Aaron Rodgers can’t do this by himself.
The Falcons routed the Packers, 44-21, in the NFC championship game Sunday to prove it. Atlanta is headed to Super Bowl 51 after exposing the flaws Green Bay showed during a 4-6 start to the regular season.
Sure, the Packers rallied behind Rodgers for eight straight wins through a deep playoff run; the high note being a thrilling 34-31 victory against the Cowboys in the NFC divisional playoffs. Green Bay, however, is 1-3 in NFC championship games under coach Mike McCarthy and 1-2 in that situation with Rodgers.
IYER: Packers need to blow up defense
You have to take advantage of these opportunities.
How does Green Bay get back to the Super Bowl? Here are five things that need to happen.
— Fix the pass defense: This is the No. 1 priority. SN’s Vinnie Iyer detailed how the Packers should overhaul the defense, and that means defensive coordinator Dom Capers must re-think some concepts within the 3-4 scheme.
Green Bay’s pass defense was a liability all season, even during the eight-game win streak. The Packers allowed 336.2 passing yards per game in their last six games alone. Green Bay lost star cornerback Sam Shields in Week 1, but these problems lingered. Matt Ryan was just the last quarterback to take advantage. Green Bay’s run defense held up, and the unit ranked sixth in the NFL in sacks despite an injury-riddled year for Clay Matthews. What do you think Tom Brady would have done to this defense had the Packers beat the Falcons? Green Bay needs to ask itself that question if it wants to win a Super Bowl. That’s the standard.
— Sign and/or draft impact rookies: Green Bay can fix that by addressing the cornerback position, especially if Shields can’t return. New England’s Malcolm Butler is among the top free-agent cornerbacks out there, but it’s typically not Green Bay’s style to sign a big-time free agent.
The Packers also drafted cornerbacks Damarious Randall and Quenten Rollins in 2015, but both struggled this season. Green Bay will have options at the end of the first round. A few mock drafts have them taking Washington’s Sidney Jones, though Florida’s Jalen Tabor also could be available. If Green Bay has a chance to get a do-it-all talent like USC’s Adoree’ Jackson or Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers, they need to take it. Those guys fit in any scheme.
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— Re-tool the run game: The platoon of Ty Montgomery, a wide receiver/running back hybrid, and Aaron Ripkowski, a fullback, was really something only Rodgers could work around. Eddie Lacy played well before a season-ending ankle injury, and the Packers have to decide whether to bring to him back. Green Bay’s leading rusher the last two seasons averaged 607.5 yards and three TDs.
The Packers can get to the NFC championship without a conventional run game, but Sunday proved they can’t win it that way. Whether it’s some combination of Lacy, Montgomery and perhaps a second-round running back, Green Bay needs a sustainable running game. McCarthy’s offenses are always better when he has one.
— Re-sign Jared Cook: The tight end battled injuries throughout the regular season, but he proved his value in the playoffs. In three games, Cook had 18 catches for 229 yards and two TDs, including the 36-yard catch that set up the game-winning field goal against Dallas.
This is the missing piece in the passing game the Packers have been looking for since Jermichael Finley suffered a career-ending neck injury in 2013. Cook turns 30 in April, but he fits well in this scheme. He’s worth the money.
STEELE: Cook's catch, in historical perspective
— Give Rodgers a chance: Rodgers now is 9-7 in eight playoff appearances and will turn 34 next season. His contract extension runs until 2020, so Green Bay has at least three or four more legitimate cracks at Super Bowl with one of the best quarterbacks of all time.
The Packers need to take advantage of those swings. Consider that Peyton Manning’s was 34 when he played his last season on the field with the Colts in 2010. Manning missed the 2011 season before heading to Denver and winning a second Super Bowl. He left Indianapolis with a 9-10 playoff record. The Colts probably feel like they should have won more than one Super Bowl with Manning.
The lesson for the Packers? This franchise has been spoiled with Brett Favre and Rodgers over the last quarter century. Rodgers now has three NFC championship appearances and one Super Bowl to show for it. Rodgers almost carried the Packers to another one this year, but he needs a little more help. Give Rodgers whatever he wants, or Green Bay might regret not doing so later.
