America’s Game of the Week
America’s game of the week certainly lived up to all the billing with the Packers stunning a raucous Dallas crowd at AT&T Stadium with a last-minute touchdown from Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams to give the Green Bay Packers a 35-31 win improving their record to 4-1.
The Cowboys were coming off of an eight-minute, forty-three-second drive which chewed up most of the fourth quarter clock and gave them a late fourth-quarter lead after an 11-yard read option touchdown scamper by Dak Prescott. Troy Aikman did not realize how prophetic he had been throughout the final Cowboy drive when he kept employing the Cowboys to run the clock out and score a game-winning touchdown so Aaron Rodgers would not have any time to work his late-game magic. He was very nervous about leaving one minute and thirteen seconds for Aaron Rodgers to drive down the field, and rightfully so. Aaron proceeded to do what Troy feared; drive the Packers down the field for a game-winning touchdown drive, which took just 64 seconds.
The loss was very deflating for the Cowboys since they had performed well enough to win the game. Thursday’s two-minute pregame primer talked about the importance of the Cowboys being able to run the football and even mentioned that it was their key to victory. Ezekiel Elliot’s fourth-quarter rushing performance was superb, it kept the Packers offense off the field, it kept the Packers defense on the field, and it kept the clock moving. The fourth quarter ground and pound attack was the reason that the Cowboys took a 31-28 lead with 1:13 left in the game.
The only problem is Aaron Rodgers had a minute and thirteen seconds to engineer a drive of his own. It seems as if Aaron writes another chapter in the book of fourth-quarter magic with each passing week. He continues to make big play after big play, big throw after big throw, and Hail Mary after Hail Mary.
“This Was an Aaron Rodgers Game”
This truly was an Aaron Rodgers game. Yes, I said it, an Aaron Rodgers game. In fact, let’s add that to Webster’s dictionary. An Aaron Rodgers game is a game in which the Green Bay Packers should lose, but Aaron Rodgers saves the day by winning or tying the game with a miraculous play in the final seconds of regulation or overtime. (Motor City Miracle, The Division Winning Touchdown against the Bears, The Hail Mary against the Giants and Cardinals, The throw to Jared Cook on the sidelines against the Cowboys)
Yes, yesterday’s win was an Aaron Rodgers game in every sense of the definition. The Dallas Cowboys should have won the game under normal circumstances. However, Aaron Rodgers stole the game from right out under the Cowboys noses with his quick and precise passes, shifty moves in the pocket, and a clutch run on third down which set up the back shoulder strike to Davante Adams.
It is games like this one, that truly show just how incredible Aaron Rodgers is. His game goes beyond his otherworldly stats. In fact, it is stats that do not show up on the back of his football card that make him one of the greatest to ever play the position. Aaron Rodgers is the first quarterback in NFL history to reach the 300 touchdown plateau before throwing 100 interceptions. (Yes, that stat includes Peyton Manning and Tom Brady who many consider to be greater quarterbacks.) Aaron currently has 310 career touchdowns and only 75 interceptions. He is a playmaker in every sense of the word and has abilities that many dream of and only a select few actually possess. I have a strong inclination that we have not seen the last Aaron Rodgers game of this season, especially with the role of miraculous finishes that he has been on of late.
Dave’s 3 Stars of the Game: ????????
1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Davante Adams (coming back from his concussion with 2 TDs)
3. Aaron Jones
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David Michalski is a recent college graduate from Princeton New Jersey who has been a life long Green Bay Packers fan. Like the great Vince Lombardi, he values God, family, and the Green Bay Packers in that order. You can follow him on twitter at @kilbas27dave
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