Packers At Bears Preview | Rodgers' Play Is Key To Upcoming Game At Chicago

After 16 well documented weeks, it all comes down to one game. This Packers season has been one that fans will never forget. With the season and the division on the line, the big news coming out of Green Bay this week is that All-Pro quarterback will return to the lineup on Sunday against the Bears, the very team that injured him to begin with. So how does this affect the Packers going into this game?

We all know that Rodgers has not played since week nine when he broke his collarbone against the Chicago Bears. Since that moment, the Packers are 2-5-1 with Seneca Wallace, Scott Tolzien, and Matt Flynn each getting a chance. The question is how will Rodgers look? Will he be rusty? How will the injury affect his play? Even if he is rusty, an 80% Aaron Rodgers is still much better than each of the three quarterbacks who played in his absence. Nothing against those three, it is just that there are things Rodgers can do and does, that those three simply can not. For the moment, let’s pretend Rodgers is 100% and ready to go. How does this change the Packers offense compared to how the other three have been running it? 

Rodgers Brings Another Dimension To Packers Offense

One of the many things that Rodgers can do that they can’t is run the Packers no-huddle offense to begin with. With Wallace, Tolzien, and Flynn, everything has to be pre-determined before the snap, even with Flynn. Those three were not and should not be given any time at the line of scrimmage to do anything. Rodgers meanwhile gets a formation and a package, that’s it. Everything else is up to him. With those other three, the vertical passing game is not an option. With Rodgers in the lineup, there is not one inch of the field that is not an option for the Packers offense.

 A much underrated aspect of the game that Rodgers does that those other three can’t have to do with his athleticism. When he starts moving around, especially outside of the pocket, Rodgers is perhaps the league’s most dangerous quarterback. Not because he is the most athletic quarterback in the league, but because he is plenty athletic enough to pick up big gains with his legs when he can’t throw the ball. That is the big part, when. Rodgers is the league’s best quarterback at throwing the ball while moving. His upper body torque allows him to do that. Final Score (Assuming Rodgers is not rusty): Packers 41, Bears 20.