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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is coming off of a “disappointing” 2018 campaign in which he threw for 4,442 yards, 25 touchdowns, and a couple of interceptions while completing 62.3 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 97.6.
Of course, those numbers are hardly bad, but they were not typical of Rodgers, and the fact that the Packers went 6-9-1 with Rodgers' leadership skills being questioned in the process didn't help his case.
But, there are some high expectations for the Packers going into 2019, as many are anticipating that new head coach Matt LaFleur will right the ship.
So, here are three last-minute predictions for Rodgers heading into this season.
3. He'll Complete 65 Percent of His Passes
The most questionable part of Rodgers' performance on the field in 2018 was the fact that he was missing a lot of throws that he normally completes, resulting in his second-lowest completion percentage since becoming a full-time starter in 2008.
For his career, Rodgers has completed 64.8 percent of his throws, and he has finished with completion percentages of 65 percent or greater six times.
So, obviously, Rodgers is fully capable of completing 65 percent of his passes, and I expect him to get back to that number in 2019.
This shouldn't be too difficult of a task for Rodgers. That is, of course, unless 2018 was truly the start of a decline, which could mean that Rodgers no longer has it in him to be that efficient.
But I doubt that's the case. At the very least, it would be a surprise to me if Rodgers ends up missing as many throws as he did last year.
2. He'll Throw 30 Touchdowns
The 2018 campaign also marked the first time that Rodgers did not throw 30 touchdown passes in a fully healthy season since 2010, when he finished with 28 touchdowns.
So, yeah. You can see why so many were disappointed in Rodgers' performance this past season.
Now, to be fair to Rodgers, he doesn't exactly have a ton of weapons outside of Davante Adams. No proven ones, anyway. But, with Geronimo Allison healthy and Marquez Valdes-Scantling having a full season under his belt, Rodgers should be more equipped to find the end zone in 2019 than he was in 2018.
This is a man who once threw 45 touchdown passes in his prime, and while he may not be that guy anymore, I find it hard to believe he has slipped that much where he can't even hit 30 anymore.
1. He'll Lead the Packers to the Playoffs
The Packers have missed the playoffs each of the last two years, marking the first time since 2006 that Green Bay went two consecutive seasons without making the postseason.
That should end this year.
Green Bay is playing in a tough NFC North division that includes the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings, and while I expect the Bears to win the division, I think the Packers will be good enough to snare a Wild Card berth.
Rodgers and Co. should be getting a fresh start this year now that Green Bay has made a coaching change, and given all of the criticism he has faced this offseason from fans, media pundits and former teammates, Rodgers will likely have vengeance on his mind.
While the Packers missing the playoffs again would not be shocking, I think Rodgers will have a big year to end Green Bay's short postseason drought.
