Two collarbone injuries Womens Corey Linsley Jersey , a serious, nagging knee injury — they all caught up with Rodgers because not even one of the all-time greats can defeat Father Time. That’s one of the few times wins are a quarterback stat. Mark Murphy and Brian Gutekunst certainly didn’t think that was the case a few months when they signed Rodgers to the richest contract the league has ever seen. Rodgers drew oo’s and aah’s from fans and media who saw him in training camp (remember when there was a worry about his interceptions?), writing about how focused he was, how determined he looked to right the wrongs of the 2017 season. Without knowing how much the knee has bothered him or how much faith he truly has in his receivers and the gameplan, it’s impossible to pin down exactly what went wrong for Rodgers this season. No doubt the knee played a role. Injuries at receiver, where rookies were forced into the starting lineup hurt the continuity and consistency of the passing game. Injuries and inconsistency at offensive line exacerbated the loss of Rodgers’ usual mobility. All of this comes before the issues with play design and playcalling, an essential reason Mike McCarthy no longer works at 1265 Lombardi Ave. There are reasons to believe 2018 will end up an aberration for Rodgers. For starters, he’s unlikely to sustain a historically low interception rate, but he’s also unlikely to play with such an inexperienced group of receivers again. The head coaching search will undoubtedly feature a revamping of outdated offenses concepts and philosophy. And Green Bay simply won’t keep losing one-score games (six of their eight losses this season) at this rate. Those numbers tend to ebb and flow over time. But wait, there’s more. A look at historical quarterback data reveals a bizarre pattern: year 14 has been the bug-a-boo for all-time great quarterbacks of recent vintage. Let’s examine that.Tom Brady 2013 (Age 36): 60.5% 25 TDs 11 INTs 6.9 YPA 87.3 Rating Do those look like Tom Brady numbers to you? Since then, he has won an MVP, helped the Patriots win two Super Bowls, and returned to being one of the best quarterbacks in the game. But ‘13 was Brady’s worst completion percentage since 2004 http://www.packerslockerroom.com/authentic-marcedes-lewis-jersey , his fewest TDs since 2006, tied for lowest YPA since 2006, and his worst rating since his 2008 season, when he tore his ACL in week one. Those look like Derek Carr numbers, not one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and one of the greatest ever. Much like with Rodgers, the factors that season were myriad, but the Patriots still managed to go 12-4 and make a run because they’re the Patriots and have Bill Belichick. Drew Brees 2014 (Age 35): 69.2% 4952 33 TDs 17 INT This doesn’t look quite as wonky for Brees, but consider that this number was Brees’ most INTs since 2012 when he led the league in picks. It was his worst INT % and lowest rating since that same season and worst YPA since 2010. Since then, he’s been Drew Brees again. Year 14 also started a streak of losing seasons for the Saints, where they won just seven games three seasons in a row. Along with 2012, it was four in five years. A killer draft in 2017 buoyed them back to an 11-win season and right now, they might just be the Super Bowl favorite. This didn’t require a coaching change or a mechanical cure-all. The Saints needed a little more talent and some more luck. Peyton Manning 2011 (Age 35): Missed entire season with neck injury This seals the oddity of the Year 14 season jinx. Manning missed the entire season, then left Indianapolis and helped lead the Broncos to a pair of Super Bowl trips along with a record-shattering MVP season.There are no other quarterbacks of Rodgers’ quality worth mentioning with this group over the last decade. Yet all of them had down years in Year 14 Jermaine Whitehead Jersey , and all of them came back to be if not better than ever, something close to it. Manning and Brady each won Super Bowls and made more than one appearance in that big game.Brees could make it three-for-three this year. It’s possible this is the beginning of the end. If it is, the final stretch of the 2016 season will be the aberration and the decline will have begun in 2015. We won’t know until Rodgers comes back next season with a new coach and a healthy team. For the Packers, that would preferably happen with a new starting right guard and a better plan behind Bryan Bulaga. But every quarterback of recent vintage whom most would consider in the same sphere as Aaron Rodgers has bounced back from a mini-swoon late in their careers. Green Bay needs to do everything in its power this offseason to ensure Rodgers makes it four-for-four. The Green Bay Packers’ chapter of the 2018 NFL season has closed and 2019 has already ushered in a new era with Matt LaFleur named the organization's 15th head coach. LaFleur will inherit a roster that began a transition under new