Following the Atlanta Falcons’ 23-point thrashing of the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game, one Falcons defender couldn’t help but take a shot at Aaron Rodgers.
Defensive lineman Grady Jarrett, a two-year player out of Clemson, related an exchange he had with Rodgers in which the quarterback didn’t like being manhandled. Jarrett had spun Rodgers around on a play that was whistled dead, but he didn’t drop him to the turf. Still, the quarterback had some heated words with the lineman.
“Shoot, they (didn’t) dang blow the whistle until I got to him. But ain’t nobody worried about that,” Jarrett said, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports. “They’re a team that gets away with a lot of stuff as far as holding calls and everything. So, when the thing isn’t going his way, when the game’s played fairly, it tends to be a problem.”
To Jarrett’s point, the NFC Championship Game, not to mention the AFC Championship Game, was tremendously officiated. This was something that was keenly evident, especially after so much horrible officiating marred the first two rounds of the 2016 Playoffs.
That said, Jarrett saying Rodgers needs help from the refs to win games might be just a bit harsh.
And you can bet the quarterback will put a pin in this as bulletin board material for future matchups with Jarrett and the Falcons. A player who has played with a huge chip on his shoulder since being snubbed by the San Francisco 49ers at No. 1 overall for Alex Smith in the 2005 NFL Draft, he will not forget what was said here.
Furthermore, it was quite clear during the game against Atlanta that Rodgers’ offensive line simply got overwhelmed by the tremendous pass rush the Falcons have cultivated. It might have been better for Jarrett to just take the high road after his team’s blowout win.