Any NFL quarterback will tell you that they benefit greatly when their receivers are athletic enough to earn yards after the catch. Put Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers firmly in that group.

With the help of Cold, Hard Football Facts contributor Luis DeLoureiro, I ran the numbers on the league's top receivers in average yards after the catch (AYAC), a stat we came up with to quantify just how efficient a receiver is after the catch.

The numbers were eye-opening, but there's one interesting piece of information that jumps off the page. Three Green Bay Packers wide receivers ranked among the top 25 receivers in AYAC.

Only two other teams—New England and San Francisco—had two receivers on that list.

Many would expect to see Greg Jennings on the list, but most would probably be surprised that he was third among Green Bay's AYAC elite. Jennings came in at 13th, while James Jones and Jordy Nelson came in at seventh and eighth respectively.

The numbers, quite simply, are outstanding: Jones, who earned 13.6 yards per reception, averaged 6.08 AYAC; Nelson earned 12.9 yards per catch and registered 5.89 AYAC; Jennings tipped the scales with a whopping 16.6 yards per catch and 5.74 AYAC.

In numbers to be revealed next week, Green Bay's offense generated 48.96 percent of its total receiving yards through YAC, two percent more than the league average. Green Bay's pass-catchers ranked No. 8 in the league with 6.06 AYAC. That's .65 YAC more than the league average.

None of this is to imply that Rodgers is overrated. In fact, quite contrary. The fact that he understands how his offense best functions, and is able to get the most out of it is a testament to his quarterbacking fundamentals. He knows how to find the open guy, trusts them to get the extra yards, and usually it works out well. They ranked sixth in the league in passing first downs.

Those fundamentals also helped Rodgers rank second in the league in yards per pass attempt with 8.3, while also ranking seventh in passing yards with 3,922.

But Rodgers can do more than just complete the dump-offs and quick slants. At 12.6 yards per completion, not even half of his yards consist of YAC. Green Bay's receivers are monsters after the catch, but the vertical passing game is also in their repertoire.

That's what makes them one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL

All in all, Rodgers is a talented quarterback running an efficient but effective offense with talented receivers. This offense is explosive in more ways than one.

BR wrote:

I have pointed this out in the past: Rodgers does benefit from YAC, but when you look at his numbers, he also has one of the highest average yardage-per-completion in the league, indicating that he is one of the best long-ball passers around.

Contrast that to media darling Matt Ryan's average, which at some 6 YPC is barely half that of Rodgers'.

Originally Posted by: Nonstopdrivel 

Rodgers also puts the ball exactly where it needs to be to help the receivers get in position to make those runs after the catch.

Originally Posted by: Bigbyfan 

We don't throw deep too much. We have the receivers to catch deep passes, we might as well use them. Driver is still very fast. Jennings is probably in the top 5 players in the NFL for "football speed." I know that doesn't mean **** but he gets separation and once he gets separation, it's a lost cause getting him. Jones is also a deep ball guy.

The deep passes open up other passes, like balls in the middle to TEs. It also opens up the run (don't tell the pro-run snobs this though). Mike Martz wishes his QB could complete deep passes like Aaron could. I do think Cutler is underrated though, and if they'd find a more comfortable tampon, I'm sure Cutler would be a top 10 QB.

The WCO is fading away. Like any offensive change, they'll eventually be a defensive scheme to break it. We incorporate some elements of the WCO but we are no longer a WCO team. I'm glad. This isn't the 80s any more.

Originally Posted by: zombieslayer 

The "Tampa 2" defense takes away WCO type slants and whatnot. That's why Lovie was hired in Chicago. For that, you need 2 TEs who can get down the middle.
But overall, it's a passing league, ever since the rule changes in 1970.

Originally Posted by: nerdmann 

I couldn't agree more with your last sentence. Where we differ is you think we throw deep too much.

Let's not forget I was the one saying we'll win the Super Bowl without running the ball. I got a lot of flack for it, but I was right. You don't need to run the ball to win nowadays.

Our type of O doesn't need good TEs. We did fine when Finley went down. We run enough routes that the Tampa 2 can't cover our WRs. We're not a WCO team. In 2007, we were. In 2010, we weren't.

Originally Posted by: zombieslayer 

I do think Cutler is underrated though, and if they'd find a more comfortable tampon, I'm sure Cutler would be a top 10 QB.

Originally Posted by: zombieslayer