Why they won: Green Bay Packers’ Miracle In Motown

Dec 3, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end

(82) runs past Detroit Lions cornerback

(28) and middle linebacker

(59) during the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Packers win 27-23. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

R.R.

Through his short career so far, many Packers fans (including myself) have somewhat lamented the other Rodgers on this team, Richard Rodgers.

He was seemingly a stretch from the moment when he was selected in the third round in 2014. He has done little great statistically over his first season and a half, his speed is lackluster-at-best, and he never seems to break any tackles.

The only things he’s really consistently had are his much-discussed excellent hands and an uptick in targets.

But when Green Bay needed someone to step up to avoid a 1-5 streak and hold onto hope of winning the NFC North, it was the other Rodgers who became the pass-catcher they needed.

Despite having no games yet this year with over 60 yards, Rodgers came up with 146 of them here. He led the team with 8 targets and caught every one of them to lead the team in catches too. He stepped up in key moments throughout the second half when nobody else would or could, making receptions while the receivers still had mind-boggling drops. And of course, he was the one who sealed the deal at the end.

If Richard can do more of this in the coming weeks, Green Bay will finally have a pass-catcher they can trust on any given play.

At the least, they appear to have a possible safety net and a reliable target for their quarterback while his other options try to get healthy and find confidence.

Next: A Questionable Penalty