PHILADELPHIA ¨C Aaron Rodgers(notes) began his stint as the Green Bay Packers' starting quarterback amid a storm of skepticism, at one point being Cheap Penguins Jerseys 2011  informed that he sucked during a training camp practice ¨C by a 6-year-old.
Rodgers, even as he has developed into a bona-fide star, has largely been defined during his three seasons in the Frozen Tundra Hot Seat as legendary passer Brett Favre's(notes) successor by his perceived shortcomings, perpetually praised in a "Yeah, but ¡­" kind of way.
Rodgers had a lot to celebrate Sunday.
(Al Bello/Getty Images)
On Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, in a taut first-round playoff game against a tough opponent with a potent quarterback of its own, Rodgers took another huge step out of Favre's shadow and into the figurative arms of Packer Nation. In leading the sixth-seeded Pack to a 21-16 victory over Michael Vick(notes) and the third-seeded, NFC East-champion Eagles, Rodgers recorded his first career postseason victory and whisked a few more perfect spirals into the windpipes of his remaining detractors.
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More than an hour after Sunday's triumph, as he stopped for a security screening in the cold, dark bowels of The Linc before boarding the Packers' team bus, Rodgers correctly pointed out that no one man has ever single-handedly won a playoff game. In this case, a stunning 123-yard performance by untested rookie halfback James Starks(notes) and a brilliant defensive effort capped by cornerback Tramon Williams'(notes) end-zone interception of a Vick pass with 33 seconds remaining underscored that message.
Yet Rodgers, who'll guide the Packers into Saturday's divisional-round road clash against the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons, understood that he was leaving Philly with one more stigma in shambles.
"It's always something," he said. "The first year, they said I was injury-prone. The second year, I held onto the ball too long. This year it was, 'He can't win a playoff game.' I'm sure some people still have their checklists, but I've kind of put those three to bed."
Though Rodgers didn't put up the eye-catching numbers that have typified his terrific 2010 season, he and his teammates will sleep soundly this week as they prepare to face a Falcons team that narrowly defeated them in the Georgia Dome six weeks ago. In that 20-17 Atlanta victory, Rodgers summoned a sensational effort despite Cheap Flyers Jerseys 2011  Green Bay's complete absence of a ground game ¨C and Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy didn't even bother trying to create the illusion of balance.
The following week Starks, who'd spent the entire season on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from a hamstring injury (after having sat out his senior campaign at the University of Buffalo because of a shoulder ailment), made his debut in a victory over the San Francisco 49ers, gaining 73 yards on 18 carries. However, his lack of preparation in practice limited him to just 11 carries over the regular season's final four games, making Sunday's breakout effort all the more improbable.
"The guy had the game of his life," Rodgers said of Starks. "When the line is opening up holes and James is running it like that, it takes a lot of pressure off of me."
Or as wideout Greg Jennings(notes) put it in the Packers' locker room, his eyes getting big: "If we can run it ¨C oh my gosh. It opens up a lot of things, obviously. If we can establish a run and keep it going for 60 minutes, with the way our defense is playing, we're a team that can't be beat."
Though they finished a somewhat disappointing 10-6 and needed home victories over the New York Giants and Chicago Bears in the final two games to sneak into the postseason, the Packers have good reason to consider themselves a legitimate title contender.
Their defense, led by All-Pro outside linebacker Clay Matthews(notes) and the vastly underrated Williams, is playing at a championship-caliber level. That wasn't the case a year ago, when the Pack was repeatedly torched by Kurt Warner(notes) Cheap Blackhawks Jerseys 2011   in a 51-45 first-round playoff defeat to the Arizona Cardinals, wasting a sublime comeback performance from Rodgers in his postseason debut.
Equally important is the fact the 2010 Packers have demonstrated an uncanny ability to overcome adversity. No team has suffered as many significant injuries as Green Bay, which lost starting halfback Ryan Grant(notes) in the season-opening victory over the Eagles at The Linc ¨C the game in which Vick commenced his stunning professional rebirth ¨C and ended up with 15 players on injured reserve, including talented tight end Jermichael Finley(notes), fiery inside linebacker Nick Barnett(notes) and three other starters.
"I think it's made us stronger," veteran cornerback Charles Woodson(notes) said. "We've had to overcome a lot, and a lot of different guys have had to step up. And when you get contributions from so many people, that's what makes you a complete team."
Said Rodgers: "This was a team victory. It was very fulfilling. The thing I love about this team is that there are a number of guys who were not counted on to do anything, and they've been put in positions where they have to contribute. And they've come through. And it's made us stronger ¨C no doubt about it. We have a lot of very hungry guys, guys who have been cut, who've been inactive on game day, who've been backups, playing big roles for us."
The starting quarterback, of course, has played the starring role. He completed 65.7 percent of his passes during the regular season, throwing for 3,922 yards and 28 touchdowns, with only 11 interceptions. His 101.2 passer rating was hardly a fluke; he's currently the highest-rated passer in NFL history with a 97.2 career mark.
Donald Driver(notes) congratulates Rodgers on a first-quarter TD pass.