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Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 3:20 pm
by jakecronus8
In my head, and using the eye test, I'd say he's been average to slightly below in his career in clutch situations. According to this article, he is historically not clutch. Depends on how much credence you put into advanced statistics but, discuss...
http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/content/best-and-worst-quarterback-records-the-clutch-adjusted-for-strength-schedule/18941/Aaron Rodgers: What more can we say? The 0-17 record against teams .500 or better is unfathomably abysmal. It also means 17 of his 25 games have been against pretty good competition, though his overall SOS is ninth because he has had the second lowest SOV (.291). Rodgers’ four comeback wins have come against the infamous 2008 Lions (0-16), a season sweep of the 2009 Bears (7-9), and the struggling 2012 Saints (2-5).
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 3:36 pm
by Ron Swanson
Having the all-time NFL record passer rating in the playoffs says otherwise. I put absolutely no stock into "advanced stats" that suggest that Michael Vick is a better "clutch" QB than Aaron Rodgers...
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 3:38 pm
by Newz
I personally think the term 'clutch' is overused and overrated. LeBron James wasn't 'clutch', then he won two championships. I don't care if Rodgers completely destroys teams in the first quarter or if he leads us back in the fourth quarter. All I care is that we win.
Watching him over the years he hasn't really come off as a guy who throws away games. He rarely seems to make big mistakes when the game is on the line.
The only two QBs I can really think of that I notice a difference in when the fourth quarter rolls around are Eli and Big Ben. Those guys seem to turn it on more often than not.
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 3:43 pm
by ReasonablySober
If the NFL was a sport where you could win games entirely on your own, I'd say there might be something behind whether or not a guy is 'clutch'.
But LOL no, that's hilarious because it isn't remotely close to reality.
Don Barclay misses a block at it leads to a batted ball = Rodgers is not clutch. Okay, right, gotcha.
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 3:46 pm
by Turk Nowitzki
This thread is going to go well.
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 3:55 pm
by glenn
A) In football, the term "clutch," as others have said, is near meaningless. I don't really care for it in other contexts either.
B) I've never gotten an indication that Rodgers seems nervous or unsure in close games or in comeback situations.
C) If we are relying on the eye test (or my mushy memory), there have been several times over the years where the offensive produces points and the defense doesn't hold up the lead. Nothing he can do about that, short of playing safety.
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 4:00 pm
by askdavescat
Statistics have their place, but there's also actually watching the game - the eyeball test.
This all goes back to 2009, and Cowherd starting making it his calling to point out how the Packers kept losing games late, and came to the conclusion that Rodgers wasn't clutch. He's starting to do it again now, after last Sunday's loss to the 49er's. Anybody who watched those games in 2009, or the playoff loss to Arizona, or last week, knows damn well that it was the defense spewing up the lead after Rodgers had put them ahead fairly late in the 4th quarter. The only year in Rodger's tenure that we've had a 'legit' defense ( IMHO ) was 2010, and Rodgers won a Super Bowl.
This is the type of garbage that 'Vegas guys' and ****'s do to sound insightful and knowledgeable, but, at least in my opinion, is just lazy shock tactics to draw in readers/listeners/viewers.
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 4:05 pm
by Bucksfans1and2
askdavescat wrote:Statistics have their place, but there's also actually watching the game - the eyeball test.
This all goes back to 2009, and Cowherd starting making it his calling to point out how the Packers kept losing games late, and came to the conclusion that Rodgers wasn't clutch. He's starting to do it again now, after last Sunday's loss to the 49er's. Anybody who watched those games in 2009, or the playoff loss to Arizona, or last week, knows damn well that it was the defense spewing up the lead after Rodgers had put them ahead fairly late in the 4th quarter. The only year in Rodger's tenure that we've had a 'legit' defense ( IMHO ) was 2010, and Rodgers won a Super Bowl.
This is the type of garbage that 'Vegas guys' and ****'s do to sound insightful and knowledgeable, but, at least in my opinion, is just lazy shock tactics to draw in readers/listeners/viewers.
I don't know what you mean by "Vegas guys" but anybody trying to make a line and bringing up that Aaron Rodgers is a choker would be fired on the spot.
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 4:22 pm
by askdavescat
Bucksfans1and2 wrote:askdavescat wrote:Statistics have their place, but there's also actually watching the game - the eyeball test.
This all goes back to 2009, and Cowherd starting making it his calling to point out how the Packers kept losing games late, and came to the conclusion that Rodgers wasn't clutch. He's starting to do it again now, after last Sunday's loss to the 49er's. Anybody who watched those games in 2009, or the playoff loss to Arizona, or last week, knows damn well that it was the defense spewing up the lead after Rodgers had put them ahead fairly late in the 4th quarter. The only year in Rodger's tenure that we've had a 'legit' defense ( IMHO ) was 2010, and Rodgers won a Super Bowl.
