After weeks of thinking maybe, just maybe if a few things go right, Green Bay could turn it’s season around it has become abundantly clear that the Packers problems are far too big for some sort of quick fix.
Nine points against the worst defense in the league is the biggest embarrassment in a season full of embarrassments. Aaron Rodgers was atrocious. Arguably the worst performance of his professional career, with three incredibly ugly interceptions and somehow even uglier body language.
One would assume every national media talking head would be all over Rodgers for his latest disaster. But then one would be wrong. Michael Irvin of all people came to the defense of Rodgers on First Take on ESPN.
After Stephen A Smith put on his basic, ridiculous screaming performance and again tried to blame Rodgers for Davante Adams leaving, Irvin pushed back.
“Stephen you can go at it from that approach, him losing Adams, I go at it from a different approach. What have they given him back? The whole argument and the whole disagreement between the organization and Aaron Rodgers was about the talent and what are you spending those resources on. You’re spending it on Jordan Love instead of going and spending it to get me another asset. That I can go and do some things with.
I put this not so much on Aaron Rodgers but on this organization. I’m tired of hearing Green Bay try to get people. I don’t want to hear this anymore. I woke up saw it on the ticker on ESPN last night. Are you joking? ‘And we tried to do this and we tried’…Those guys that are losing all those football games are going to come into your office they’re going to tell you they tried and you’re going to cut them anyway. Because trying doesn’t work in this league. I don’t want to hear about how rocky the waters are. I want you to bring the ship in…You could have gotten him some help. Why couldn’t you sweeten the package for Darren Waller or Chase Clayepool? Add in a late round. What is that going to do when you’ve got this kind of talent in the building right now. Try to maximize it and you did not do that. I put this on the organization. I put this on the talent around Aaron Rodgers. Yeah he missed a throw to an offensive tackle on 4th Down! If you’re going to a tackle on fourth down with the game on the line that tells me you don’t have any receiver on this team we trust with our season on the line. That means somebody in the front office didn’t do their job…Yeah Aaron Rodgers is throwing some bad balls, he’s shell-shocked. Every ball he throws he’s worried about it getting picked. So I’m putting it on the organization and the people they’re putting around him.”
And then Dan Orlovsky, who has been a constant voice of reason, doubled down on Irvins take.
“The only way you blame Aaron Rodgers is if you think his contract is inordinate. The last offensive player the Packers took in the first round was Aaron Rodgers 17 years ago and Jordan Love 3 years ago. The blame has to fall on how they’ve built this football team.”
You know it’s a weird season when Michael Irvin is defending Aaron Rodgers from other peoples shots. Unfortunately Rodgers in this team are going to need a lot more than Irving support to do anything of any substance going forward. The real question will be is if the season continues to go this direction when will Green and Gold fans start wanting to see what they have in Jordan Love?
