Greg Cosell spoke on KNBR Monday afternoon. Here’s what he said about Aaron Rodgers.
Q: How good is Aaron Rodgers, and can the 49ers contain him?
COSELL: I’m not saying this to be bold or controversial, but I don’t think Aaron Rodgers is playing particularly great football. I think he’s so physically gifted – he can throw it on the run better than anyone in this league – but he’s leaving an awful lot of plays on the field.
I think he’s indecisive and tentative in the pocket. He’s not pulling the trigger on throws that are there. I think this has been an ongoing thing all throughout the season.
Some people would say I’m nitpicking because of his numbers, but he’s so physically gifted that there are times that he still makes plays. The biggest concern with Aaron Rodgers and their pass offense right now is not the rhythmic flow of it, it’s the extension of plays. That’s where he’s at his best right now.
I would bet that the Packers will have to do some chipping with Jermichael Finley, with back, because their right tackle, Don Barclay, and quite frankly their left tackle, Marshall Newhouse, I don’t think they’re going to be able to block Ahmad Brooks or Aldon Smith.
Q: Why do you think Rodgers is leaving a lot of plays on the field?
COSELL: Sometimes he’ll leave plays on the field, move and make another play. Sometimes he’ll leave plays on the field, move and get sacked. His first two sacks this week were on him. He didn’t pull the trigger to open receivers and then he couldn’t get away. The defense then beat him. There’s been stretches of this season where he’s been like this. But he’s so physically gifted where he’ll make throws and you’ll go, “Wow, not many people make that throw.”
Q: It seems like their offense is not fazed when their in third and eight, third and 12.
COSELL: And that’s what you have to be concerned about. The burden Rodgers puts on your defense is this: No defense is built to cover, whether it’s zone or man, for four, five or six seconds. No defense it built to do that. And Rodgers, with his ability to extend plays – not only extend them, but then make throws at the intermediate and deeper levels, which is something not a lot of quarterbacks can do – that’s the burden he puts on your defense.
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