Packers Morning Buzz: 'Sinful' failure to aid Aaron Rodgers could prove costly

Welcome to your Morning Buzz, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com.

We'll start with NFL.com's Adam Schein observing that every year since 1996, at least one of the four team that played on Championship Sunday has missed the playoffs entirely in the following season.

"Think about that," Schein writes. "From the final four ... to left out of the tournament. Wow. That's quite a comedown."

Schein proceeds to rank last season's four finalists in order of least likely to return to the playoffs, and only the Tennessee Titans are considered more likely than the Packers to miss out on the postseason.

In critiquing the Packers' offseason, Schein points to what he sees as Green Bay's failure to provide any help for Aaron Rodgers:

Aaron Rodgers is still playing at an elite level and is still the most talented quarterback I've ever seen. (Though, admittedly, Patrick Mahomes is knocking on that door -- hard!) And when Rodgers is angry, look out. I just wish the organization helped him out. It's sinful. Beyond Davante Adams, Green Bay's pass catchers are unproven and underwhelming. From the outside looking in, Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst appear to be striving toward winning games by running the football and playing stout defense. Cool, but, um ... YOU HAVE AARON FREAKING RODGERS! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. ...

The last-place team in the NFC North might go 8-8, with first place club at 10-6. But someone has to win the division. As long as Rodgers is under center, I will pick Green Bay. I respect the hell out of No. 12, even though the Packers don't seem to.

You can read the entire story here:

Pete Dougherty argues that second-round running back AJ Dillon could wind up doing more to help Rodgers than a rookie receiver would have:

Packers running back Aaron Jones says the NFC title-game loss at San Francisco "left a nasty taste" in their mouths:

The Packers want more picks from their safeties, Tom Silverstein writes:

In what hopefully will be the last major NFL Top 100 list before the season starts, the Packers place six players on ESPN's:

Hey, wait a minute, we thought Za'Darius Smith was the most overlooked player on the Packers' defense:

Packers tight end Robert Tonyan is actually starting to be likened to 49ers star tight end George Kittle by national media:

The pandemic is snapping some impressive streaks put together by Packers diehards over the years, writes Richard Ryman:

So the Bears now are saying they will reveal their QB starter before their season-opening kickoff against Detroit:

Former Packers center JC Tretter talks sense in his role as NFLPA president:

Yeah, when the game's on the line there's no one you'd rather have at quarterback than ... Kirk Cousins?!

And finally: Leave it to former Packers coach Mike McCarthy to find a practice privacy loophole:

Contact Stu Courtney at (920) 431-8377 or scourtney@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @stucourt