The Green Bay Packers scored nearly 1,000 points and Aaron Rodgers created 91 total touchdowns over the last two seasons, but the inability of Rodgers and the offense to come through in clutch moments is one of the biggest reasons why Matt LaFleur’s team finished short of the Super Bowl each season.
Four failed opportunities in the fourth quarter of playoff losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers demonstrate how the Packers just didn’t get it done on offense late in do-or-die games.
In fact, Rodgers and the offense went three-and-out in all four opportunities to either take a lead or take control of the game.
Against the Buccaneers, the Packers had the ball down 28-23 in the fourth quarter but went three-and-out each time.
On Saturday night, the Packers had the ball up 10-3 and then got the ball back again tied 10-10 in the fourth quarter. Once again, two three-and-outs.
Rodgers and the offensive line crumbled. Over the four drives, the Packers quarterback completed 2-of-8 passes for nine yards, and he took three sacks.
And the misses in each game may haunt Rodgers.
After the loss to Tampa Bay, Rodgers bemoaned missing Marquez Valdes-Scantling for what could have been a game-changing play. On Saturday night, Rodgers bemoaned missing Allen Lazard for what could have been a game-changing play.
Legacies in football are built on coming through in clutch moments. In Super Bowl XLV, Rodgers fired a fastball to Greg Jennings on 3rd-and-10 and helped the Packers escape the Steelers’ comeback attempt. Who knows how that game ends if the Packers go three-and-out and punt the ball to Pittsburgh. Rodgers made the play, and the Packers won the game. He’ll forever be a Super Bowl champion because of it.
There has been no return trip to the Super Bowl in part because the clutch plays weren’t made by Rodgers or the offense late in games during the last two years when the Packers were the No. 1 seed in the conference and playing at Lambeau Field.
Everything was there right. The soon-to-be four-time MVP, with the ball in his hands, with a chance to go win important playoff games in Green Bay. It’s what every great player dreams about.
How does the script change in last year’s NFC title game if the Packers drive the length of the field, score a touchdown and go up 30-28 in the fourth quarter? How far would the Packers have gone during this playoff run if the offense either clinched the win with a scoring drive or re-took the lead with a score late in the fourth quarter on Saturday night?
We’ll never know.
Four failed drives might have closed the Super Bowl window for Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay forever.
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