In sports there often are times when the reality is that someone else is just that much better than you. There are also times when there is a perception that someone is that much better than you.
Take what you will from the Green Bay fiasco yesterday – but it seems that both the reality and the perception remains that not only are the Packers that much better than the Vikings – but Aaron Rodgers is also that much better than the Vikings.
The late, great Bobby Jones once said that golf is played on a five-inch course, “the distance between your ears.”
Yesterday it could not have been more true. If there is one guy in the NFL that has been between the ears of the Minnesota Vikings, regardless of who has lined up against him or who has coached against him or who has played quarterback against him – it’s Aaron Rodgers. And he definitely has the Vikings number on his wall.
In fact, he pretty much owns the Minnesota Vikings and it’s not even close. He has double digit victories against the purple, his passer rating is well over 100 against the purple and he has never let the purple even smell the NFC North, except in 2009, since he has been the Pack’s leader.
Often times in sports, confidence is a huge part of the game. In this case, the lack of confidence the Vikings have against Rodgers is astounding. It doesn’t matter that he’s not playing with a full deck at wide receiver or an Eddie Lacy that shows up once in a blue moon (it was blue yesterday) or an offensive line that is patch work – he finds a way to not just beat the Vikings but beat them bad.
Sure, he was off a little – he’s been off a little the whole year. But he’s still the leader of the Packers and he plays the most important position on the field. Just his sheer presence is enough to give the Pack the confidence they need and the Vikes the fear it has always endured against the green and gold.
So what needs to happen to shake this continuous wrath that Rodgers inflicts upon the Vikings and their fans every time they line up across from each other? For starters, you have to, in a sense (not literally!), punch him in the mouth. You have to let him know that he will be on his heels the whole game. And if he wants to throw to an open receiver, he’s going to have to look long and hard for one. And if their offense scores, we are going to march down the field and score one back.
Intimidation and fear are two things that I think the Vikings encounter every time they play Rodgers. It’s not physical and it’s not athletic prowess that are the two things that keep getting in the way. No – it’s that 5-inch space between the ears. If I’m Coach Zimmer, that’s my focus this week and the remainder of the season – the space where all of our negative gremlins can get the best of us. Got the best of the Vikings yesterday.
Next time you line up, if you are the better team on paper, then prove it. Prove it to yourself first and then prove to everyone else around you. If you don’t want to keep getting pushed around, then push back and push hard and push often. If you want to be the next NFC North champs, then do the little things and do them well. If you want to be better than Aaron Rodgers, then out-work him and out-hustle him. Then and only then will the space between the ears become much more clear.
Don’t forget to attend our live in-person podcast at the Pourhouse on Nov 30 from 6-8 pm. We will have former Vikings interviewing and talking with fans. See more details at: https://www.facebook.com/events/929713007107493/
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