Aaron Rodgers

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http://mmqb.si.com/2014/12/09/aaron-rodgers-packers-falcons-win/

aaron-rodgers-960.jpg

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

He Makes Greatness Look So Easy
We take for granted what Aaron Rodgers is doing this year because it all appears so effortless—time and again he makes the right call, the perfect pass, the smart decision. So let’s take a moment to appreciate a quarterback performing at the absolute pinnacle
By Peter King

When you watch Aaron Rodgers play quarterback, you’re reminded of his greatness constantly. He just doesn’t make many mistakes, of any kind. How often do you look at a Rodgers throw and say, “Noooo! What is he doing?!” Very, very rarely. Rodgers has a 35-to-3 touchdown-to-interception differential this year, and has thrown 34 touchdown passes and no interceptions at home in the last two calendar years. Folks, these are historic numbers we’re looking at.

Monday night was Rodgers’ 100th NFL regular-season start, and this is how much he has spoiled us: A 327-yard, three-touchdown, no-interception, 67-percent, 123.3-rating game, for Rodgers, is average.

Average. In 13 starts this year, eight times he’s thrown three or more touchdowns; 11 times he’s played an interception-free game; four times he’s thrown for more yards than he did against the Falcons on Monday; and four times he’s had a higher rating. So Monday’s game, in which he led Green Bay to 43 points and its 10th win in 13 games, was pretty much in the middle of the curve.

We don’t pause often enough to take stock of what we’re seeing in this Golden Age of Quarterbacks, but on the occasion of Rodgers’ centennial start, and how we’ve come to expect greatness from him every week, I will.

I won’t numb you with numbers, because offensive statistics are so inflated today. But Tony Romo’s having a great season, and his touchdown-to-interception differential is plus-17; Rodgers: plus-32. Russell Wilson is rising up the yardage charts, and he’s 923 passing yards behind Rodgers. Tom Brady is competing for the MVP, and he’s 18.8 rating points behind Rodgers. Joe Flacco is one of the game’s great bombs-away thrower. Yards per pass attempt: Rodgers 8.8, Flacco 7.4.

This one’s my personal favorite: Rodgers has four turnovers this year. The other NFC North quarterbacks have 45. Think that’s a bit of a factor in Green Bay heading toward its fourth straight division title?

But as I watched the 43-37 victory over the Falcons on Monday night, I was struck not as much by the big plays, the grandiose things like the perfectly placed 60-yard bomb between two Atlanta defenders for a touchdown to Jordy Nelson. What impressed me so much was the execution of things that look simple but really aren’t, things that, done over and over again, define greatness at the position.

Late in the first quarter, in a 7-7 tie, Green Bay had a third-and-two at the Atlanta 11-yard line. Three receivers were flanked right, Randall Cobb wide right; Jordy Nelson was split left, alone. Rodgers was in the shotgun.

“Green-19! Green-19ut!”

(It’s supposed to be “Green-19 Hut,’’ but Rodgers says it so much it has morphed into “19ut.” Notable, though, is that even though in this game the ball is almost always snapped on the second “Green-19” of the cadence, the Falcons don’t cheat off the line much if at all, because Rodgers is one of the best in the league in changing the cadence if he sees defensive linemen cheating, and he’s one of the best in catching that and forcing encroachment and/or neutral-zone infraction calls in the league.)

At the snap, Rodgers’ first look, a long one, was to the left for Nelson. Well covered. Quickly Rodgers turned to the right, to where Cobb was planting his foot in the ground three or four yards upfield and preparing to run a simple in-cut; at the same time, his cover man, cornerback Desmond Trufant, was going to have get through traffic—through Davante Adams, specially—to get to the ball if Rodgers was going to make the throw to Cobb.

