particularly because of the ways that the Shanahan offense uses those true in-line players.

Statistically Jason Spriggs Jersey , 2015 was Aaron Rodgers’ worst season in the NFL. However, his 2018 season looks worse to the naked eye when watching his performance game in and game out.The Green Bay Packers had a glut of injuries in 2015, when Rodgers was coming off his second MVP award. Jordy Nelson’s torn ACL robbed him of his favorite target, Davante Adams dealt with ankle problems all year long, and it became obvious that Randall Cobb could not be counted on as a true number one receiver. It was so bad that the team had to pull James Jones back in off the street to lead the team in receiving yards. However, much of the team’s struggles were also due to opposing defenses finally figuring out how to defend the Packers, particularly when they did not have a true deep threat.In 2018, the Packers thankfully had their number one receiver, Adams, healthy all year. He’s now on pace for 1,502 yards and he already has triple-digit receptions this season with two games to go. Injuries to Cobb and WR3 Geronimo Allison have forced rookies into the lineup, but it is Rodgers’ uneven performance that is primarily responsible for the team’s struggles.His misses on easy throws are inexplicable. His misses on open receivers on deep balls are uncharacteristic and baffling. And these mistakes seem to come in the most critical situations — on third downs or late in games.Yes, Rodgers has made a few big plays late. He drove the Packers to a remarkable comeback against the Bears in week one and again against the 49ers in week six. Yes, Rodgers dealt with a significant knee injury early in the season, which likely hurt his mechanics. Furthermore, Rodgers is hardly the only Packer making mistakes; costly fumbles by Ty Montgomery and Aaron Jones cost the Packers opportunities to come back against two of the NFL’s best teams, while Mike McCarthy’s decision-making helped lose additional games and eventually his job.But if the Packers want to bounce back to contend in 2019 Kyler Fackrell Jersey , Rodgers absolutely must play better than he has in 2018. Today’s curds take a close look at his struggles and his plans for the remainder of this season.Aaron Rodgers wants to finish the season right | Packers.comThis is the first time since Rodgers' first season as a starter in 2008 that he will be on the active roster after the Packers have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Still, he has no plans to take a back seat over these final two games.Aaron Rodgers keeps missing the mark | Packersnews.comPerhaps one of the things that Rodgers can work on in these final two games is getting his mechanics and accuracy back to their normal levels. The two missed deep balls in a tie game set up the Bears to take the lead, and Rodgers' inaccurate pass to Jimmy Graham -- though still arguably catchable -- was deflected for a season-killing interception.Packers QB Aaron Rodgers tweaked groin in loss to Bears | Packers WireThankfully, Rodgers is not going to use this minor injury as an excuse for his play. It seemed to affect his mobility slightly, but should not have caused his inaccuracy in the second half.Packers go down with a fight; no hope left for the season - ESPNA team losing a lot more close games than it wins usually means it is primed for a rebound the next year. The Packers' record in close games (8 points or less) is 2-6-1 this season, and those breaks should even out a bit better next year.NFL Week 15: The 12 dumbest mistakes from Saturday and Sunday, ranked - SBNation.comMatt Nagy outsmarting himself with a fake punt and Tarik Cohen's read-option comes in at number 5 on this week's list.Man defecates on FedEx Forum hallway floor during sold-out game | WREG.comMemphis was playing number 3 Tennessee this weekend, but this guy was a lot more worried about number 2, which he took care of behind a concession stand. Sure, the lines were probably long for the restroom, but COME ON. Admit it: you’ve been reading mock drafts.It’s ok! With the Packers (sadly) on the outside looking in as Championship Weekend rolls around, the draft and free agency is about all we’ve got.Even though the 2019 NFL Draft is months away, it’s never too early to start perusing draft rankings and projecting your favorites. We’re no different, and this week the APC staff is prepared to reveal who we’re crushing on as our attention turns to the offseason in earnest.What names are you watching?Peter Bukowski — Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida The RetireMoms movement comes to Titletown. With the Packers in desperate need of an athletic playmaker to rush the passer, enter the twitched up Florida underclassman who exploded onto the scene in 2018 with 11 sacks and 19.5 TFLs. He won’t be for every team because of his size at 6’2 242 Justin McCray Jersey , but his explosiveness, length, and bend shouldn’t hamper his ability to get after the quarterback in the Mike Pettine’s defense. Here’s a great example of why he’s not “small,” as he can use his length and technique to discard blockers. If Polite can translate some of his playmaking — he had six forced fumbles along with all those tackles behind the line — I just don’t care if he’s a little light to play against the run. Run it all