One of the stories being tracked this week was the broken toe of Aaron Rodgers. He injured his toe while working out during his COVID quarantine, and it is not a “COVID toe” as he had joked about while appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
All odds courtesy of BetPrep, updated 7:00 AM Eastern on November 25, 2021.
“I have a fractured toe.” pic.twitter.com/DFJJ1OF7LC
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 24, 2021
In terms of what matters to the Packers and the NFL, not very much. He played one of his best games of the year last week with the broken toe, and he’s a safe bet to have another big game this week.
Here are four reasons why.
It’s Balmy Weather For Green Bay
At this time of year, before placing any bet that involves Lambeau Field, check the weather forecast. Many a well-intentioned wager has been undone by the winter weather of Wisconsin.
For this Sunday, it looks as good as you could hope for the final weekend of November. Saturday, there is a chance of snow, and Monday, there is a chance of snow, but the forecast is calling for partly sunny skies and a high of 37 on Sunday. That’s shorts and T-shirt weather in Green Bay.
The weather is not going to deter either quarterback.
The Other Quarterback
One major factor in determining a passing yards prop is looking ahead to the predicted pace of the game. Rodgers is a Hall of Famer and can always throw for big numbers, but many games don’t require it.
Rodgers threw for just 195 yards against the Bears in Week 6, but not because he played poorly. It was actually his third highest-rated game of the year. But because the Bears countered with a slow-down, methodical, and plodding offense, everyone’s numbers were lowered.
That won’t be the case against the Rams. They’ve struggled the last two games, but this offense is too good, and coming off a bye, we expect to see Matthew Stafford and the Rams put up points. That, in turn, means that Rodgers will also push the ball up and down the field and push his yardage totals up considerably.
Rodgers Loves Big Games
Last week was a big game for the Packers, as they went to Minnesota. Ultimately Green Bay won, but Rodgers was his MVP-self, throwing for 385 yards and four touchdowns. Had the Vikings scored their game-winning field with just a few ticks left of the clock, does anyone doubt that Rodgers would have put Green Bay in position for its own field goal?
There are five top teams in the NFC right now – the Packers, Rams, Cardinals, Bucs, and Cowboys. Anytime two of them go head-to-head, knowing that playoff home field is at stake, it’s big.
Rodgers will rise to the occasion, as he always does. Last year in the playoffs, against the same Rams, Rodgers threw for 296 yards. The next week in the NFC Championship Game, he threw for 346. This is arguably Rodger’s biggest game since the postseason in January, and he will play like it.
