Aaron Rodgers’ 44 Total TDs in 2014
1-10-GB 41 (Q1, 12:01) (No Huddle) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep right to 87-J.Nelson for 59 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Jordy Nelson beats the CB. Rodgers hits Nelson in stride. Nelson makes the safety miss his tackle. Nelson scores. Where have I seen this before? That’s right, in week two against the Jets.
1-3-CAR 3 (Q2, 4:07) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 18-R.Cobb for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
It astounds me that teams just don’t seem to learn. This is the third time we’ve seen the exact same play design result in a 3-yard TD for Cobb. Actually, I have to say the Panthers were more prepared for it than the Bears and Jets were, because the rub route that Nelson is running actually comes into effect on this play, when it wasn’t needed at all on the other two. Nelson gets in the path of the slot corner, and this gets Cobb open enough for Rodgers to throw the ball to him. Still, instead of playing a straight up man coverage on these plays the CBs really should be playing a coverage where they switch off receivers when they run routes that cross each other.
1-10-CAR 21 (Q3, 10:28) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 17-D.Adams for 21 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
The Panthers are in a zone coverage on this play, and the key is that both Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb soak up two defenders with their routes. This leaves Adams in a wide open whole where two LBs left their zones. Easy TD.
3-10-GB 30 (Q1, 13:09) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep right to 18-R.Cobb for 70 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This play is a combination of (mostly) good pass blocking and bad defense by the CB covering Cobb. Linsley does get pushed back, but Rodgers does a good job at avoiding the interior pressure and Linsley does a good job keeping himself in between Rodgers and the pass rusher. It’s really hard to hold a block for as long as he did (and the rest of the OL did even better). Then, the guy covering Cobb does a terrible job of tracking the pass, and it flies over his head completely and he’s totally out of position to make the tackle. Rodgers made sure the safety was out of the play before throwing too. Cobb did the rest, as he did a good job of keeping his footing and turning around to run for the TD.
4-1-CHI 1 (Q1, 6:17) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 86-B.Bostick for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
The Packers ran a play action fake and Bostick ran a crossing route in the opposite direction. He just outran the CB to the spot and was open for the TD. Rodgers did well to miss the official who was almost in the way of the pass.
3-1-CHI 4 (Q1, 3:59) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 81-A.Quarless for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Rodgers has the total athletic package and this play show it. It’s really, really difficult to throw across your body while sprinting in the opposite direction, especially with a DE in your face. Combine that with the fact that he can’t lead Quarless too far or Chris Conte would be able to break up the pass, and this is a really difficult throw.
3-11-GB 27 (Q2, 15:00) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep right to 87-J.Nelson for 73 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
The CB covering Nelson at the snap did not get the correct play call. He’s playing like it’s Cover 2, but it’s clearly Cover 3 (or Cover 1) because there’s only one deep defender and no rotation at all. Instead, he lets Nelson run by him and get wide open. Bad defense.
2-10-CHI 40 (Q2, 12:17) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep right to 87-J.Nelson for 40 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This time it’s the safety’s fault, because it’s Cover 2 and he’s not playing attention. Major Wright was too busy watching Rodgers scramble to see Nelson running towards the endzone. Bad defense, easy TD. Although Rodgers scrambled, he didn’t really even need to.
2-18-GB 44 (Q2, 5:03) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 27-E.Lacy for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
First of all, excellent downfield blocking by the Packers on the delayed screen. Secondly, have I mentioned that the Bears had a terrible defense in 2014? Seriously, they allowed Rodgers to throw for 10 TDs against them in two games. Horrendous. Here they let Eddie Lacy go for 56 yards totally untouched. This should never happen. Eddie Lacy is not Jamaal Charles. He’s a very good RB, but it’s not because he’s fast; it’s because he’s powerful. He should not be able to get in the endzone without anybody touching him. Pathetic.
3-10-CHI 18 (Q2, :19) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep left to 18-R.Cobb for 18 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Randall Cobb is pretty fast. Here he runs right past the man covering him. Rodgers does a great job with the throw and it’s a TD.
1-6-PHI 6 (Q1, 3:38) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 17-D.Adams for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Unless you jump them (or bat the pass down at the line), slant routes are pretty hard to stop. It’s an easy throw for the QB. The one way you can stop a slant route is by beating up the WR so badly that he drops the ball and doesn’t want to do it again. This time, the Eagles get a big hit on Adams, but it’s not enough to knock the ball loose as the rookie does a great job of holding on to the contested catch.
1-10-PHI 27 (Q2, 10:45) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass deep right to 87-J.Nelson for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
In 2014, Bradley Fletcher was a piece of bread that the Eagles put in the toaster and totally forgot about until it was burned beyond all recognition. Jordy Nelson is really hard to defend on go routes, and Fletcher isn’t up to the task. Rodgers makes a great throw to Nelson’s outside shoulder (so it’s away from the CB). Nelson shows his elite boundary awareness when making the catch and taking the one step into the endzone.
3-10-PHI 32 (Q4, 14:52) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 27-E.Lacy for 32 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
The Bears got it all wrong. This is how you should be giving up TDs for Eddie Lacy. Let him bowl over the entirety of your defense on his way to the endzone. Rodgers went to Lacy, his checkdown option, after (once again) some seriously great pass protection by his offensive line.
1-1-MIN 1 (Q2, 5:30) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 89-R.Rodgers for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
This is probably the farthest distance through the air that a 1 yard TD pass has ever travelled. The Vikings’ defense focuses on the crossing routes by the Packers and just kind of forgets about Richard Rodgers, who is the definition of wide open. It still isn’t too easy of a throw for Rodgers though, because he has to launch the pass off of his back foot with a defender in his face. It’s impressive that he was so accurate that Rodgers could just stand in place and wait for the ball to come to him.
2-5-MIN 10 (Q4, 8:41) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 27-E.Lacy for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
The Packers found a soft spot in the Vikings defense as Rodgers shoveled a pass to Lacy. The fact that a diving Chad Greenway tripped a pursuing Captain Munnerlyn didn’t help the Vikings either.
