Is Aaron Rodgers the Best Quarterback in the NFL?


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The quarterback on the best team, on the reigning Super Bowl champions. It has to mean something right? I know we’ve had less than legendary quarterbacks to lead teams towards Super Bowl greatness. Ben Roethlisberger, while good, isn’t a top 5 QB. So was Brad Johnson. But Aaron Rodgers? His Green Bay Packers are on fire in the beginning of 2011, and so is he.

Like in every sport or most of them at least, the numbers tell a whole lot – Rodgers leads the NFL with a 120.9 QB rating. His “worst” game so far this season, yesterday in Chicago, was a 297 yard, 3 touchdown passes, 1 interception (his first of the season) with a 73.7% completion rate. Not bad against one of the better defenses around. Against a huge rival like the Bears? Even better.

But there are Tom Brady and Drew Brees around the league right? Surely they deserve that number one spot just as much. Well, yes and no. Both Brees and Tom Brady have more yards (1327 and 1059 compared to Rodgers’ 917) and touchdowns (11 and 9 compared to Rodgers’ 8 this season). So what? Cam Newton has over 1000 passing yards as well, but his completion ratio is below 60% and his Touchdown-Interception ratio is 4-4. Rodgers, with 8-1, is in a league of his own right now so early in the season.

The Packers’ offense is different as well. Both Brees and Brady have attempted over 130 passes so far in 2011, the only two quarterbacks to throw so much this season. Rodgers? He’s 18th in the league with 103. The Packers aren’t are a Pass only team which the Pats and the Saints aren’t too far off from being, but just the way Rodgers slings, plays and delivers, starting with the 2010 playoffs, just puts right now, at the top of the pyramid.

I know Tom Brady is a three time Super Bowl winner, but thinking about it, since Tom Brady became the star of the New England Patriots and not just a part of a very well tuned Super Bowl machine, they haven’t won anything. Brady’s breaking records and moving up the all time touchdown charts like wildfire, but the Patriots haven’t won anything in a long time.

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Drew Brees is pretty much the Steve Nash of the NFL, making a bunch of OK receivers look great. He has a title, unlike Nash. Facing the Loserism of Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts helps with that. When you’re locked on an idea, which is pretty much a subjective opinion, it’s sometimes hard to explain, and even harder to shake off. The Packers are 3-0 for a lot of reasons, including Aaron Rodgers. Everyone knows he’ll get the play they need when they need it. That confidence spreads through everyone – Offensive Line, talented receiving group and a defense that does allow quite a lot of points, but gets the crucial stops.

Better than Favre? Maybe. Donald Driver and others said he was just as good, prior to the Super Bowl victory. Afterwards? I think the opinion poll is swinging Rodgers’ way, especially after the way Favre ended his time in Green Bay and the team he chose to play with before finally retiring (Is he Retired????). I guess it’s just a feeling based on some stats, not all of them, and on recent wins and Super Bowl rings, but if there’s one quarterback I’d like to see leading my team, it would be Aaron Rodgers.


10 responses to “Is Aaron Rodgers the Best Quarterback in the NFL?”

  1. I would reserve judgment on this… Big Ben is only a year older than Aaron and has two super bowl rings as well as a playoff record of 9-2. He’s the best playoff quarterback remaining until someone unseats him.

  2. […] Should we state the fact that Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL right now? Why not. He simply is. Rodgers threw his 100th and 101st career touchdowns Sunday night. He has been intercepted 34 times, the lowest number of interceptions for a quarterback while he reached the 100 TD milestone. Ever. He has been picked off twice this season. Tom Brady? Drew Brees? Six and Five. Only Matt Hasselbeck with four interceptions and Matthew Stafford with three (Game tonight against the Bears) are close. […]

  3. […] Should we state the fact that Aaron Rodgers is the best quar… Why not. he simply is. Rodgers threw his 100th and 101st career touchdowns Sunday night. he has been intercepted 34 times, the lowest number of interceptions for a quarterback while he reached the 100 TD milestone. Ever. he has been picked off twice this season. Tom Brady? Drew Brees? Six and five. only Matt Hasselbeck with four interceptions and Matthew Stafford with three (Game tonight against the Bears) are close. […]

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