Enough talk - Rodgers needs to deliver

Enough talk - Rodgers needs to deliver
December 15
Green Bay Press Gazette columnist Mike Vandermause
"It's one thing to accept responsibility for the Green Bay Packers' horrendous slump; it's another to do something about it.

That's the difficult place quarterback Aaron Rodgers finds himself in following another demoralizing Packers loss, this time at the hands of the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Packers are out of playoff contention and out of explanations for their repeated failures to win close games this season. A 20-16 loss at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium Sunday was more of the same old tired routine for the Packers, who for the sixth time this season had a chance to mount a winning drive in the final minutes but failed.

"It's frustrating, because it seems to be the same thing every week," guard Daryn Colledge said. "I get tired of doing the same interview. It's like, 'Oh man, it's so close, you guys had an opportunity, what happened at the end?' Right now, we need to find out a way to get it done in the end so we can stop talking about what we didn't do."

The way to get it done begins with Rodgers, the leader of the offense who has played respectably for a first-year starter but has come up short with games on the line.

None of Rodgers' teammates blame him for the Packers' offensive shortcomings in crunch time. Quite the contrary, they're quick to defend him.

"It's not one person at all," tackle Chad Clifton said. "Aaron's been playing his butt off this year, no question about that."

But there's a reason Rodgers is the highest-paid player on this team, and there's a reason he starts at the most important position.

Rodgers must be the player to lead this team out of its death spiral. Rodgers must be the one to strap the free-falling Packers on his shoulders and carry them out of the abyss.

It's too late to salvage much from this season other than pride, but if the Packers have any hopes of turning things around next season, it must start with Rodgers.

He couldn't rally the Packers against the Jaguars in the final 2 minutes for a game-winning touchdown, but instead threw an interception to end their hopes.

Rodgers is a stand-up guy who has not deflected blame for the Packers' plight."

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