The Chargers route combinations is what makes Rivers so productive. Yes, he’s a future HOF but watching the route concepts the Chargers have for their WRs mad me realize even more how lame ours really are...and why Rodgers has to hold the ball soooo long at times. Rivers is a bigger stiff than Brady, could you imagine him in our offense? He’d be retired from getting sacked so much. On the other hand? If Rodgers played in their offense he’d throw for 4,500 yds and 40 touchdowns every year easily.
I hope the new guy can extend Rodgers career by bringing in a system where he can get the ball out, and through his progressions quickly. Man the Chargers are the type of team that make you wonder how good the Packers could actually be if they had a better offensive scheme.
What I saw was Rivers putting up a gamer's performance behind a team with no quit against a defense that must win in the pass rush because they are vulnerable in the back end even with Eric Berry's return.
This combination route critique is a little dated. The Packers have been running their fair share of those routes these days. It doesn't help when, for example, Graham gets called for a pick downfield. Who does that? The other problem has been inexperience at the wideout position and in the slot when Cobb isn't in there or a there's a less than 100% Cobb on the field if not a permanent erosion in his quickness.
Further, beyond playing with a broken thumb, Graham's problem is not so much a decline in athleticism as evidenced in the following which is why he still gets attention:
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It's that Graham is not a very sophisticated route runner, believe it or not, and is not in tune with his QB, which are two sides of the same coin. We got a look at that on that long ball broken up at the goal line at the end of the first quarter last week. Graham looks inside, then outside, then inside, then outside--he has no idea where Rodgers is going to put the ball and I doubt Rodgers threw that ball with much confidence in where Graham is going.
Rodgers' Priority #1 is not throwing picks, an admirable trait, complaints in these pages notwithstanding. The Atlanta game notwithstanding, that priority being in high relief is partially attributable to Rodgers lack of mobility up until the last few game, but may also be partially attributable to the inability of the defense to get their share of ***-for-tat turnovers. And if he's not terribly confident in where his guys (other than Adams) are going to make their break, trying to throw them open in the middle of field is high risk proposition. Rodgers help needs to elevate their games. We'll have to see how these rookies do in year 2, where Allison is at, whether Graham can achieve some kind of mind meld if he's still around, and what any newcomers can bring to the party.
As for the Atlanta game, fantasy players may be disappointed with those 196 yards but I'd have to say Rodgers played an outstanding game given that patchwork O-Line. You want to turn him into some pocket passing, quick throw game manage? First of all, it's never going to happen. Second, with this talent, if he doesn't extend plays and use his legs you don't win that game or others to come like it.
