Aaron Rodgers wasn't quite Aaron Rodgers for the final 25 minutes of Green Bay's 44-23 loss to New Orleans. He pulled up lame on a run early in the third quarter and didn't run smoothly for the rest of the contest.
Rodgers was still able to operate the offense, but he did not attempt to extend plays out of the pocket after the injury. NBC cameras caught Rodgers clearly frustrated after the run, but the QB said he won't miss any time.
"I think it was obvious just the way we played from that point on," Mike McCarthy said during his postgame news conference. "We kept him in the gun, and really our whole play-action, QB movement package was gone. ... I thought he played smart, didn't really open it up and put himself in jeopardy for future injury, further injury."
If nothing else, Rodgers' injury is well-timed. The Packers have a bye in Week 9, and he'll have plenty of time to get healthy. Although the Packers' offense stagnated after Rodgers was hurt, he was able to lead a long fourth-quarter touchdown drive that was capped by one of the slower 14-yard touchdown runs we've seen.
For the Packers, it was a confusing end to an up-and-down first half of the season. They looked out of sorts for the first three weeks, played like the best team in the league during a four-game blowout victory streak and then fell apart in the second half Sunday night in New Orleans. Rodgers' injury doesn't appear to be a long-term issue, but hamstring injuries are tricky. It will be watched closely in the coming weeks.
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