A single note or rhythmic alteration has the power to turn temptation into blunder. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers enjoys the provocation.
So easily he lures them in. So easily he profits, instantly making them pay for their impatience.
Rodgers has perfected the hard count, using an accented cadence to draw defenders offside for free plays. The mistake gives him the power to either decline the penalty and accept the yardage gained on the play, or call for a do-over.
Eleven times this season, Green Bay has been the beneficiary of defensive offside calls, tied for the second-most in the NFL. Eight times the Broncos’ defense has been penalized for being offside, tied for most in the league. Rodgers has played on the road only twice this season, at Chicago in Week 1 and San Francisco in Week 4. After drawing three offside penalties from the Bears’ defense, he’s drawn the past eight against opponents at home.
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“He does it at home games, he does it at away games, he does it on (third down) and on (fourth),” outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware said. “It doesn’t matter.”
Rodgers’ strength is one of the Broncos’ biggest weaknesses, and one he surely will try to exploit at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday when his undefeated Packers try to hand the also undefeated Broncos their first loss.
“John Elway was one of the best I’ve ever seen, and this guy is comparable,” Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said of Rodgers. “He draws people offside, and when he does, he throws it deep and makes a big play. They’ve had six plays for over 200 yards from drawing people offside. So we’re well aware of it and our guys know it.”
Kubiak has seen how his defense, which has been lauded for its takeaways and pass rush, can easily be goaded into doing things it regrets. He saw it in the last outing, in Cleveland.
On a third-and-9 play in the second quarter, defensive end Antonio Smith jumped the snap and Browns quarterback Josh McCown found receiver Travis Benjamin for a 12-yard gain and a first down.Then, on another third-and-9, in the fourth quarter, defensive end Malik Jackson was drawn offside before McCown found Benjamin again, deep left for a 47-yard completion over the hands of safety Darian Stewart.
The big play helped set up a touchdown, which cut the Broncos’ nine-point lead to two with about nine minutes remaining.
The ripple effect is what Rodgers likes to create — and create often. He has made victims of many opponents this season, and when combined with his arm strength, accuracy, mobility and deft reads, his arsenal of weapons is as loaded as they come.
“Especially when he gets outside the pocket, he’s able to make things happen with his feet as well as his arm,” Stewart said. “With those two things, he’s very dangerous.”
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The Broncos’ front seven and secondary have led the team to victory in six consecutive outings, recording four defensive touchdowns, 26 sacks and 17 takeaways that have led to 51 points. Their unrelenting pressure has proved suffocating for six quarterbacks. Their coverage has held opponents to zero passing touchdowns of 20 yards or more (they’re the only team to do so) and only 53 passes of 10 yards or more (tied for second-fewest).
The Broncos, once led by Peyton Manning and the offense, now pride themselves on an aggressive and swarming defense. But the defense’s consistency has extended to the penalty logs, and they face their biggest test to date in Rodgers.
Denver’s defense knew the danger that awaited it the day the schedule was made. Nov. 1 was circled for both a remembrance of owner Pat Bowlen and the 1997 Super Bowl team, and a reminder of what could be. The latter prompted many players to put in overtime in the film room during the bye week.
“I definitely did,” cornerback Aqib Talib said. “I started on them early. I watched all of their games over the bye week and watched myself. You need the time for extra studying for a team like this.”
Talib’s findings didn’t stray far from what most see weekly from Rodgers. The quick release. The ability to throw teammates open, with his pinpoint accuracy and scrambling to escape pressure. The timing. And, of course, the exploitation of a defense’s mistakes.
The threat is real, the Broncos say. And their plan of attack, simple as it may be, is set.
“You just tell the guys to watch the ball,” said inside linebacker Brandon Marshall. “Don’t go on the cadence. Don’t go on his voice. Just watch the ball.”
Nicki Jhabvala: njhabvala@denverpost.com or @NickiJhabvala
Force of Rodgers
The physical skill and mental awareness of Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers put him on another level among NFL quarterbacks. Here’s a look at where he ranks among starting quarterbacks this season in various passing categories, according to STATS, LLC and Pro Football Focus:
Passer rating: 115.9 (No. 2)
Yards per attempt: 8.2 (No. 3, tied)
Completion percentage: 68.1 (No. 3, tied)
Interceptions: Two (tied third-fewest)
Touchdown rating: 8.2 (No. 1)
Touchdown passes: 15 (tied for No. 3)
Touchdowns under pressure: Six (No. 1)
Avg. time to throw: 2.95 seconds (third-longest)
Nicki Jhabvala, The Denver Post
