NFC Championship - Buccaneers at Packers - 2:05 - Fox

[rilamann]

If I was the head coach and my defensive coordinator did something that stupid and was one of the main reasons that cost me and my team a trip to the Super Bowl, I would have no problem throwing Pettine under the bus. If I was playing NFL2K5 (Madden sucks) and the person I was playing against put in that defense in that situation and I scored a TD, I would be making fun of them for at least the next 3 months. Mike Pettine did it in an actual NFC Championship game.

[rilamann]

Aaron Rodgers not taking advantage of 3 Tom Brady interceptions and both of the Buccaneers starting safeties being out of the game by the 2nd half, reminded me of that time in the 2014 NFC Championship game when Aaron Rodgers didn't take advantage of 4 Russell Wilson interceptions and Richard Sherman playing the 4th quarter with 1 arm.

If you combine the 2014 NFC Championship game and the 2020 NFC Championship game, the Packer's defense forced a total of 8 turnovers. The Packer's offense scored a total of 12 points off those 8 turnovers.

Earl Thomas hurt too. Kicking FGs on 4th down, but why get to 4th down? Why try to throw a low percentage fastball into Quarless from 20 feet away? Or a long wheel route to Starks? Why test for a free play without seeing a flag? And the fluky interception as you're driving.

These are things Rodgers excels at in his sleep against other teams.

Rodgers loses his super powers in NFC Championship games.

And it's almost like the football Gods, just to mess with us, let Rodgers get to 1 Super Bowl where he played really well. Just to make us think that it's probably some weird quirk where Rodgers would play like a first ballot hall of famer in every Super Bowl he played in. If he could just somehow play like Aaron Rodgers in NFC Championship games.

That's what makes 2014 and now 2020 so frustrating. Rodgers didn't have had to do anything extraordinary. We win the 2014 NFC Championship game easily if Rodgers is simply just the same guy he had been all season up to that game. We win the 2020 NFC Championship game easily if Rodgers is simply just the same guy he had been all season up to that game.

As for the 2014 Championship game, I don't think we will ever see a greater example of a scared coach playing not to lose in a big game than we saw from Mike McCarthy that day. The guy literally coached the game like he was terrified to win it. Kicking FGs on 2 possessions when you were less than a yard away from the end zone. Morgan Burnett sliding when he probably could have had a pick 6 that would have made it 26-7 with 3 minutes to go. And I don't care what anyone says, Burnett sliding there was 100% McCarthy mentality. Not letting Rodgers throw the ball when all we needed was a 1st down to win the game, while a one-armed Richard Sherman was covering a prime Jordy Nelson mind you.

Also don't forget when the Packers played the Seahawks week 1 to open that same season, Rodgers didn't throw to Richard Sherman's side of the field one time the entire game. Legend has it Mike McCarthy still pisses himself every time he's in a room with Pete Carroll or if he sees a Seahawks logo.

[raysbookclub]

Lots to regret in this game. King plays, Pettine call, not running the ball after the two picks (three and outs on six passing plays), Aaron Jones fumbling, also Redmond not intercepting the ball on a terrible floater by Brady two plays before the King/Pettine play. The red zone sequence of three passes to Adams and no TD. 12 not running on 3rd down for either a score or a 4th and short (I agree with the decision to kick the FG from the 8). Sigh.

Still doesn’t hurt as much as 2014, so at least there’s that.

[th87]

Aaron Rodgers not taking advantage of 3 Tom Brady interceptions and both of the Buccaneers starting safeties being out of the game by the 2nd half, reminded me of that time in the 2014 NFC Championship game when Aaron Rodgers didn't take advantage of 4 Russell Wilson interceptions and Richard Sherman playing the 4th quarter with 1 arm.

If you combine the 2014 NFC Championship game and the 2020 NFC Championship game, the Packer's defense forced a total of 8 turnovers. The Packer's offense scored a total of 12 points off those 8 turnovers.

Earl Thomas hurt too. Kicking FGs on 4th down, but why get to 4th down? Why try to throw a low percentage fastball into Quarless from 20 feet away? Or a long wheel route to Starks? Why test for a free play without seeing a flag? And the fluky interception as you're driving.

