The entire offseason, Aaron Rodgers' performance in relief of Brett Favre at Dallas last year was talked about as the game that gave teammates, fans, and even Rodgers himself the confidence he was ready to take over as the Packers' starting quarterback.
So now that Rodgers is preparing to take on the Cowboys again this week, what does his 18-for-26, 201-yard, one-touchdown, no-interception performance last Nov. 29 mean?
"Not much," Rodgers said, point-blank. "That was last year. We've moved on. Like their media says, they didn't get to game plan for me. So now they have a whole week to game plan. It's going to be a great opportunity for us. It's a tough challenge."
The fact that the Cowboys are the only opponent the Packers face this season that already has film of Rodgers playing against them in a meaningful setting does work to their advantage somewhat. But the familiarity cuts both ways.
Despite Rodgers attempt to downplay last year's outing, he successfully battled first-hand against Dallas' 3-4 defense, an alignment the Packers don't see regularly and one the Cowboys execute as well if not better than anyone else in the league.
What the Cowboys try to do with their 3-4 is get pressure on the quarterback by using their outside linebackers, DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis, like defensive ends, matched up one-on-one against offensive tackles or tight ends they feel they can beat with their speed and explosiveness.
The fact that Rodgers has made checks at the line, stood in the pocket, evaded the rush - all the things he'll need to do well for the Packers to win Sunday night - against that very defense is an invaluable piece of experience he hasn't had in his brief tenure as the starter so far. In short, he knows what he's in for, and not just from watching film.
"I think anytime a team plays a 3-4 it makes communication a little more difficult because they can really blitz off the edge, inside, strong side or weak side, so they can give you just about any combination there," Rodgers said. "It makes it a little more difficult to understand, or figure out where they're coming from. But we're going to have to be sound with our communication this week and try and protect them off, because if we can, we feel like we can make some plays with our playmakers."
Rodgers and the receivers did that last year in rallying from a 27-10 deficit. Greg Jennings took a quick throw and turned it into a 43-yard catch-and-run. On another short throw to Jennings, he dodged tacklers over the middle for an 11-yard TD.
Rodgers, who scrambled effectively for a total of 30 rushing yards, also hit Donald Driver for 17 yards on a third-and-11, and then scrambled to his right and connected with Donald Lee for 22 yards to set up another score, pulling the Packers within 27-24 in the second half.
The Dallas defense stiffened in the fourth quarter, allowing only a field goal in three Green Bay possessions, but all the film has been reviewed this week to see what went right, what went wrong, and what can be tweaked to create more success for Rodgers against the Cowboys.
"It was important for him in his quarterback development, but it was also important for our offense too just to be able to stay in that game," Head Coach Mike McCarthy said. "We got it I think in the fourth quarter to a three-point game and he had us in position to potentially get the lead, so that's an excellent experience that he can draw from."
For all the different defensive looks the Cowboys can generate with their 3-4, Rodgers expects to see all of them he saw last year, and then some.
"You watch the tape, you think about the plays you made or didn't make, and they're going to play us I'm sure similarly, but they're going to have some wrinkles," Rodgers said. "It's a different year. They've got a lot of playmakers on defense, and I'm sure they're going to throw a lot of stuff at us."
{sportsad300}As for all the other stuff - about how both the Packers and Cowboys are unbeaten in the early stages of 2008, and how the game could have NFC playoff implications down the road - Rodgers isn't concerning himself with that.
There's no denying the game is a little bigger than just one of 16, as McCarthy said earlier in the week. But none of the Packers, least of all Rodgers, is going to get too caught up in a supposed big picture that barely has any focus in Week 3.
"I just see it as 11 Packers against 11 Cowboys and a great opportunity for us to play a very solid opponent," he said. "Big game, conference-wise, both of us 2-0. It's going to be a great test for us, and I'm glad we've got them at home."
Yet another difference from last November, for what it's worth. But more relevant to the Packers than the past is the here and now, which has Rodgers with an impressive 117.8 quarterback rating in his first two NFL starts.
The focus is forward.
"I don't think he's worried about last year," Driver said of his new quarterback. "This is the year he has to prove to the world that he can play. Right now for two weeks straight he's been proving that."
