Rodgers needs playoff win for elite status

Aaron Rodgers knows the score. His reputation won’t be built on 4,000-yard seasons, but on playoff wins. Everybody knows he has a live arm and that he can throw with the NFL’s best, but quarterbacks' careers are made in the playoffs.

Now, it won’t be easy beating Michael Vick and the Eagles today. A month ago, Vick was considered a serious threat to Tom Brady as this season’s MVP. But if Rodgers is going to build his own legacy in Green Bay, after replacing Brett Favre, he needs to win today.

“Even though I have played well statistically,” Rodgers said, “I’m driven to get better and better. I want to win championships here. That’s the only success that matters to me.”

That was Rodgers’ parting shot to me in training camp.

But a lot of credit for Rodgers’ progress and performance must go to head coach Mike McCarthy and, of course, general manager Ted Thompson for drafting him when he still had a very good Favre.

We are all familiar with the story that McCarthy passed on Rodgers and chose Alex Smith over him when he was the 49ers' offensive coordinator. But once he got to Green Bay, McCarthy encountered a humbled Rodgers and a guy willing to work to improve his skills. He wasn’t playing then, so he might as well work and learn.

Rodgers has improved every aspect of his game. His footwork and arm strength are both superior to where he was as Favre’s backup. He is technically sound. McCarthy often refers to Rodgers as genetically gifted. And under pressure, Rodgers is every bit as focused as Peyton Manning.

It has been a beautiful coach-player marriage.

Because he wanted to play, Rodgers listened to everything McCarthy said. Now, that wasn’t always the case with Favre and McCarthy. Favre had seen it all and had his own ideas. By the time McCarthy had finally curbed Favre’s penchant to gamble and throw into coverage, the legend was retiring. McCarthy did try to convince Favre not to rush his decision. But once Favre said he was done, McCarthy moved on to Rodgers. The two hit the ground running in the 2008 mini-camps and Rodgers started building a bond with the younger Green Bay receivers.

There is no doubt that McCarthy’s penchant for throwing the ball, long and short, while also having the confidence to gamble with Rodgers’ athletic ability has brought both of them to today’s playoff stage.

Remember, it was only last season when Rodgers was holding the ball way too long and taking way too many sacks. Well, he fixed that this season.

Say what you will about Philadelphia’s young duo of DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, but the Packers’ receiving corps is also young but a lot deeper. Greg Jennings is the equal of Jackson, plus Jordy Nelson and James Jones are also great after the catch. Rodgers also has Donald Driver, who may be 35, but still plays like he’s 25. Driver believes that Rodgers’ arm is as strong as any quarterback’s in the league. Driver loves Favre, but he’s embraced Rodgers. This foursome is as good as any foursome in the NFL and it’s not always talked about.

A lot of NFL people put Rodgers and Philip Rivers together: two young talented quarterbacks who have done everything except reach a Super Bowl. Rivers’ season is over, but Rodgers still has a chance to make such a run.

If he’s going to make a statement, it’s going to start today in Philadelphia.

Green Bay at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m. ET

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The best performing quarterback wins this wild-card game. The Eagles’ Michael Vick is less than 100 percent with a bruised quad muscle, plus he’s been sacked 34 times this season, six of them coming in the upset loss to the Vikings.

On the flip side, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has suffered two concussions this season, but he put the Packers in the playoffs with a blow-out win against the New York Giants.

The Packers figure to blitz Vick just like Minnesota did because cornerback Charles Woodson is adept at disguising his intentions and continues to be a great playmaker on defense. Containment off the edges will be imperative if the Packers decide to liberally blitz Vick, who ran for 103 yards and passed for 175 in the Week 1 game when the Packers gave Kevin Kolb a concussion.

Vick loves to throw off of bootlegs and extend plays with his feet.

Powerful running back LeSean McCoy, who led all runners with 78 receptions this season, could be the key to the game, especially if Todd Herremans and Jason Peters can handle Green Bay’s front. If McCoy can find some running room, it should help Vick immensely to work play-action and find tight end Brent Celek in the deep middle.

The Packers’ defense will be improved up front with the return of versatile Cullen Jenkins, who has great pass rush techniques. Nose tackle B.J. Raji has been a load and is powerful enough to dominate Eagles center Mike McGlynn.

Those two help take the heat off outside linebacker Clay Matthews, the game’s most versatile pass rusher. He can work any edge and also the middle. The Packers were solid in coverage in that season opener against DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, who had a combined eight catches for 68 yards and a touchdown.

The Packers have received some solid defensive play lately from unlikely sources like Erik Walden, who had three sacks and 16 tackles against the Bears last Sunday. Also, many believe cornerback Tramon Williams has the ability to stick with Jackson one-on-one. One would think that Green Bay might try to run the ball against a Philadelphia defense that most-assuredly will have to blitz Rodgers in order to contain him.

But head coach/play-caller Mike McCarthy will stick with his bread-and-butter passing game against Philadelphia’s pressure-based, gambling defense.

The Eagles’ are shaky in the secondary with Dimitri Patterson struggling and Asante Samuel bothered by a knee strain that caused him to miss three starts down the stretch. Also, rookie Kurt Coleman is starting at free safety after Nate Allen was lost for the season.

You can look for Rodgers to use quick throws on short to intermediate pass patterns to maintain possession and then look deep to Greg Jennings, who has 12 receptions of 25-plus yards and six touchdowns in his last seven games.

CZAR’S SCOOP: Ever since an ESPN report earlier in the season, some believe that Philadelphia’s young defensive coordinator Sean McDermott is in trouble of being fired if the Packers win today. Nothing is further from the truth and McDermott has done well considering all the injuries on his unit and the lack of a consistent pass-rush pressure.

When the Eagles held Rodgers to his second-lowest passer rating of 73.1 in the opener, the Eagles had cornerback Ellis Hobbs and first-round pick Brandon Graham on defense. The Eagles have generated only eight turnovers in their last six games.

It will be critical for Green Bay’s rookie Tim Masthay to repeat his directional punting success against Devin Hester last week, to DeSean Jackson in this game.

The Packers just gave Desmond Bishop a new contract and that’s making some believe that either injured Nick Barnett or A.J. Hawk, who leads the team in tackles, will be expendable next year. Green Bay is loaded with front seven defenders.

Eagles linebacker Ernie Sims has been disappointing this year. The Eagles better be careful blitzing Rodgers. On 166 drop backs, Rodgers completed 66 percent of his throws against a blitz, throwing for 11 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He was sacked eight times. His quarterback rating of 104.5 vs. the blitz led the NFL.

DIVISIONAL SCOREBOARD

• 49ers 36, Saints 32
• Patriots 45, Broncos 10
• Ravens 20, Texans 13
• Giants 37, Packers 20

Conversely, Vick was a 55-percent passer against the blitz with a 90.5 rating.

Rookie right tackle Brian Bulaga committed a season-high four penalties last Sunday. The Eagles allowed 49 sacks this season (Vick down 34 times) while the Packers had 47 sacks on the season, led by Clay Matthews. The Packers’ defense allowed only 15 points, second-lowest in the NFL. Green Bay also won two games this season when they scored only 10 or fewer points. The last time that happened was 1946.