Aaron Rodgers goes down. A few thoughts:
- You can't really replace Rodgers. Another guy can play the position, but you can't replace a guy with the skill set Rodgers brings to the team. It's yet another reminder of how blessed the Packers have been for the past quarter century.
- Brett Hundley will be better next week at home than he was in Minneapolis yesterday. He was a very good college quarterback and he has two years in the system. He can make plays. I don't know if he'll make enough to keep the Packers alive this season, but he'll give it a go. And it won't all be bad. He's playing for his future, which could be lucrative if he makes good.
- Should the Packers bring in Colin Kaepernick? I would not be surprised if the Packers do sign Kaepernick. I believe them when they say they want to ride with Hundley, but they'll need a competent backup. With the bye week coming soon, they would have time to teach him what he needs to know if something happens to Hundley. And the NFL would dearly love to have that grievance Kaepernick just filed against the league to go away. There are certain teams in the league that could "take one for the shield" (e.g., Packers, Giants, Steelers, Bears, old school teams) and I wouldn't be surprised if Roger Goodell and his friends haven't been on the phone with Mark Murphy about it.
- The downside of Kaepernick isn't his silly politics, per se -- it's the question of whether or not he's sufficiently committed to doing what it takes to succeed. The 49ers let him go because he wasn't particularly effective after the first two seasons; the stories I've read indicate he wasn't willing to do the work outside of the team building that the top quarterbacks do, primarily because he had become too involved in the political causes du jour. If you're going to be a top quarterback, you have to be dedicated to your craft. The potential advantage for Kaepernick to come to Green Bay is simple; people there don't care about the politics nearly as much as they do about football. If you want to concentrate on your craft, Green Bay is a great place to do it, because there aren't as many distractions available as you would find in San Francisco, or even here in the Twin Cities.
- Is there an upside for the Packers signing Kaepernick? Maybe. I do not believe the Packers seriously want to see Joe Callahan playing in a regular season game, which is the current scenario if Hundley is injured. Although Callahan has experience in their system, the jump from being a Div-3 quarterback to the NFL is awfully steep.
- One last thing -- tell me, do you think the following meme is amusing? It was posted on something called "Minnesota Vikings Memes," which I assume has nothing to do with the Vikings organization itself:
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| Humor |
Apparently some Vikings fans do. I think it's crappy as hell.
10 comments:
This whole thing really highlights the damage Kap has done with fans. I'm asking myself if I could cheer for the Packers with him at quarterback. Philosophically speaking it would be a travesty not to. The team transcends any player; it is a history, a collection of stories good and bad. Any fan cheers in the bad times as well as the good.
But practically speaking, he would bring a stench. And it's not even because of my high regard for the flag and anthem. I'm okay with protest. I'm actually more uncomfortable with how jingoistic modern America has gotten with national symbols. No, whether he intended it or not (I rather think not) he has brought the shallow and self-satisfied contempt of liberal America to the NFL and directed it at fans.
I think I'd rather lose than have him play.
Ugh. I don't like having written that last sentence.
My point — it’s a chance at redemption for a guy who was a very good football player (and a cool story) not very long ago. If he turns out to be a bad guy, he can be gotten rid of without too much consequence.
Ugh. I don't like having written that last sentence.
Don't blame you. While losing for principle is noble, but it doesn’t have much to do with football.
Do you ever go back and assess your predictions? Yesterday's game was quite the reverse of what was expected. Of course you assumed a healthy Rodgers. Suppose we had a healthy Vikings roster?
With the problems in the Packer O-line, it might be cathartic for the fans to see Kap trampled a few times, so there's that.
As for Hundley playing for his future, you're right. A couple of good weeks filling in for Rodger and Matt Flynn set himself and his heirs up for life with his next couple of contracts.
Do you ever go back and assess your predictions? Yesterday's game was quite the reverse of what was expected. Of course you assumed a healthy Rodgers. Suppose we had a healthy Vikings roster?
No. Benster and I are making the picks for fun. It’s mostly a chance to write with my son, who started making picks as a middle school student and is now a senior in college. The picks are meaningless; the experience is everything.
While losing for principle is noble, but it doesn’t have much to do with football.
Right now the principle would be cheering for my team in spite of Kap. You don't NOT cheer for your team over one player or you're just being disloyal.
But if I can let go of the principle, I'd rather have a down season without him than be a better form of mediocre with the taint.
The Packers have been a playoff team the past two seasons due to one reason: Aaron Rodgers playing at an otherworldly level. There were always whispers about how things would come to a crashing halt if Rodgers ever missed significant time due to injury. Because that is now a reality, is Ted Thompson suddenly on the hot seat or is he getting a pass due to the sudden rash of injuries?
I dunno. TT has addressed the Packers defense repeatedly over the last five years. He’s missed on some high picks (Datone Jones, come on down!), but it’s not for a lack of effort. The Packers are missing a lot of guys right now, especially on the offensive line and the defensive backfield. It’s a tough thing to overcome, but even if Rodgers had had his preferred offensive linemen on the field, it would not have made any difference on the hit he took from Barr, which was in the open field and more or less after the play. It was a legal hit, but it was unfortunate.
Aside from bringing John Schneider back from Seattle, I’m not sure what would be the right solution. The Packers have not been in a draft position to bring in a stud defender like Barr since their 2009 draft, which brought in B. J. Raji and Clay Matthews.
Re the "walking into a Barr" line: just think what they'd say if he'd been sacked by the Raiders' Khalil Mack.
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