“I think I’ve got 120 minutes left in me.”
That’s the bullish statement made by Aaron Rodgers moments after he led the Green Bay Packers to a dramatic 26-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Divisional Round. You can’t blame Rodgers for being too confident after his tour-de-four-performance Sunday against Dallas, where he passed for 317 yards and three touchdowns to spark the Packers’ furious fight back.
With that being said, it was clear for all to see that this was not the same Aaron Rodgers that tore up the league this past regular season. He was clearly bothered by his torn/strained left calf, especially in the first half, where he completed just nine of 15 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. And while you can read more on the rest of the players set to take the field in the Green Bay-Seattle matchup Sunday in our preview, the fact is the Packers need a healthy Rodgers to have much of shot against the Seahawks.
To help you make the most informed bets possible during this all-important NFL Conference Championship week, we’re going to keep this piece updated up-to-the-minute injury info on Aaron Rodgers. Throw a bookmark on it. Check back. Heck, rest your left calf on it. We’ll be here all week keeping you posted. Below, you’ll find a summary of the latest injury news and a timeline of the situation that led Rodgers to the point he’s at today, so you can draw your own conclusions.
[sc:Football ]Update on Aaron Rodgers’ Calf Injury
The Latest
Aaron Rodgers Press Conference, January 11, Post-Game
After Sunday’s win over the Cowboys, Rodgers spoke to the media and elaborated on his injury and how he has been able to adjust to it. Here are the key points:
- Still Can’t Run – this comes as no surprise, but on the first touchdown play at Lambeau, Rodgers realized even limited running was out of the question. The quarterback stepped up and looked like he might run the few yards for the score, only to come up lame and find Andrew Quarless in the end zone. “The pain in my calf helped make that decision very easy,” Rodgers said. He later added that the play clarified how little he could run: “it was stiffer than I expected.”
- Worse than it Was – Rodgers suggested to a reporter that his calf felt worse at the game than when it started. Again, not much of a surprise, but it was notable that Rodgers could barely have gotten through a game cleaner than he did against Dallas, who rarely brought pressure and when they did get to Rodgers, he was generally able to protect his leg going to the ground.
- Accuracy Feels Good – Crazy as it sounds, Rodgers suggested his left leg isn’t really affecting his throwing mechanics. Because he drops back and sets up his throws with his back leg, Rodgers suggested the main issue is mobility, not throwing. That seemed quuestionable in the first half against Dallas, when Rodgers missed Nelson on what could have been a touchdown, and generally struggled with some throws. Still, that could have been rust: this was essentially the first real attempt at throwing the ball he had had in two weeks since the Packers secured the bye.
- Rolling Left is Easier than Right – Interestingly, Rodgers noted that it is easier for him to roll left than right, as he did on the Packers final touchdown of the game, the go-ahead score to tight end Richard Rogers that was…ridiculously accurate.
The press conference as a whole made it sound like Rodgers is learning about his leg as much as we are going forward, and likely won’t know what he’s fully capable of until he steps on the field this coming Sunday in Seattle. That said, the NFL requires teams to update their players’ injuries regularly, so there will be many more updates to come.
Here’s the complete timeline of Rodgers’ injury:
Where It Started
[sc:NFL240banner ]According to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, Aaron Rodgers suffered an injury to his medial gastroc, or inner calf in Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It worsened a week later in their regular season finale against the Detroit Lions where it became a more lateral pull. It didn’t help matters that Detroit’s defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh stepped on his gimpy leg twice, aggravating his injury even further.
Full Extent of Injury
Days before the Packers’ clash with the Cowboys, reports suddenly surfaced concerning Aaron Rodgers’ latest injury dilemma. According to league sources, Rodgers’ left calf muscle has a slight tear in it in addition to it being significantly strained.
If there’s a silver lining, however, with regards to this injury, that is it is located in his left leg and not on his plant leg – the one he utilizes to drive the ball when he throws. With that being said, it was still a major concern for Packers fans knowing that Rodgers relies on his mobility to extend plays, which he has done so splendidly his entire career.
Cowboys Game
Because of his lack of mobility, Rodgers primarily became a pocket passer the entire game against the Cowboys. He struggled somewhat in the first half, compiling just 90 passing yards and a touchdown but came back a lot stronger after the break, throwing for 227 yards and two touchdowns in the final 30 minutes of the game.
After the game, Rodgers credited the Packers’ training staff for getting him ready come game time against the Cowboys. He didn’t elaborate on the treatment he got from the Packers’ medical personnel but he acknowledged that acupuncture helped in his recovery as well.
The bad news for Green Bay fans is that according to Rodgers, his calf injury came through a little bit worse after the Packers’ heart-stopping win over the Cowboys. What that means, we don’t know for now but be sure to check on this article the entire week as we update you with the latest medical bulletin concerning Aaron Rodgers and his all-important calf.
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