National Football League
Rodgers adds notch to perfect 2011
National Football League

Rodgers adds notch to perfect 2011

Published Dec. 4, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

Dave Tollefson was feeling good about the New York Giants’ chances of upsetting Green Bay on Sunday. So good that the defensive end mocked Aaron Rodgers by performing the quarterback’s celebratory move — the pantomimed placement of a title belt around his waist — following a fourth-quarter sack.

But Tollefson and the rest of the Giants ultimately learned there’s a difference between mimicking a champion and finishing like one. Rodgers proved that in the final 58 seconds of Green Bay’s 38-35 road victory.

Orchestrating a game-winning drive in the waning moments was one of the few things Rodgers hadn’t done in his brilliant 2011 season. That’s because the Packers hadn’t needed one. Green Bay (12-0) still hasn’t trailed in the fourth quarter this season, but the Packers were tied for the first time on a Giants touchdown and two-point conversion with 58 seconds remaining.

Although the Packers frequently practice the two-minute offense, Rodgers acknowledged he was curious what strategy Packers head coach Mike McCarthy would deploy after kick returner Randall Cobb settled for a touchback on the ensuing kickoff. Would the Packers first run a draw play to see how many yards could be gained before deciding whether to play for overtime? Or would McCarthy allow Rodgers to test New York’s suspect secondary and attempt to win in regulation?

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Rodgers was thrilled that McCarthy chose the latter option.

“He looked at me, called a play and said, ‘All right, let’s go,’” Rodgers recalled. “We went into the huddle with a lot of confidence.”

Despite about a half-dozen dropped passes, a second-quarter interception that led to a New York touchdown and numerous hits from Giants defenders, Rodgers still had thrown four touchdown passes and broken the 300-yard mark for the eighth time this season. With only one timeout remaining, what Rodgers needed most was to gain some yardage early to make a field-goal attempt viable.

“The first play was the most important,” Rodgers said. “That kind of determines the drive.”

That first play: a short completion to tight end Jermichael Finley, who gained 24 yards after Giants linebacker Jacquian Williams fell in coverage.

The second play was even sweeter. Before the snap, Rodgers made sure wide receiver Jordy Nelson knew that New York was playing man coverage. Nelson adjusted his route, juked cornerback Will Blackmon on a stop-and-go, and snared a 27-yard pass lofted beautifully down the Giants' sideline near exasperated head coach Tom Coughlin.

The completion reflected the damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t dilemma that the injury-wracked New York defense faced when trying to stop Rodgers.

“It should not have happened,” Coughlin said of the game-winning drive. “I thought we were in pretty good shape. But you try to play coverage and you don’t get enough pressure on him. You try to put pressure and you leave some holes in your coverage. It was back and forth.”

By that point, Green Bay was in position for a 48-yard field goal attempt with 44 seconds remaining. But one play later, Rodgers made things even easier for kicker Mason Crosby by connecting with wide receiver Greg Jennings for an 18-yard gain. That led to Crosby’s 31-yard field goal as time expired, sending the Giants (6-6) to their fourth straight loss.

“When you get into a situation like that, you have to trust your instincts and plays that we run a lot,” said Rodgers, who finished with 369 yards on 28-of-46 passing. “That drive is really just an example of us trusting the things we’ve done at practice so many times and executed.”

Rodgers and McCarthy both know it’s best for Green Bay that such a scenario occurred now rather than in the playoffs.

“Aaron just went right down the script,” McCarthy said. “That’s what you’re looking for. You’re going to have to complete two-minute drives to win championships.”

Green Bay’s drive to a championship repeat moved forward Sunday with the clinching of a playoff spot. The Packers also claimED the NFC North title when Detroit lost in New Orleans on Sunday night.

Green Bay’s next step is securing home-field advantage throughout the postseason. If the Packers still are undefeated by then, McCarthy said he would address whether Green Bay would go all out for a perfect season or begin resting starters for the playoffs.

While Green Bay’s defensive performance remains spotty, that day will come sooner than later based upon how Rodgers is playing. Even though Sunday marked his lowest quarterback rating of the season, Rodgers still posted a standout mark of 106.2.

He now has 37 touchdown passes and just five interceptions. He is completing 70.6 percent of his attempts. He remains on pace to break Dan Marino’s single-season passing record of 5,084 yards. And he has accomplished all this despite the added pressure of being undefeated and the NFL’s biggest target as defending Super Bowl champion.

“I’m running out of things to say about him,” McCarthy said of the frontrunner for the Most Valuable Player award.

Rodgers said he didn’t see Tollefson’s impersonation of his belt move but he isn’t taking offense.

“I’ve known Dave for a while so I don’t mind it,” Rodgers said. “I think it’s flattery when somebody does it.”

He should. Rodgers and the Packers can be imitated. But so far, their success cannot be duplicated.

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