Has Aaron Rodgers fixed the deep pass accuracy issue this season?

Aaron Rodgers has not connected on deep throws as effectively as last season and he seems to have figured out the reason. Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been out with a hamstring injury and that has allowed other teams to mark Davante Adams with double coverage.

Here's what Rodgers had to say about the issue:

“83 has been hurt. That definitely is a big part of it. We haven’t had a ton of that stuff in the plan. Also, we’ve seen a lot of Cover-2. With 83 not playing, and them clouding Davante a bunch, we just haven’t had the same opportunities.”

Aaron Rodgers' deep pass accuracy problems this season

Aaron Rodgers has seen quite the drop off when it comes to deep passes this season. Through Week 6, he has attempted 30 passes for more than 20 yards. He has succeeded in only 9 of them for a completion rate of 30 percent.

That's down from his conversion rate of 41.6 percent last season. His passer rating on such throws has also dropped from an efficient 123.7 to a measly 48.5.

Clearly, Aaron Rodgers' output has dropped and he seems to be laying the blame at the feet of missing Marquez Valdes-Scantling. In addition to the quote above, he further added:

"We’re close on a number of them. Doesn’t feel like I’m missing more than usual. I don’t know. Without Marquez, he’s been our deep threat for a while, but I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve been missing a ton of throws, but we haven’t been connecting on as many deep throws.”

While Aaron Rodgers has clearly identified one of the primary reasons for his drop in completion of deep throws, it does not tell the full story. Another reason is that the Packers offensive line needs to have more healthy personnel so they can play more schemes which can open up space downfield.

The other challenge is that Aaron Rodgers clearly needs reps with other tight ends and receivers. For the Packers, the deep ball is necessary as it opens up coverage on Davante Adams as well as opens up running lanes for Aaron Jones.

The threat of the deep ball is part of the mystique of Aaron Rodgers. With a simple flick of the wrist, he is able to heave a pass over 35 yards, which keeps defenses honest.

As Marquez Valdez-Scantling works his way back to returning to the lineup, Rodgers and the Packers can look forward to correcting the minor problems they have with throwing the deep ball with more accuracy.