Aaron Rodgers Proves He Can Win in the Clutch

An amazing throw with three seconds left on the clock.

That's how Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers solidified their 27-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins, who were coming off of a bye week. The Packers, now with a 4-2 mark on the season, had to spread the ball around to various players to sneak out with the win Sunday in Sun Life Stadium.

Rodgers has been criticized for his play under pressure. Critics have cited numbers that they believe prove the former Cal Bear isn't "clutch." One could only imagine the labels put on him if it weren't for the Super Bowl ring the Packers earned as a sixth seed. He'd currently be fighting off the "he can't win it all" criticism like Peyton Manning did, until, you know, he won it all.

Rodgers is the world's best at his position and has already played in the most pressurized game in the sport. There is no platform too large. The numbers supporting the lack of a clutch gene merely show some unfortunate performances in situations where the Packers were already losing.

Against the Dolphins, Rodgers completed six of nine passes for 49 yards and a score on the final drive, putting the team on his back. The key to the movement of the ball? It wasn't explosive plays but the distribution of touches throughout the game, keeping the defense spread and keeping skill players fresh in the humid and hot Miami afternoon climate. 

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Jarrett Boykin may not get his job back.

— Ian Kenyon (@IanKenyonNFL) October 12, 2014"

With third receiver Jarrett Boykin still out due to injury, rookie receiver Davante Adams was again replacing the Virginia Tech product in the Packers offense. This time, though, he made a greater impact than expected. With totals of 11, 18 and 11 yards in the previous three games, Adams received six balls for 77 yards, a total larger than those three games combined. Needing a boost to its offense, Green Bay received breakout production from a young contributor.

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#Packers' Davante Adams runs with the ball after making a catch against the Miami Dolphins during Sunday's game. #NFL pic.twitter.com/Fa3Q00OXYx

— Evan Siegle (@PGevansiegle) October 12, 2014"

The usual suspects also moved the ball. Veteran receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb combined for 14 receptions for 165 yards and a score. With only one play over 25 yards between the two, quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't necessarily use them to blow off the top of the Dolphin defense like he had against other teams previously. Instead, they picked away at the Miami defensive backs to move into scoring range.

Running back James Starks and tight end Andrew Quarless did their part, each catching two passes for 11 yards total, with Quarless' final catch resulting in the game-winning touchdown to put the squad up three after the PAT. They allowed Aaron Rodgers to hit a 24-of-42 mark that included three touchdowns, just barely enough for the Packers to leave South Florida with a win.

On the ground, the touches were split, too. With 14 carries, starting running back Eddie Lacy took the ball 40 yards, an average of less than three yards per carry. With the exception of the Minnesota game last Thursday night, Lacy has received heavy criticism for his 2014 performances.

Down the stretch, the Packers began to use James Starks, who lead the team on the ground during its Super Bowl XLV run. In the two years that Starks and Lacy have played together in Green Bay, Starks has the lead in yards per carry. In 2013, his mark was better by nearly a yard-and-a-half per touch.

It begs to be answered if the Packers will decide to move away from Lacy in 2014. Clearly, in the no-huddle offense that McCarthy seems to want to keep a consistent part of the Packers philosophy, the squad prefers Starks over Lacy, the Alabama alumnus.

McCarthy even made the choice to use fullback John Kuhn instead of Lacy when backed up against the Packers' end zone. Kuhn's four carries were his highest regular-season tally since early December of 2012.

Whether or not the Packers distributed the ball out of experimental necessity for the progressing season or just simply because of the weather, the Packers could count on one player throughout their come-from-behind victory: Aaron Rodgers.

For 60 minutes, he was moving around the pocket to find time and targets. He again took hits that made you wince considering his injury history, but he always got up. He even managed to run for 34 yards, which left him just four yards short of the 300-yard mark when combined with his passing yardage.

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Since Aaron Rodgers told #Packers fans to "R-E-L-A-X," he's thrown 10 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. And won 3 straight games. Amazing.

— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) October 12, 2014"

Some numbers can't be perfect. Rodgers didn't get to that even, pretty 300-yard stat. 400 would have been even better, but he didn't get to that, either. His record when losing in the fourth quarter isn't great, but for Sunday's sample size, he was 1-0. And that's what mattered.