Rodgers was going to make the throw, all right. He was making it a millisecond after Cobb put his foot in the ground. Trufant’s good—quick and fast. As the ball rocketed toward Cobb, Adams knifed through traffic and got to Cobb just as the ball did. But the ball was placed perfectly in the oncoming Cobb’s gut. It got there just before Trufant did. Smash! Trufant barreled into Cobb, who cradled the ball to his chest. If the pass is wide or low or high, even by half a foot, the force of Trufant hitting Cobb would have dislodged the ball—no question. And Trufant played it perfectly. In fact, after he slammed into Cobb, Trufant got up triumphantly, feeling, I made the play!

But Rodgers made the play. Gain of four. First down. Three plays later Eddie Lacy ran for a one-yard touchdown. The conversion meant Green Bay got seven points on the drive instead of three. It’s the kind of play, among the 67 run by Green Bay in the game, that is easily forgotten. But when you line up one successful play after another successful play, and keep them coming, drive after drive after drive … well, there’s a reason the Packers average three punts a game, and his name is Aaron Rodgers.

One more play I loved. A more notable one. A touchdown, late in the second quarter that gave Green Bay a 31-7 lead going into halftime. The Falcons had pass-rusher Kroy Biermann spying Rodgers on this particular play, with Green Bay at the Atlanta 10 and 30 seconds left in the half. When Rodgers took the snap, Biermann flowed with him, and when Rodgers stepped away from slight pressure to his right, there was a large gap in his protection, where the right guard and tackle had been. Rodgers looked downfield, for any open receiver. Biermann pounced.

There were nine yards between Biermann and Rodgers when Biermann began his run at Rodgers, and when he got closer, maybe four yards away, Rodgers noticed and instinctively juked left, slightly. Biermann fell and slid past him. Then Rodgers flowed right, not pressured, waited a split second and lasered a throw about 22 yards in the air to an open Nelson near the end line. Touchdown.

It looked so easy. With Rodgers, it always does. That’s the secret to Aaron Rodgers’ greatness: the simple things, the important things, done perfectly, over and over and over.
 

Boffo97

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No, when I watch Aaron Rodgers I'm reminded of how glad I am that the 49ers blew their pick of a QB that year.
 

Prime Time

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he's ridiculous

I watched much of that game last night and there was little to no pressure on him. Just about any NFL QB with max protect can look great under those circumstances. Still, the man has put up some serious stats over the years and is worthy of the acclaim he's getting.
 

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I was talking to a buddy last night when he threw that frozen rope to Nelson just before half. He is the best that I have ever seen. My friend was watching as well and agreed. There is no facet of his game that is deficient. He can kill you from in or outside the pocket and is as intelligent as any QB in the league. Combine that with what is possibly the strongest arm in the game....and you have ARod. Still boggles the mind how he fell to where he did in that draft.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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I watched much of that game last night and there was little to no pressure on him. Just about any NFL QB with max protect can look great under those circumstances. Still, the man has put up some serious stats over the years and is worthy of the acclaim he's getting.

Plus he has been in the same system with a great offensive minded coach for over ten years.
 

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I watched much of that game last night and there was little to no pressure on him. Just about any NFL QB with max protect can look great under those circumstances. Still, the man has put up some serious stats over the years and is worthy of the acclaim he's getting.
Sorry Prime, but I think you are underselling Rodgers. A LOT of what he does well comes after the pocket collapses.
 

jsimcox

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he's ridiculous
That's the only word I have to describe him, found myself saying it about 10 times last night.
I've only been watching football for a comparatively short period of time to most people here, but he is the best I've ever seen. He's like the perfect QB.
 

Prime Time

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Sorry Prime, but I think you are underselling Rodgers. A LOT of what he does well comes after the pocket collapses.

Not underselling his career. Just mentioned the game I saw last night and how much easier it is for a QB when he has almost no pressure. You're right though, he is dangerous when flushed out of the pocket.

I watched ESPN last night before the game were they were mentioning his excellent mechanics and how even when he throws on the run his footing and arm motion are just about the same as when he throws from the pocket. Would love to have him with the Rams but alas.
 

