Underrated Season: Aaron Rodgers
The annual quarterback conversation hasn’t changed much. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are the first names mentioned, Phillip Rivers is somehow still up and coming, and Drew Brees is making a name for himself. What does a guy have to do to get his name mentioned amongst the elite?
Aaron Rodgers has been sacked forty nine times this year, tops in the league. Typically when this stat is read, the first thought that pops into a person’s mind is “must be a tough season for that guy”. Quite the contrary for Lambeau’s leader, as he has managed to lead the Packers to a 9-5 record through fourteen games.
Rodgers is more than just a winner on the season. Apart from being tossed to the ground like a sack of potatoes, he’s in the top five in all major passing categories apart from completion percentage. He has racked up 3,962 yards through fourteen games, an average of 283 yards per game. His 102.4 passer rating ranks only behind Brees, Rivers, and Brett Favre as the season closes. He is 317-492 for a 64.4 completion percentage, good enough for tenth overall in the league. However, Rodgers best statistic is his league leading 28:7 touchdown to interception ratio, while adding four rushing touchdowns to his offensive brilliance.
Rodgers was historically known for being the Packers’ draft pick that would be the eventual heir apparent for the face of the franchise, Brett Favre. Favre’s constant fluttering between retirement and manning the Green Bay offense left Rodgers with nothing to do but learn the game while holding the proverbial and literal clipboard. When the Packers finally traded Favre to the Jets last season, Rodgers embraced the opportunity. Playing under the brightest spotlight while filling the biggest shoes in the NFL, the team floundered to a 6-10 record. Rodgers never had his confidence shook, as he passed for 4,038 yards, a 28:13 touchdown to interception ratio, and a 93.8 passer rating. Proving to everyone that he is the future of the franchise and was well worth his first round draft pick, Rodgers has elevated his game to become one of the perennial quarterbacks in the league. While he will always be remembered as the man who’s draft day stock plummeted and the guy who followed Brett Favre, it is his play that is putting his name in the news.
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December 21st, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Do you know who am I?Do you want more interesting?
The NFL Draft is working with Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy to study brain trauma in football. The league will ask former and current NFL players to donate their brains to science. Presumably, with fancy boxes to ship the brains, like they do for Super Bowl rings.
Page 2 loves this idea.
Scientists could study Mark Sanchez’s brain to find out what he doesn’t understand about the words “double-covered.” They could study Tony Sparano’s brain to find out what he sees in Pat White that no one else does. And they could look at Brett Favre’s brain on the subject of waffling.