By CHRIS HAVEL
This time, Aaron Rodgers didn’t rally the Packers to victory so much as the team carried its QB across the finish line. Not only do the Packers have Rodgers’ right arm, they have his back.
Now, on the cusp of postseason play, the question has been answered: Can Green Bay defeat a playoff-caliber opponent when Rodgers isn’t quite his MVP self?
Yes, it can. The proof is the Packers’ 30-20 victory over a feisty bordering on filthy Detroit Lions team Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The reward is a bye week followed by a Jan. 10-11 NFC Divisional Playoff Game at Lambeau Field against the highest remaining seed (either Dallas, Arizona or Carolina).
Rodgers and his ailing calf muscle were at the heart of the drama.Despite being carted to the locker room after lobbing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb late in the second quarter to make it 14-0 Packers, Rodgers returned for the second series of the second half.
Right down to the limp ala John Wayne, Rodgers heroically but not surprisingly strolled through the tunnel and onto the home team sideline. Then, he went in and played well enough to help the Packers secure a critical victory.
After the Lions rallied to make it 14-14 in the third quarter, Rodgers led the Packers on seven-play, 60-yard drive that was capped by a 13-yard touchdown pass to Cobb (his second of the day). That made it Packers 21, Lions 14.
“It’s clearly an MVP performance – another MVP performance – by Aaron Rodgers,” Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said.
Green Bay salted it away with a 9-play, 42-yard touchdown drive with 8:45 to play in the game. It was capped by Rodgers’ 1-yard quarterback sneak. It came after the Lions’ Joique Bell fumbled.
The Packers followed with a safety of Matthew Stafford when the Lions’ quarterback was penalized for intentional grounding while in the Detroit end zone. That made it Packers 30, Lions 14. Detroit would add a touchdown but failed to convert the two-point attempt.
The victory gives Green Bay (12-4) its fourth straight NFC North title. It also extends Detroit’s losing streak in Wisconsin to 23 years, and forces the Lions (11-5) to travel to Dallas (12-4) in this weekend’s wild-card round.
In the process, the Packers rallied around Rodgers for the victory, rather than the quarterback single-handedly leading them to it. The distinction might seem subtle, but the players know this was a team effort.
This type of win can do nothing but galvanize the locker room. A great quarterback can win a lot of games, but only a great team can win a Super Bowl. The Packers took a step closer to becoming that Sunday.
Obviously, it wasn’t easy and far from perfect. The Packers’ special teams’ kick unit is driving fans insane with an epidemic of inexcusable blocked placements, and the coverage units still are a scary proposition.
But all of that was swept away, at least momentarily, in the tidal wave of Micah Hyde’s 55-yard punt return for a touchdown. Hyde’s explosive return put Green Bay up 7-0 and for most of the day the Packers’ defense backed it up with a strong performance.
In between, Rodgers completed 17 of 22 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns despite a noticeable limp. He even was forced to endure a not-so-subtle foot-stomping courtesy of the Lions’ notorious defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh.
The play occurred in the fourth quarter, when the Lions’ Suh stumbled back and then stepped on a prone Rodgers and his lower left leg. The play didn’t result in a penalty. Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said he didn’t think it was intentional during his post-game news conference.
McCarthy took another view. While the Packers’ head coach didn’t see the play, his staff told him about it.
“There’s no place for that,” McCarthy said. “I don’t understand it, frankly.”
There may be no place for Suh in the postseason, as the NFL is reviewing the Rodgers’ stepping. The Lions will have their work cut out with or without their fierce but frustrating defensive tackle at Dallas.
Meantime, Rodgers can heal his calf muscle, the Packers can rest up and McCarthy can enjoy what was a team victory.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.
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"Kudos to Amy for making sure that the tickets to the tailgate party were waiting for me at the reception desk! Your personal phone call and text messages went above and beyond customer satisfaction! I can't wait for the 2024 season, rest assured that my go-to Packer's game supplier will be Event USA for a long time.
-Jean-Pierre Mallette, Montréal, Canada
"Thank you so much Cathy, greatly appreciate your help.
As always, EventUSA has been awesome to deal with in booking the Lodge Kohler package for the Tampa Bay Game,
particularly for me traveling from Sydney, Australia, it takes the stress out of the booking process. "
-Kayle
"Good Morning, Nicole - Everything you did turned out great. The seats were great. Access to the air conditioned club lounge was great. Lots of Packers fans in the club lounge and overall at the stadium. The tailgate party at the fancy restaurant in the hotel was fabulous. The servers just kept on bringing out different sliders and desserts. Good thing that I got in a 30-minute run along the river in the morning. So, thank you! You may be speaking with me in November if I can work out getting up to Green Bay for a game. It's been too long since my last time.
