers quietly having great season

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been flashy this season. But don’t let the stats fool you, Rodgers has quietly been outstanding in 2019.

The Aaron Rodgers we used to know isn’t the Aaron Rodgers we know today. The days of Rodgers putting up video game numbers and pulling off the improbable by extending plays outside the pocket may be gone. But that doesn’t mean the Green Bay Packers can’t be successful as a team.

At 5-1, the Packers are off to their best start since 2015 (6-0), even though Rodgers hasn’t had the greatest season statistically. Thanks to a revived running game, a bolstered defense and a new head coach, the Packers don’t have to lean on Rodgers to carry them every game like yesteryear.

But just because Rodgers isn’t putting up eye-popping numbers so far this season – he has 1,590 passing yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions, with a 92.8 passer rating and 62.6 completion percentage through six games — doesn’t mean he hasn’t been great.

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The reason Rodgers is great is he’s playing his role perfectly this season. He’s bought entirely into coach Matt LaFleur’s offensive scheme, and it’s made a world of difference compared to last year.

Sure, Rodgers hasn’t been otherworldly like we’re used to seeing. In fact, he’s played more of a ‘game manager’ role so far with the way Green Bay’s defense is playing. But Rodgers can still make any throw in the book, and he’s steadily improved through each game. The cohesiveness between him and LaFleur is very evident, and the sky is the limit going forward.

One of the biggest reasons for Rodgers’ success this year has been his willingness to stay in the pocket and make throws based on timing. Far too often last season we saw Rodgers escape safety unnecessarily, going off-script and attempting to make things happen himself.

Just take Monday night’s game against the Lions as an example of how he’s embraced change. As Ben Fennell of The Athletic pointed out, Rodgers’ four longest passes all came from the pocket, on time and in rhythm. He completed passes of 21, 25, 35 and 46 yards, and all were thrown in under 3.5 seconds.

On his 35-yard touchdown pass to receiver Allen Lazard in the fourth quarter, Rodgers’ throw had just an 18.7 percent completion probability, according to Next Gen Stats. The ball traveled 50.4 yards in the air and was dropped in a bucket, as Lazard had just half a yard of separation on his route. It was the type of throw we’ve seen vintage Rodgers make plenty of times – only this time, it was from the pocket.

And that’s another thing. Lazard was Rodgers’ go-to receiver against Detroit with no Davante Adams (turf toe) and Geronimo Allison (concussion, chest), an ailing Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and a struggling Darrius Shepherd and Jake Kumerow.

Four of the Packers’ five starting receivers against the Lions were former undrafted free agents, while Valdes-Scantling was a fifth-round selection. Lazard was Green Bay’s last hope at receiver, and Rodgers made it a point to get him the ball.

The greater point is that Rodgers is embracing his role in the offense, and he’s doing it with very little help at receiver. He knows that if he wants to win, he must do all the little things right. As Rodgers stated last week after defeating the Cowboys, “I’ve accomplished a lot statistically in this league. I just want to win now.”