The gloom and doom in Packerland this week amid Aaron Rodgers' broken collarbone suffered during Sunday's loss to the Vikings is understandable. It's disheartening when a team loses its best player, especially one of the top quarterbacks in the league who was off to a great start this season.
Computers say Green Bay's chances to win the NFC North have dropped from 52 percent to 25 percent as a result of Rodgers' potentially season-ending injury.
But I know Packers executives, coaches and players have not given up on the 2017 season. The cheeseheads at Lambeau Field and Packers supporters around the nation should not give up hope, either.
WEEK 7 NFL PICKS:
Against the spread | Straight up
Sure, Rodgers could pull off a magical return late in the season as he did in 2013, when he recovered from a broken left collarbone in eight weeks and beat the Bears in the regular-season finale to win the division. The problem this time is Rodgers injured his right collarbone, on his throwing side, so his recovery is expected to take longer.
A potential Rodgers return for a postseason run also means the Packers would have to stay in the playoff race until then with Brett Hundley at quarterback and a banged-up offensive line. All other Green Bay players and coaches would have to significantly elevate their performance.
That may not be probable, but I know from experience it can be done. I saw it happen on several occasions during my Vikings and Titans management years.
During my second year with the Vikings in 1977, then-future Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton fractured his fibula in the middle of the season. Bob Lee, who was in his ninth NFL season, quarterbacked a veteran-laden team to the NFC Central title and a playoff win over the Rams before we fell to the Cowboys in the NFC championship game. Lee had a great supporting cast loaded with Hall of Famers on offense and defense, plus another Hall of Famer in head coach Bud Grant.
In 1998, Brad Johnson was our Vikings starter but badly sprained his ankle in Week 2. Randall Cunningham, the longtime Eagles starter, was our backup, and he played exceptionally well with a record-setting offense. (Seven of our offensive players were selected to the Pro Bowl that season.) Cunningham was the NFL MVP for that 15-1 team, which lost in the NFC title game.
After I moved on to Tennessee in 1999, I saw our starter Steve McNair injure his back in the opening win over Cincinnati. I was reminded how important it is to have a quality veteran backup when Neil O'Donnell, a former Super Bowl QB with the Steelers, stepped in for McNair and went 4-1 as the starter, keeping us on track for an eventual 13-3 season that led us to Super Bowl XXXIV.
An experienced backup quarterback was a common element of my three teams that made the playoffs despite the loss of No. 1 passers for extended periods of time.
The Packers, of course, are not in such an enviable position with Hundley, an inexperienced passer who will make his first career start this week against the Saints. After the game against New Orleans, he faces a schedule that includes two games against Detroit, a rematch with Minnesota and tough road tests in Pittsburgh, Carolina and Chicago.
Hundley, the Packers’ 2015 fifth-round pick who was shaky in his relief role against a strong Vikings defense, at least has the benefit of knowing Green Bay’s system after being groomed for three years behind Rodgers. Taking first-team reps in practice will help him prepare, but he'll have to be more careful with his throws against a Saints defense that just forced five turnovers and scored three defensive touchdowns in a wild win over the Lions.
The Packers’ 26th-ranked running game was not much help for Rodgers, in large part due to offensive line struggles. And until that line gets healthy and improves its play, Hundley will have to escape pressure in the passing game. Opposing defenses will try to force the young QB, not somebody else, to beat them. The good news for Hundley is he will be supported by one of the league's top wide receiver trios in Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams, plus a good veteran tight end in Martellus Bennett.
It certainly is difficult to see Green Bay in the postseason picture given the factors working against it, but it wouldn’t be a shock — in such a topsy-turvy league this season, especially — to see the Packers battle it out with the Vikings and Lions in the division. Keep in mind Scott Tolzien and Matt Flynn went 2-4-1 as alternating starters in 2013, but the Packers were able to stay competitive in a weak NFC North until Rodgers returned.
Even if Rodgers does not make it back this season, the Packers and their passionate fan base can take heart in the fact that several teams have made the playoffs and even won Super Bowls with backup quarterbacks. Remember Jeff Hostetler replacing the injured Phil Simms and leading the Giants to a championship in 1990?
MORE: NFL playoff projections
The first thing the Packers have to do is not feel sorry for themselves and take the "next man up" attitude with Hundley, who has an opportunity to set himself up for a future starting job (and a big payday) if he can surprise the football world.
Stay tuned — it will be interesting to watch it all unfold in the NFL’s smallest hamlet. We at least can expect McCarthy, a Super Bowl-winning coach, to quickly get Hundley prepared and get his team unified behind its young quarterback.
Jeff Diamond is a former president of the Titans and former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.
-