One of the best aspects of this weekend was interacting with so many people from Wisconsin and learning their personal stories of things Packers. And we even met a couple from St. Petersburg, Florida (my home county) and were able to tell them about the Varsity Club tavern and Packers bar in Clearwater where Mark Murphy's mother is in attendance -- very nice lady whose retirement home is in Clearwater, which borders my little city of Dunedin. Pre-COVID, I always went to the Varsity when the Packers games weren't televised locally -- lots of Wisconsin natives there, too + they serve brats and sauerkraut during Packers games. I'm glad that you are working for Event USA.
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-- Martin Lawyer, Dunedin, Florida
"Dennis - I was blessed to join Amy and some of your customers at the Morton's tailgate as well as after the game. She does an amazing job for you. Every single customer I met praised Event USA for being able to arrange the hotel and tickets and fabulous tailgate party in such a quick time. Having been to some great tour tailgate parties in Jacksonville and Kansas City and old San Francisco, a lot can be said of the long-term benefit of having really great tailgate parties. Morton's was probably one of the best - amazing food, patio sitting on the riverfront, walk to stadium, open bar!!! It was first class fun!!!"
-Matt
"Hi Amy-
Just wanted to say thank you for making Jacksonville happen! We had a wonderful time and looking forward to more Packers games with Event USA in the future!
Even though the game was not what we expected- we are packers fans for life-lol!
Go pack go!!"
-Julie Mastrianni
"I want to thank Event USA and in particular Amy Flores for the Jacksonville trip. We have used you before and always were very pleased with the packages you have set up and your service.
My son who lives in Charleston, SC and myself who lives in Minnesota, decided we needed to do a guys trip and decided to go through your company to see the opener in New Orleans. I initially called and talked with Amy about some questions I had and booked our trip. After itinerary and info was emailed to us, it soon became apparent that the trip to New Orleans wouldn’t happen. In steps Amy, wondering if we would be interested in Dallas if the game was moved there and a package was set up. Then finally the move to Jacksonville and continued communication from Amy on our interest. It was getting late at that point and I was wondering if she would be able to pull off setting up a package in Jacksonville. She did it.
We went to Jacksonville and had a great time. The accommodations and the tail gate were fabulous. If only the Packer team we were hoping for had made the trip.
Thank you Event USA and in particular Amy Flores."
-Tom Sohrweide, White Bear Lake, MN
"Thank you for all your help. I had a great time at the Packer-Raider game opening day. I have already begun telling interested Packer fans in Sacramento about your service. The next time I come to Green Bay for a game, I’ll be sure to ask for your help. God bless you and God bless the Green Bay Packers."
-Frank Chavez, Sacramento
"I just wanted to say that I had such a great time. The whole weekend was so much fun. I enjoyed the Player Autograph Party and the tailgate party was just the best. After coming from a country that loves soccer, it was nice to mix with people who have the same interests as me. Thank you once again, Green Bay is one very special place."
-Beverley Moore, Lancaster
"My accommodations at the Best Western Midway were excellent. I was picked up at the airport and returned promptly. No problems at all. Your representative at the hotel on game day was very pleasant and helpful. The tailgate party was super, great food, great drinks and lots of fun. Obviously, Lambeau Field and the game itself was great. I will continue to use Event USA in the future, and I will definitely tell anyone who I come across to give you a call. One last thing, the hospitality I experienced in Green Bay was incredible. I have traveled to many places, and I don’t think there are more friendly people than the people of Green Bay. Thank you again and see you next year!"
-David Anastas, Worchester
"My wife and I booked the tour to Tampa. The trip was so well organized from start to finish. It started with the people in the office with their friendly help over the phone, to receiving the tickets in the mail, and meeting the tour guides with their upbeat personalities. Signs guided us in the airport and information was posted in our motel lobbies to keep us posted. Your people had everything in order. Talk about organization, you had it. Event USA made this a most memorable trip. Thanks for all involved."
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"Thanks for all your help, the great tickets and service, and the chance to help me make one of my son’s dreams come true, seeing the Packers playing at home in Lambeau Field."
-Sam Jones, Sedalia
"I just want to thank you for the wonderful job your staff did last weekend for the Packers vs. Lions game. This was our first time utilizing your program and we were not disappointed at all. In fact, we can’t wait to schedule and event for next season’s games. From my first experience with your staff placing my order until the very end at checkout of the hotel, everything was perfect. You truly out-do yourselves to please everyone. Thanks again for making our stay in Green Bay one of the best."
-Kim Ewing and Bruce DeMaine, Ann Arbor
"Thanks so much for the best weekend ever! You not only got us in all the Magazines, TV, WWW pages and even the big screen at Lambeau Field, but Disney World on the side? Nice job – You and your family are top notch – we were on the best tour for the Super Bowl! Seeing the Green Bay Packers win back the Lombardi Trophy was a life long dream of this Packer fan, and you all were so dedicated to the job of taking care of us that, like the Packers, we were a winning team! Keep me on your list."
-William D Lorge, Representative to the Wisconsin State Assembly