These are things Rodgers excels at in his sleep against other teams.

Rodgers loses his super powers in NFC Championship games.

And it's almost like the football Gods, just to mess with us, let Rodgers get to 1 Super Bowl where he played really well. Just to make us think that it's probably some weird quirk where Rodgers would play like a first ballot hall of famer in every Super Bowl he played in. If he could just somehow play like Aaron Rodgers in NFC Championship games.

That's what makes 2014 and now 2020 so frustrating. Rodgers didn't have had to do anything extraordinary. We win the 2014 NFC Championship game easily if Rodgers is simply just the same guy he had been all season up to that game. We win the 2020 NFC Championship game easily if Rodgers is simply just the same guy he had been all season up to that game.

As for the 2014 Championship game, I don't think we will ever see a greater example of a scared coach playing not to lose in a big game than we saw from Mike McCarthy that day. The guy literally coached the game like he was terrified to win it. Kicking FGs on 2 possessions when you were less than a yard away from the end zone. Morgan Burnett sliding when he probably could have had a pick 6 that would have made it 26-7 with 3 minutes to go. And I don't care what anyone says, Burnett sliding there was 100% McCarthy mentality. Not letting Rodgers throw the ball when all we needed was a 1st down to win the game, while a one-armed Richard Sherman was covering a prime Jordy Nelson mind you.

Also don't forget when the Packers played the Seahawks week 1 to open that same season, Rodgers didn't throw to Richard Sherman's side of the field one time the entire game. Legend has it Mike McCarthy still pisses himself every time he's in a room with Pete Carroll or if he sees a Seahawks logo.

I've never brought myself to rewatch anything about that game; no highlights, nothing, but I think I might. MM was a joker in that game, but Rodgers also played scared until he woke up and drove them down for the tying FG. Where was that the whole game? 5 turnovers and you still lose? There's a thin line between love and hate, and losing a game where the weak-link defense pitches a freaking miracle, and you still can't score off of it might warrant crossing over the line.

Rodgers might just not be a closer. Great at bringing the team back from the dead to make it interesting; limited success in getting over the hump. Drove down about to beat USC, but went 4 and out. Missed Jennings for the walkoff against AZ in 2009; fumbles before the facemask on the next play. Carolina a few years ago. All momentum in place to take the lead this last game; starts reverting back to McCarthy ball when it was time to deliver the win.

[rilamann]

I've never brought myself to rewatch anything about that game; no highlights, nothing, but I think I might. MM was a joker in that game, but Rodgers also played scared until he woke up and drove them down for the tying FG. Where was that the whole game? 5 turnovers and you still lose? There's a thin line between love and hate, and losing a game where the weak-link defense pitches a freaking miracle, and you still can't score off of it might warrant crossing over the line.

Rodgers might just not be a closer. Great at bringing the team back from the dead to make it interesting; limited success in getting over the hump. Drove down about to beat USC, but went 4 and out. Missed Jennings for the walkoff against AZ in 2009; fumbles before the facemask on the next play. Carolina a few years ago. All momentum in place to take the lead this last game; starts reverting back to McCarthy ball when it was time to deliver the win.

It's kind of ironic that people have always said Rodgers would have gone to more than 1 SB if he had a defense.Yet like you pointed out, Rodgers' defense intercepted Russell Wilson 4 times in an NFC Championship game and forced 5 turnovers overall. Rodgers couldn't take advantage of that in one of the biggest games of his career. Then 2 weeks ago, Rodgers' defense intercepted Tom Brady 3 times in the 2nd half in an NFC Championship game. Still couldn't get it done. Makes me think Rodgers' doesn't need a defense as much as he needs a killer instinct, or an ability to simply just be Aaron Rodgers when it matters most.

And you're 100% correct about Rodgers bringing the team back but not getting over the hump. Look no further than 2 weeks ago. When we got down 28-10, Rodgers got us back to 28-23 in a blink. But once it was 28-23 and Rodgers had 2 opportunities (Thanks to our defense) to take the lead, he couldn't even get a 1st down.

[raysbookclub]

This polar vortex is about 2 and a half weeks too late.