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Blame for collapse doesn’t fall on Rodgers

GREEN BAY — The hot topic over the past few weeks has been how quarterback Aaron Rodgers has not led the Green Bay Packers to a single victory with a late drive, with the game tied or the Packers behind.

Sunday’s 20-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars again falls into such a category.

And I’m here to tell you, it’s a bogus charge.

Aaron Rodgers and the offense are very low on the list of problems in this incredibly dismal 2008 season.

With the Packers trailing, 14-13, midway through the fourth quarter, Rodgers did what he’s paid to do. He led the Packers down the field, and Mason Crosby booted a field goal for a 16-14 lead.

If the defense does its job, that one telling statistic is erased from the scoreboard.

Of course, we know what happened.

On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Al Harris gave Dennis Northcutt a free release off the line, and Northcutt ended up wide open for a 41-yard catch.

Five plays later -- including a 15-yard run by Maurice Jones-Drew and a 14-yard run by quarterback David Garrard -- the Jaguars were into the end zone with barely any resistance.

Rodgers got another chance with 1:46 left, but fell short when he overthrew a seam-route pass to Donald Lee and was intercepted by Reggie Nelson.

Critics determined to blame Rodgers for the Packers’ downfall will point to that as evidence that Rodgers is the reason the Packers are 5-9.

Here’s why they’re wrong.

First off, the Packers’ 127 fourth-quarter points entering the game on Sunday were the most in the NFL.

If that’s not enough, then let’s take a look at the individual games going back to the bye week, where this season started to fall apart.

On Nov. 2 in Nashville, Tenn., Rodgers led the Packers 51 yards for the tying field goal against the unbeaten Tennessee Titans, only to have the Packers lose in overtime. Rodgers also led the Packers from their own 18 to the Tennessee 45 before a late drive stalled and then never got the ball in the extra period after Tennessee won the toss.

A week later in Minnesota, the Packers held a 27-21 lead before Minnesota ran through the Packers’ beleaguered defense for a go-ahead touchdown. Rodgers then led the Packers into range before Mason Crosby barely missed a 52-yard field goal to the right.

After the Packers routed the Chicago Bears to forge a three-way tie in the NFC North and then got routed in New Orleans, Rodgers put the Packers in position to win two more games.

Against Carolina, Rodgers got the Packers all the way down to the 1-yard line before conservative play calling—two runs into the line—hurt the cause. The Packers settled for a field goal that put them ahead, 31-28, and then the kickoff coverage unit and the defense let the Packers down.

A week later against Houston, Rodgers led the Packers to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the tying touchdown with 5:56 left. Rodgers then got the Packers into position for a late go-ahead field goal before a phantom holding call and a failed blitz pickup that led to a sack moved them out of range.

Then, the defense faltered again, and the Packers suffered another devastating defeat.

And finally, on Sunday, the Packers led most of the way before a failure on a fourth-and-1 running play set Jacksonville up for a touchdown that gave the Jaguars a 14-13 lead.

Rodgers then went to work and drove the Packers from their own 26 to the Jacksonville 20. On the next play, right tackle Tony Moll got whipped by end Reggie Hayward for a sack. Still, the Packers got the go-ahead field goal.

And then the defense coughed it up.

Meanwhile, out on the East Coast, the man that Rodgers replaced was watching from the sideline with his New York Jets trailing and about to lose their third straight game. But the Jets’ defense got a sack that caused a fumble, and Shaun Ellis scooped it up and rumbled in for the winning score.

Brett Favre gets the victory watching from the sideline, while Rodgers gets the loss -- also watching from the sideline as the defense falters.

And in the end, Favre will get credit for his team winning, while others will say that Rodgers couldn’t lead his team to victory. Never mind that he’s led the Packers to go-ahead or tying points in the fourth quarter in four of their six losses since the bye and put them in position for another game-winning field goal that was missed.

The Packers have plenty of problems that have led to a disappointing 2008 season. The play of Aaron Rodgers in the fourth quarter is not high on the list.