Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers came into Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with one of the highest passing efficiency ratings in the entire NFL.
One of the biggest reasons for Rodgers' high efficiency rating was his refusal to turn the ball over. Before the Buccaneers game, he only had two interceptions in the first seven games of the season.
A criticism of Rodgers is that he plays it safe instead of taking chances and making plays, which definitely sets him apart from his predecessor as quarterback for the Packers in Brett Favre. It could be argued that in the Packers three losses to the Vikings and Bengals this season (two of the upper echelon teams in the NFL), Rodgers' conservativism held the team back.
At the same time, Rodgers hasn't been losing games for the Packers by turning the ball over, but he's also not directing game winning drives either. Arguments can be made his style of play from either point of view.
However, in the loss to the Buccaneers, a safe and conservative passing game would have been enough to escape Tampa Bay with a win.
Rodgers exceeded his entire season's interception total of two in one game when he three threw three in the Packers' most recent loss. Throwing into double, triple and even quadruple coverage, Rodgers tried to thread the needle to his talented group of receivers but ended up turning the ball over too much.
With the running game having a modicum of success and Ahman Green able to turn short passes such as screens into decent games, smart and safe passes could have led to a Packers win.