NFL Cal: Aaron Rodgers struggling again in season opener

Former Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers had the rookie wide receiver drop a sure touchdown pass on his first pass of the day. .

Rodgers finished 22-34 for 195 yards, no touchdowns, one interception and a 66.7 passer rating in Sunday’s 23-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Green Bay’s first offensive play of the game was a harbinger of what was to come. Rodgers made a perfect pass to Packers second-round pick Christian Watson behind the defense.

But Watson dropped the pass, as you can see from several angles in the two videos below.

It’s worth noting that Rodgers didn’t throw another pass in Watson’s direction until four minutes left.

On many occasions, Rodgers could not find an open receiver and was in possession of the ball, which resulted in him being sacked four times.

It was a reminder of how the 2021 season started for Rodgers and the Packers. In the 2021 season opener, he had one of the worst games of his career, going 15-for-28 for 133 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in a 38-3 loss to the Saints. I was.

His 36.8 passer rating in that game was the third worst of his career in a game he started and was not substituted due to injury.

Then, as Green Bay won 13 of their next 15 games to win NFC North, giving Rodgers his fourth MVP award and his second consecutive award, Rodgers won just two for the rest of the season. I threw an interception.

Rodgers and the Packers may be able to turn around again, but this time they will have to do it without All-Pro receiver Davante Adams. Questions were raised throughout the offseason as to whether Rodgers would be as successful without Adams, who was traded to the Raiders at Adams’ request.

Rodgers seemed a little lost without him on Sunday, losing to Kirk Cousins ​​in the quarterback game. Kirk Cousins ​​had two touchdown passes, no interceptions and a passer rating of 118.9.

So Rogers followed by a week of questions?

――A downward trend at the age of 38?

-Will the loss of Adams hurt Rogers more than we thought?

Q: Will Christian Watson evolve into a reliable receiver for Rodgers this year?

-Is this one of those slow starts that will be forgotten in a few weeks?

Here’s how the other former Golden Bears performed in Sunday’s NFL game.

scroll to continue

— Vikings safety Camryn Bynum started Sunday and helped Minnesota minimize the effect of Rodgers. Bynum recorded seven tackles, including four solo stops.

— Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen caught four passes for 66 yards in the first half, but was sidelined in the second quarter with a hamstring injury. It’s not clear if that will cost him any future playing time.

— Lions quarterback Jared Goff had some decent numbers while helping the Lions score 35 points, but after a 38-35 loss to the Eagles, he left the game at I didn’t have a chance to put together a drive that would win .

Goff went 21-for-37 with 215 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and Detroit scored more points in every but one game last year. A game win against the Packers for the 2021 season.

Goff directed an 11-play, 72-yard drive and sent a 22-yard touchdown pass to DJ Chark to close the gap to 38-35 with 3:51 remaining. However, the Lions were unable to get the ball back as the Eagles ran out of time.

— Jaguars wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. caught four passes for 38 yards in Jacksonville’s 28-22 loss to the Washington Commanders.

— The Saints’ defensive end made seven tackles, including one, in New Orleans’ 27-26 victory over the Falcons.

— Falcons safety Jaylin Hawkins was the starter and finished with six tackles and one pass defense in Atlanta’s loss to New Orleans.

— Steelers nose tackle Tyson Al-Al wasn’t the starter as Pittsburgh started the game with just two defensive linemen, but he played in overtime 23-20 against the Bengals, making two tackles. I did.

— Bears fullback Jake Tonguez played in the Bears’ 19-10 victory over the 49ers, but has not recorded stats. Safety Elijah Hicks didn’t play on Sunday.

— Jets safety Ashtin Davis played in the Jets’ 24-9 loss to the Ravens but didn’t start or record any stats.

— Ravens offensive lineman Patrick Mechali wasn’t a starter, but he did play against the Jets.

.

Aaron Rodgers cover photo by Brad Rempel, USA TODAY Sports

.

Follow Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by visiting https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport.

.