Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw 28 incomplete passes during an erratic performance Sunday at Ford Field, but he also tossed two touchdown passes on third down and called the play that set up the game-winning field goal.
The Packers survived the unrelenting turbulence at quarterback and secured a 13th win and a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs.
Rodgers finished 27-of-55 passing. The 28 incomplete passes were the most by a quarterback in the NFL this season and a career-high for Rodgers, who missed throws all over the field for most of the afternoon Sunday. His previous high was 26. Coming into Sunday, the Packers were 3-13 in games when Rodgers threw more than 18 incomplete passes.
The majority of Rodgers’ misses against the Lions were high or long. According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Rodgers had 16 overthrows, including several that could have been touchdowns in the first half.
Rodgers admitted he missed too many throws, even he though he said he “felt good” about many of throws.
The first half was arguably the worst Rodgers has played all season. The Packers quarterback completed just one of his first seven passes and had only six completions on 18 attempts during the first 30 minutes.
All the misses and incompletions led to a rocky start. The Packers trailed 17-3 at half time and looked in danger of blowing a chance to secure a first-round bye.
The misses continued, but Rodgers and the passing offense eventually got it together.
The Packers drove 95 yards in 12 plays in the third quarter, with Rodgers’ 20-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams on 3rd-and-10 capping off the scoring drive. Rodgers completed his first seven passes of the drive and 8-of-10 overall while hitting six different receivers.
After Blake Martinez’s interception in the fourth quarter, the Packers traveled 40 yards in seven plays to tie the score at 20. Rodgers converted on 4th-and-1 with a quick pass to Adams and then delivered a well-placed ball to Allen Lazard for a 28-yard touchdown, once again on 3rd-and-10.
It all looked for naught when Rodgers threw a deep interception on 3rd-and-20 when he underthrew Jake Kumerow on the following drive, but the Packers defense got a stop, and Rodgers took advantage of the second opportunity.
He got 15 free yards on an unnecessary roughness penalty while sliding and then hit Marquez Valdes-Scantling for 11 yards. The deciding play was Rodgers’ idea. He dialed up a screen to Aaron Jones and made a creative throw under pressure, and the star running back weaved his way to 31 yards – setting up Mason Crosby’s game-winning field goal with no time left.
Somehow, the Packers were able to survive 28 empty passing plays. Since 2010, 17 quarterbacks have thrown 28 or more incompletions in a game. Teams were 2-15 in those games.
Rodgers and the Packers were good enough Sunday to squeak by the three-win Lions, but such volatile quarterback play probably isn’t going to be good enough to win games in January. Erratic accuracy and missed big-play opportunities are a good way to get beat in the postseason. Rodgers must be better. Probably a lot better.
But that’s cause for concern for another day in Green Bay. The Packers delivered big plays down the stretch, escaped a terrible fate at Ford Field and clinched a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs.