Return of fans, opportunity afoot get Aaron Rodgers 'a little emotional'

[Cheesehead]

"Definitely a little emotional, just thinking about what we went through," Rodgers said, referring to pandemic season. "It got me emotional with the crowd out there today. I'm just really happy about everything that happened today."


He has every right to be. The Packers pounded and passed the ball with impressive efficiency against the best defense in the league.


They ran for 188 yards, threw for 296, didn't get sacked or turn it over, and executed situationally like they have all season, converting two-thirds of their third downs (8-for-12) and three-quarters of their red-zone chances until the final kneel-downs near the LA 10-yard line after the two-minute warning made them officially 3-for-5.


That's when Rodgers was serenaded with the MVP chants, and he quietly soaked them in as yet another piece of this strange, standout season to treasure.


"It's hard to really put into words how special that feeling is," Rodgers said. "But you can feel it. It's so palpable. You can feel that energy in the stadium. It's just different. It's different playing in front of a crowd. It is."


There'll be another one next Sunday to watch Rodgers play for a Super Bowl berth at Lambeau Field. He's been waiting, patiently, for this chance.


"It will be exciting to enjoy this tonight, to celebrate and then to watch the game tomorrow," he said, "and to know that whoever wins is coming to our place."