“Miracle in Motown” Wins Play of the Year

Rogers to Rogers’ game-saving hail Mary on December 3 has been named “Play of the Year” in NFL Honors. The 61 yard bomb from Aaron Rodgers that was completed by Richard Rodgers was a spark in a season that needed something to hang its hat on. Little did Packers fans know that a very similar play would give a beat up Packers team a chance to advance to the NFC Championship at the very end of the season. While the Packers did not win that second game, the two plays serve as bookend reminders that this Packers team has some young receivers with natural ability who in 2015 got much needed playing time. The honor for Richard Rodgers, who quietly has become a favorite of Aaron Rodgers even though he is not a speed burner. And in a season that ended before the final NFL honor that all Packers fans wanted the team to get…this is also a reminder that 2015 had its share of thrills.

In an NFL where the Packers can lose at home to all three division rivals and the Panthers one loss could come at the hands of the hapless Falcons, often times winning comes down to which team makes one or two big plays. Rodgers’ hail mary had just about everything going against it. It was 61 yards which means the ball has to be high enough in the air for the receivers to get to the endzone. Rodgers was flushed from the pocket and had to make the throw on the run. And Richard Rodgers was not the receiver whose assignment it was to catch the ball. This was backyard football but it was in fact the one big play that the Packers needed to seal the win. In case you missed it (yeah, right!), you can watch it here: “The Miracle in Motown”
 



The Lions made a couple errors, the first of which was committing two players to the boundary which, on an un-timed play is basically taking them out of the play altogether. With 5 on 5 in the endzone as a result the Packers had a chance. The Lions defenders walled off behind Green Bay for the most part, allowing Richard Rodgers to slip in underneath. Rodgers checked his position on the field, relocated the ball, high pointed it, and made a fantastic catch. Truly this was a special moment in Richard Rodgers’ young career and a high point of the 2015 season.

So congratulations Rodgers…and the “other Rodgers” as Richard has described himself, you deserve this honor and with it, Packernation is reminded that this season had its high points.

Go Pack!