Sound the alarm in Green Bay. That is, if they weren’t already booming.
The Packers dropped a dud in a 23-21 loss to the Commanders in Washington on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers looked little like the reigning league MVP as Green Bay lost their third straight game.
The Packers got on the board first and went into halftime with a 14-10 advantage. But Washington took the lead with a touchdown on the first drive of the second half and never relinquished it. A Packers team that went into the season with Super Bowl hopes had to resort to desperate measures in the last game of the game against one of the league’s worst teams.
And just like that, the Packers are now 3-4 with questions swirling about how effective Rodgers can be at the age of 38 while playing with a diminished receiving corps. Losing to resurgent New York Jets and Giants teams is one thing. Hitting the Commanders with Taylor Heinicke as quarterback is another.
Rodgers made no notable mistakes on Sunday. He just wasn’t making any plays as Green Bay mustered 232 offensive yards against a Washington defense that entered Sunday at No. 18 in the league. The Packers averaged 4.4 yards per play and couldn’t come up with plays when they needed them most.
After the Commanders led 20-14 early in the fourth quarter, Green Bay scored fourth and fourth place at the Washington 37. Needing a touchdown for the lead, they opted for a first down rather than opting for a 54-yard field goal attempt. You didn’t get it. Rodgers’ pass to Romeo Doubs hit the floor, and the commanders took the downs. Their field goal and subsequent possession proved to be a crucial factor in the game.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense are no longer dangerous. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Rodgers’ missed connection to Doubs summed up the Packers’ struggles. The fourth-round rookie has taken a starting role on a Packers offense looking for playmakers following Davante Adams’ move to the Raiders. He has yet to deliver with just one play exceeding 47 yards. He finished Sunday’s game without a catch.
The story goes on
No Packers receiver exceeded 55 yards Sunday as checkdowns defined the Green Bay passing attack. Allen Lazard led for 55 yards on six catches. Running back Aaron Jones added 53 yards. It took him nine catches to get there. He counted 21 of them on a single touchdown catch in traffic that turned into a tease as Green Bay’s only notable offensive highlight of the day.
Rodgers finished the day with 23 yards from 35 for 194 and two touchdowns for Jones. His 5.5 yards per attempt will only drag down the career-low 6.9 yards he carried for the first six weeks of the season.
This isn’t the Rodgers known for his exceptional ability to throw down. He took over the Packers offense in 2008 as the anti-Brett Favre — a big-armed gunslinger without the drawbacks of his predecessor, who never threw more than eight interceptions in a season.
He still avoids the game-wrecking mistakes. But the big games are a thing of the past. And there’s no reason to expect them to return with this roster and Rodgers’ age.