Bay Area Battle: The Rodgers Homecoming Party

Doubters? Aaron Rodgers is no stranger to those as he faced many during his ascending journey to becoming one of the three best NFL quarterbacks. The 2005 NFL draft has been well documented this week as then the 49ers were toiling in the bottom of the NFL and looking for a new face of their franchise to follow in the steps of Joe Montana and Steve Young.

The Packers quietly had been looking for a long-term replacement for Brett Favre for a few years that could be developed slowly; Packers were in the market for Rex Grossman two years earlier before Chicago picked him a pick before Green Bay selected.

Alex Smith, a product of Urban Meyer's then Utah's spread offense was picked by Rodgers's childhood team San Francisco #1 overall and the rest is history. Rodgers spent what seemed like a decade in the green room, before the Green Bay front office surprised the world by selecting a quarterback in round 1.

Eight years later the so-called redemption game is finally upon us (Is that a news flash to anyone!?!) The showdown between former first round picks Aaron Rodgers and Alex Smith will not live up to the billing unless injury strikes. 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh made an interesting coaching move in November inserting 2^nd year dual-threat quarterback Coli Kaepernick, who makes the team more dangerous and explosive on offensive. Lost in the quarterback shuffle is Kaepernick’s loose handling of the ball since entering the lineup.  He has seven fumbles in seven starts.

With defensive lineman Justin Smith not 100% for the game, the ability for teammate Aldon Smith to get a free release should be interesting; He didn’t have a sack while Justin Smith was out of the lineup Week 16-17.

The Packers coming off a 24-10 wild card round victory over a short-handed Vikings team, still need to show they can keep the peddle on the gas for an entire game. If Rodgers can get any time to throw in this game, he should be able to showcase some of the fire that he still holds inside from being passed up by his childhood team. Rodgers claims there is no redemption involved in this game, but many of us know that is just a way of playing it smart and safe with the media.  The Chico, California native would like nothing more to showcase the skills that have made him an NFL MVP and Super Bowl Champion in front of family and friends. Tonight’s game has one of those 2010 feelings, as the Packers will be playing on the road as an underdog according to Las Vegas. 

The Packers need to get out to a fast start, something that Rodgers touched on in his weekly radio show on 540 ESPN Milwaukee. The game itself is going to be very high scoring much like San Francisco’s playoff matchup with New Orleans last year. The ability for the Packers defensive players like Charles Woodson and Casey Hayward to contain the big play ability of tight end Vernon Davis will be key.  Game time temperature should be around 44 degrees on a brisk night in the bay area, a place where the 49ers and Packers have play some great games over the years.  I think Rodgers will have a Rodgers like playoff game somewhere in tune of a 300-yard clip and 3 touchdowns. In a shootout I have the Packers prevailing 35-31.

Go Pack Go.

Nolan Murphy