Cheesehead
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Rodgers has had one of his most enjoyable seasons in 2019. Whether it’s been the relationships he’s cultivated with an established veteran like Marcedes Lewis or even an undrafted free agent like Allen Lazard, Rodgers feels the character, continuity and resolve of this year’s team has propelled it into a special category.
Rodgers, now in his 15th NFL season, is roughly the same age Brett Favre was when the Packers drafted him in the first round back in 2005. The landscape has changed slightly from five years ago when Rodgers was still a decade away from his goal of playing into his 40s. Now, “I’m 36 so now we’re a half a decade away.”
That’s why a run like the Packers have had this season means just a little bit more to Rodgers – not to mention few expected Green Bay to experience such immediate success under first-year Head Coach Matt LaFleur. The Packers’ 13-win regular season after going 6-9-1 a year ago marked the greatest one-year turnaround in franchise history.
Nearly 10 years removed from the Packers’ Super Bowl triumph in Dallas, Rodgers stepped back in reflection when asked this week about chasing another Lombardi Trophy. For everything he’s accomplished, the two-time MVP quarterback wants another championship and is willing to do “whatever it takes” to get that job done.
“It’s on my mind every day,” Rodgers said of a possible second league title. “That’s why we play the game. That’s why you put in the time in the offseason, that’s why you do the little things. It’s to put yourself in this position, where we’re two games away from being able to compete for that. I’m 36, I know what this is all about. This is an important opportunity for us.”
The Packers indubitably are the healthiest they’ve been since 2014 entering Sunday. This week, many veterans have driven home to the younger players on the roster how special these seasons can be, while also reminding them to treat the postseason just like any other game.
Sometimes that can be easier said than done. Bulaga points out how “momentum shifts in playoffs are like nothing else.” Every team is supremely talented and the complexion of a game can turn on just one play. When adversity sets in, it’s critical to stay dialed in and move on to the next play.
The Packers have experience where it counts, though. In addition to the 12 remaining Packers from the 2016 NFC Championship Game, recent free-agent signings Za’Darius and Preston Smith, Adrian Amos and Lewis also possess postseason experience from their previous NFL stops.
It has been a special week, though, for those who played a role in the Packers’ eight consecutive playoff appearances from 2009-16. After a two-year absence, those dozen players are champing at the bit for another shot at postseason glory.
“It’s what we do this for,” Bulaga said. “This is what it’s about.”