This is the type of garbage that 'Vegas guys' and ****'s do to sound insightful and knowledgeable, but, at least in my opinion, is just lazy shock tactics to draw in readers/listeners/viewers.
I don't know what you mean by "Vegas guys" but anybody trying to make a line and bringing up that Aaron Rodgers is a choker would be fired on the spot.
I guess I created the term 'Vegas guy' in my head referring to sports radio guys I've heard over the years, who will give token efforts to take about the actual players, matchups, etc... for an upcoming game, but always come drifting back to talking about how the line in Vegas is moving, because their only actual interest is the betting.
Cowherd tries not to be as blatant about it as some SR personalities I've heard in the past, but at the core, I think he's that type of 'fan' as well.
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 4:25 pm
by emunney
I remember early in his career, he had that horrible record in close games, and it turned out that in almost all of them, he'd led them down to take the lead late, and the defense then immediately allowed a gw score.
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 4:26 pm
by MartyConlonOnTheRun
I can't remember but didnt Rodgers have a bunch of games where he led them I game winning drives only have the d give up a td to lose it a couple years ago? Not to mention if Cobb doesnt stay in bounce we wouldve have had a shot on Sunday.
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 4:34 pm
by askdavescat
MartyConlonOnTheRun wrote:I can't remember but didnt Rodgers have a bunch of games where he led them I game winning drives only have the d give up a td to lose it a couple years ago? Not to mention if Cobb doesnt stay in bounce we wouldve have had a shot on Sunday.
I'm way to internet-challenged to look this up, but I believe there were 5 games in 2009 where it happened. It was the very first year with Capers and the 3-4 defense. GB's defensive personnel weren't all particularly suited to a 3-4 scheme, and after Rodgers would lead a go-ahead drive with about three minutes left on the clock, the defense would give up a quick score, the offense would have about 45 seconds left to try to get it back, and come up short.
Sadly, four years later, the same scenario still seems to be playing out.

Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 4:42 pm
by LikeABosh
MartyConlonOnTheRun wrote:I can't remember but didnt Rodgers have a bunch of games where he led them I game winning drives only have the d give up a td to lose it a couple years ago?
Th game vs Atlanta in 2010 comes to mind
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7cC-9LZX00[/youtube]
Gave up a huge kick return and FG right after that
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 4:46 pm
by humanrefutation
That article from CHFF is one of the dumbest and most misleading articles I've read in quite a while. It's so extraordinarily out of context that it's meaningless. So, basing on opponent record? How about the times we blow teams out, or times when the defense gives up a game-winning score, or when a key player drops passes or fumbles the ball? Or, you know, the FAIL MARY. Those types of things that are outside of Rodgers' hands are not accounted for at all in that article.
That doesn't mean the debate isn't worth having, though. It's just that relying on that piece is not the way to go.
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 5:35 pm
by JimmyTheKid
emunney wrote:I remember early in his career, he had that horrible record in close games, and it turned out that in almost all of them, he'd led them down to take the lead late, and the defense then immediately allowed a gw score.
Yup. Skip Bayless and Colin Cowherd would argue that "Rodgers left too much time on the clock."
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 5:39 pm
by JimmyTheKid
And the Favre slurpers were a lot like the Lebron haters back in the day. Remember all of the "stat padding" and "not clutch" talk regarding both of these guys? Of course, NOW, the Favre slurpers "have always supported Rodgers" and the Lebron haters "never said he wasn't a great player..."
So many similarities between the two groups. The collective backtracking has been a joy to watch.
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 6:52 pm
by jakecronus8
The only reason I brought this to light here is that it seems that since the SB he has struggled to put together drives late in close games. Am I just forgetting some?
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 7:02 pm
by ReasonablySober
jakecronus8 wrote:The only reason I brought this to light here is that it seems that since the SB he has struggled to put together drives late in close games. Am I just forgetting some?
Whether or not Green Bay has had a problem, and that's something I don't know, the issue I have is you're using the word, "he" and not "the team".
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 7:20 pm
by emunney
jakecronus8 wrote:The only reason I brought this to light here is that it seems that since the SB he has struggled to put together drives late in close games. Am I just forgetting some?
You probably aren't forgetting any, but I'll check.
There haven't been a whole lot of opportunities since then. We lost 2 games the next year, one of them was by a lot, one of them we were down 2 scores with 4 minutes to go and we scored with 2 minutes to go.
Last year, game 1, we couldn't get the 2nd score and turned it over on downs. Seahawks: we know what happened there, we did score a 4th Q TD, but obviously couldn't ice it. Colts: go ahead TD pass with 4:30 left, Luck throws a TD with :35 left. Giants: lost by 28. Vikings: go ahead TD with 2:57 left, GW FG with :03 left.
I don't know, man. It's hard to look at that and say not clutch. We had late game TD drives in every close game.
Re: Is Aaron Rodgers clutch?
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 8:07 pm
by BUCKnation
Nice recap em. Dont forget in that Indy game, he got them to a FG opportunity to tie when Crosby shanked it 20 yds.