day if you want to, because on third down Polite is coming off the edge and chances are you can’t block him. He’ll likely be available right in the range of the Green Bay’s first pick, and at 20 years old, has plenty of room to get stronger and more advanced with his technique. Harold Landry was a draft crush for a lot of Packers fans last season and Polite compares favorably with the ex-Boston College star who played for Matt LaFleur’s Titans last season. Younger, and without the injury concerns, Polite could turn out to be an even better prospect and would be a great fit at the 12th pick.Kris Burke — Kaden Smith, TE, StanfordThe Packers still have Jimmy Graham for at least another year but he is getting older and they still need to develop a receiving threat at the position.Smith brings size, strength and physicality and is not afraid to attack the middle of the field, something that the Packers’ offense has been lacking at tight end since the days of Jermichael Finley.He’s not projected as the top tight end in the draft and frankly I really don’t care.Smith’s tape to me looks like a perfect blend of Finley and Rob Gronkowski with a little bit of Graham sprinkled in.The Green Bay offense hasn’t gone at its normal clip since Finley was lost with a neck injury and a young talent like this could be just what the offense needs to regain its edge under LaFleur.Paul Noonan — David Edwards, OT, WisconsinI’m not the best person to ask, because I only watch one college team, but I love Edwards. The knock would be he’s a bit light and may conjure memories of Jason Spriggs Preston Smith Jersey , but his dominance in run-blocking, a sign of power and tenacity, should put some of that to rest. Edwards stock suffered a bit due to an injury-plagued junior season, but I would advocate ignoring that season entirely. Injuries happen and when he was healthy, he was among the best tackles in college football. The fact that you may be able to get him with a draft discount is just the icing on the cake. The Packers need offensive line depth, and an eventual replacement for Bulaga. Wisconsin linemen usually work, out, and Edwards would be a nice pickup. Jon Meerdink — The Large Tight EndsI’m not far enough into my draft prep (read: I haven’t looked at that many mock drafts) to form much of a substantive opinion on this year’s class, but fairly predictably, I find myself drawn to the tight end group. I haven’t gravitated to one in particular yet, but as with Adam Shaheen in 2017, the larger a the tight end, the better. Maybe it’s because I was once a tall, gangly tight end, but I sympathize with guys who look like they’d be more comfortable on the basketball court. They so often just seem annoyed by the (comparatively) tiny defensive backs swarming around their ankles and knees, and I find that very amusing. This is my draft crush. It doesn’t have to make sense.Whether it’s 6-8 Zach Gentry, 6-6 Foster Moreau Adrian Amos Jersey , or 6-5 Noah Fant, I don’t particularly care. I’m just hoping the Packers draft a giant pass catcher so that I may adopt him as my large adult son and defend him at all costs.Evan “Tex” Western — T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, WR, OklahomaOf the two Iowa tight ends declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft, Noah Fant will probably make the most noise at the Scouting Combine. He’ll test off the charts, probably with a 40-plus vertical and a 40 time under 4.60. That’s great, and he’d probably fit in Green Bay well as a move tight end. However, in Hockenson the Packers would get the true all-around tight end that they haven’t had — or haven’t used properly — in all of Mike McCarthy’s tenure. He’s a punishing blocker, but also a reliable receiver who has a knack for making big plays.Watch the film of his three catches against Wisconsin early in 2018 for a glimpse of his receiving ability. He went for 125 yards on those three receptions, giving the Badgers’ secondary fits. At 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, he’s right in the ideal size range for tight ends, and probably could bulk up even a bit more. Iowa’s very much a tight end factory, with George Kittle, C.J. Fiedorowicz, Tony Moeaki Billy Turner Jersey , Dallas Clark, and more all coming out of Iowa City in the past decade-and-a-half.But again, Hockenson’s all around ability appeals to me, particularly because of the ways that the Shanahan offense uses those true in-line players. LaFleur was setting up to do so in Tennessee last season as well, before Delanie Walker was injured in week one and missed the rest of the season.My other crush right now is Hollywood Brown from Oklahoma. A small wideout at 5-foot-10 and around 170 pounds, Brown would seem to project as a slot receiver in the NFL. The Packers could certainly use help in that area, with Randall Cobb assumed to be gone in 2019. However, after some further thought, I see him as an inside-outside weapon, with his blazing speed making me think about another NFL comparison: DeSean Jackson. Brown and Jackson are almost the same size. If he runs in the 4.3 range — entirely possible based on his play speed — that could put him in the conversation for a late first-round pick, and he’d finally provide the blazing-fast deep threat that the Packers have lacked for the past several years.