Win1-4Ned

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That's the only word I have to describe him, found myself saying it about 10 times last night.
I've only been watching football for a comparatively short period of time to most people here, but he is the best I've ever seen. He's like the perfect QB.
But how many Super Bowls has he won? ;)
 

JoeBo21

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yea that bomb to Nelson was pretty awesome.. so smooth. 60 yards perfect spiral *yawn* too easy

I think he's the best at manipulating the d-line and buying time in the pocket too the way he steps up and then back out.. too good man
 

Mojo Ram

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He's been the best QB in the league for a few years now. He can do everything. Great arm, great feet, intelligent. Makes every throw, scrambles at the right time, improvises, reads the entire field, shows leadership.

Oh and he's not a prima donna douchebag.
 

Merlin

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What I find interesting with Rodgers...

He slid to 24th in the first round due to fears his QB friendly system inflated his stats, even though everyone knew he was immensely talented.

Definitely was a project at least to a point, and made his bones driving the defense nuts as scout team QB for a couple years. I even recall hearing they had to tell him to tone it down in practice lol, defense gettin butt hurt by how good he was.

Looking at this year's QB crop I think there's some lessons to learn. Rams need to do like GB did and take the guy they like regardless of what system he played in, and stick him on the depth chart to learn. Just suck it up, IMO. My personal favorite is Petty from a value/upside perspective, but as long as they decisively go after one of these guys I'm good, even if it's a ridiculous trade up for Mariota.
 

LesBaker

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three years ago I brought him up in a conversation on the Huddle and I said he was not just elite but the best in the NFL and everyones old friend ZN replied that he didn't consider him elite. I can't even remember what he said because I didn't bother reading the entire response it was that stupid.

Rodgers is maybe the best I've seen not named Steve Young.
 

Mojo Ram

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What I find interesting with Rodgers...

He slid to 24th in the first round due to fears his QB friendly system inflated his stats, even though everyone knew he was immensely talented.

Definitely was a project at least to a point, and made his bones driving the defense nuts as scout team QB for a couple years. I even recall hearing they had to tell him to tone it down in practice lol, defense gettin butt hurt by how good he was.

Looking at this year's QB crop I think there's some lessons to learn. Rams need to do like GB did and take the guy they like regardless of what system he played in, and stick him on the depth chart to learn. Just suck it up, IMO. My personal favorite is Petty from a value/upside perspective, but as long as they decisively go after one of these guys I'm good, even if it's a ridiculous trade up for Mariota.
Good post @Merlin but lets be honest...the Rams just need to get lucky(again) and find the next great franchise QB by any means necessary.

Me personally, i don't think even the best scouts on the planet can accurately predict which college QB's are going to project to the NFL as scrubs, average Joe's, franchise guys or superstars.

It's a crap shoot.
 

LesBaker

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Good post @Merlin but lets be honest...the Rams just need to get lucky(again) and find the next great franchise QB by any means necessary.

Me personally, i don't think even the best scouts on the planet can accurately predict which college QB's are going to project to the NFL as scrubs, average Joe's, franchise guys or superstars.

It's a crap shoot.

It sure is and that's why it pays to draft one every couple of years, high or low, and bring in guys who are intriguing that can be that "come from nowhere" type.

Not one of the guys who is going to be the available "big name" free agent impresses me and that's the last avenue I would pursue for a QB. I don't buy the "he just needs a fresh start". Who did the fresh start ever work for? I can't think of anyone other than Warner and he is always the oulier in any QB discussion.

You have to go back to Plunkett I think right? A case can be made for Manning though. Other than that it doesn't seem to work.
 

RAMBUSH

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Not underselling his career. Just mentioned the game I saw last night and how much easier it is for a QB when he has almost no pressure. You're right though, he is dangerous when flushed out of the pocket.

I watched ESPN last night before the game were they were mentioning his excellent mechanics and how even when he throws on the run his footing and arm motion are just about the same as when he throws from the pocket. Would love to have him with the Rams but alas.
Agree 100% there we're plays where he had 10-15 seconds with no sign of pressure at all. I say give any qb in the nfl that much time and they would look that good as well.