General Manager Brian Gutekunst a year ago and is still seeking additional reinforcements. In the spirit of both looking ahead to LaFleur and looking back at the 2018 season that was, today begins a two-part sequence of assessing the Packers’ positional priorities with the offseason right around the corner. Today’s list features the team’s lowest priorities, including one position group that took a much-needed step forward behind several young prospects.Without further ado, here are positional rankings 7-11.11. QuarterbacksWhen you lock in a franchise quarterback for the long haul, chances are your priority list won’t revolve around the position. Aaron Rodgers’ progression will be closely monitored under LaFleur and there are many reasons to be optimistic about the new partnership. But even outside of Rodgers, the Packers appear to be in much better shape at the position that they were last year when questions surrounded Brett Hundley’s backup status. Green Bay invested in DeShone Kizer via trade last offseason and the former Cleveland Brown showed flashes in the final week against Detroit despite Green Bay failing to score (however, they went for a number of fourth downs in the red zone). Kizer’s natural ability looked more promising than Hundley’s stint in 2017 and the Packers surely hope to continue grooming Kizer, just a two-year veteran. Tim Boyle also will stick around for training camp and figures to see competition from a late-round draft pick or undrafted player for a third spot on the roster.10. SpecialistsLaFleur specifically mentioned that he wants a “sound” and “aggressive” special teams that takes advantage of personnel mismatches. But there’s no way to sugarcoat it: the Packers’ special teams units as a whole were disastrous in 2018. However, kicker Mason Crosby isn’t going anywhere and punter J.K. Scott should get at least one more season after being drafted in the fifth round of last year’s draft. The wildcard here is Hunter Bradley at long snapper, who was inconsistent as a rookie. Bradley should have competition from the undrafted ranks in camp. From a returns standpoint Womens Kevin King Jersey , Trevor Davis spent almost the entire 2018 season injured and missed a golden opportunity to cement his role in both the kick and punt return games. Jaire Alexander, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Bashaud Breeland, if re-signed, could bring some value there, but an outside competitor could surely be added to make the special teams more dangerous.9. Running BackWhen healthy, Aaron Jones has been a dynamic playmaker for the Packers’ offense and the coaching change should really help the team take advantage of his strengths. Pass blocking remains a work in progress for Jones to see more third-down action, but his slashing style and speed in the open field gives Green Bay a weapon. Jamaal Williams has had share of promising moments in Jones’ absence over the past two seasons. More reliable than Jones as a blocker, Williams had a big game against the New York Jets late in the season, accounting for 158 yards from scrimmage. His short-yardage, grind-it-out style is a good complement to Jones. The duo isn’t quite Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara yet, but they’re a strong point of the team. Green Bay still could add a third back in the offseason.8. CornerbackPlacing this position eighth almost feels weird. The Packers have searched for dependable cornerbacks for the better part of the past decade without much luck. But with rookies Alexander, Josh Jackson Jermaine Whitehead Jersey White , and Tony Brown, in addition to a possibly Breeland re-signing, Green Bay has a nice young nucleus forming. If Kevin King can stay healthy, cornerback could actually be a team strength in the very near future. Much depends on Breeland’s contract status, but the Packers could potentially move Tramon Williams to safety more fully in 2019 with improved depth at corner. The Packers could bring in some depth, but a premium draft pick or free agent is not likely this year.7. Defensive LineOn the inside, Green Bay remains in excellent shape for next season. Muhammad Wilkerson probably won’t be back in Titletown, but a healthier Kenny Clark and Mike Daniels will be. Tyler Lancaster really blossomed over the course of the season as an undrafted free agent and Montravius Adams, a former third-round pick, also showed some signs of his potential as a role player in increased snaps during the second half of the season. Fadol Brown could also challenge for a roster spot next season. On the ends is where Green Bay could still stand to improve. Although Dean Lowry has been a steady player for the Packers, the team could use a pass rusher from that position comparable to Cullen Jenkins of the last title run. Still, defensive end is not Green Bay’s biggest need and the defensive front as a whole is in good shape for LaFleur’s first season at the helm.Stay tuned for part two!
