Packers need miracle to reach playoffs without Rodgers

Newsflash: Aaron Rodgers is the Green Bay Packers.

Arguably more so than any NFL player, Rodgers is the be-all and end-all for his team.

And it's not just because he's the best player in football, though that's obviously a huge factor. Arguments over schemes and supporting casts aside, no NFL quarterback makes more throws that make you think: "He's the only guy on this planet who could have done that" more than Rodgers.

That's what the Packers could be missing for the rest of the 2017 season. That's what Mike McCarthy and Co. are tasked with replacing. The irreplaceable.

But still, Rodgers' status remains an "if." Broken collarbones can take anywhere from four to eight weeks to heal if a non-surgical approach is taken, according to emdeicinehealth.com.

So, if we go with the conservative end of that timeline, Rodgers would either be ready to return Week 14 against the Cleveland Browns or Week 15 against the Carolina Panthers.

Working under that assumption, and with the Week 15 return date the more likely because, you know, if the Rodgers-less Packers can't even beat the Browns then this is all moot, Green Bay needs to survive seven games without their All-Pro pivot.

It's going to be easier said than done. Here are the Packers' next seven contests:

Outside of Cleveland, there are no easy wins for the Packers, though the schedule could've been much more brutal.

McCarthy said after Sunday's loss to the Vikings that Brett Hundley "is my quarterback," so let's do something crazy and take an NFL head coach at his word and assume he'll remain the starter.

The young pivot struggled in relief of Rodgers, but he was thrown in against a stout Vikings defense and has shown promise in the past, albeit in preseason action:

However, while Hundley may be capable of playing solidly enough to keep the Packers afloat - and that's a significant "may" - he won't do so if the Packers' injury woes continue, especially on the offensive line.

Offensive tackles David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga were finally both back in the starting lineup in Week 6, but both ended the game on the sidelines - Bakhtiari with a re-aggravated hamstring injury and Bulaga with a concussion.

The two elite tackles' importance to this in-transition offensive line cannot be oversold. The interior of the offensive line is average at best, and injuries have robbed Green Bay of most of its depth.

Consequently, Rodgers - a magician in the pocket with uncanny awareness - was sacked 19 times over the first five games of the season, which still stands as the NFL's fifth-worst mark despite him missing most of Week 6.

Simply put, Hundley, for all his athleticism, might join Rodgers on the sidelines unless Green Bay can solidify his protection.

And the Packers' roster concerns don't end there.

The defense ranks 18th in points allowed per game and is also dealing with a rash of injuries, especially to its secondary.

The unit wasn't exactly built to win games on its own back even when healthy, and with only 11 sacks in six games - tied for 25th - the pass-rush looks incapable of equalizing the quarterback downgrade by making life hell for the opposing pivot.

The skill positions are still strong, but the talents of Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, and Martellus Bennett won't matter unless the Packers improve their playcalling.

Hundley was essentially asked to run an offense that only Rodgers can likely excel in, with McCarthy's love of long-developing routes remaining prominent and the backup's athleticism and rushing skills underutilized. McCarthy needs to prove he can be adaptable and construct a version of the offense that helps Hundley as much as possible.

As for the running game, which is usually a backup's best friend, the Packers have struggled to establish much consistency on the ground, averaging a 26th-ranked 88.3 yards per game.

Ty Montgomery and rookie Aaron Jones form a talented backfield. But Montgomery is playing with a rib injury, and, while Jones has impressed in a small sample, trying to ride an unproven running back is unwise. And in Week 6, neither was able to perform with Rodgers out and the offensive line decimated.

The NFC North isn't a juggernaut, but the Vikings are already tied with the Packers at 4-2, while the 3-3 Lions sit one game behind. Expecting both to remain in the Packers' range is optimistic, to say the least.

In short, the odds are greatly stacked against the Packers. A healthy Green Bay team might have been able to weather the storm, but based on its schedule, even three wins could be difficult, leaving little to no margin for error if Rodgers somehow manages a late-season return.

Pray, Wisconsin. Pray.