Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy says resting QB Aaron Rodgers was not a mistake - NFL News
Green Bay Packers were the favourites to regain the Super Bowl title in 2011-12 after going the entire regular season with just one defeat.
However, that dream fell apart in the divisional round of the playoffs as the heavily favoured Packers were stopped in their stride by the New York Giants at the Lambeau Field.
Many analysts and fans had blamed Aaron Rodgers rustiness for the poor performance as the quarterback failed to perform to expectations in that game passing for just 264-yards and two touchdowns while also throwing a rare interception.
Coach Mike McCarthy though believes that he would still rest Rodgers under the same scenario and that overall mistakes and turnovers led to the shock defeat.
Talking to the media on the sidelines of the National Football League (NFL) Annual meeting on Wednesday he said.
“As far as sitting players, I wouldn’t change that at all,"
Adding further he said.
"A fresh team is the best team because you can accomplish the things you need to accomplish leading up to that game if you go about it the right way.”
Rodgers did not take a single snap in the Packers final game of the regular season against Detroit Lions. The coach decided to rest his star quarterback since Green Bay had already secured the division and a first week playoff bye early in the season.
Rodgers called plays from the sideline for backup quarterback Matt Flynn.
The Packers were heavy favourites at home against the Giants who had ended the regular season with a 9-7 record but the tables were turned early on as a gritty Giants defence cancelled out a Packers offence that had been virtually unstoppable.
New York went on to lift the Super Bowl after also defeating San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots on their way to lift a second Lombardi Trophy with quarterback Eli Manning.
McCarthy said about the game.
“If you want to talk specifically about Aaron, I thought Aaron played very well in the game. I mean he had, what, seven dropped balls? We dropped the football, we turned it over, we didn’t tackle very well.”
Green Bay will once again be favourites to reach the Super Bowl and McCarthy will make sure that his team don’t commit the same mistakes as the last time.
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