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14 years ago


Steady starter

 
Rodgers has shown consistency in two seasons

By Greg A. Bedard of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Dec. 30, 2009

Green Bay Apparently the way to successfully transition from one franchise quarterback to another in the National Football League is to look for polar opposites as far as on-field style.

It worked for the San Francisco 49ers in the 1990s, when the cool pocket presence of Joe Montana was replaced by the whirling dervish mobility of Steve Young.

Both are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Green Bay Packers seem to be following the same script because Brett Favre - football's version of a roller-coaster with jump-out-of-your-seat highs and head-shaking lows - has been replaced by a player who might as well have consistency stamped on his forehead.

Because if there's one thing that can definitely be said about the 31-game start to the career of Aaron Rodgers, which reached an apex with his selection Tuesday to the Pro Bowl, it's been remarkable in its invariability.

In comparing Rodgers with some of the best quarterbacks in the game - Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Donovan McNabb, Favre and Philip Rivers - over their last 31 starts, no quarterback has had more games with a passer rating between 70.1 and 120. Rodgers has 24 and McNabb 23.

The rest have had at least as many big games over 120, but only Rivers (two) can say he's been better than Rodgers (three) at avoiding the flop game (below a 70 rating) that every quarterback seems to have once in a while.

Aversion to turnovers

And nobody has had more games with no interceptions than Rodgers (18). McNabb and Rodgers both have 24 games with less than two picks.

"I think it's very impressive to not throw interceptions and not to turn the ball over," Packers receiver Donald Driver said Wednesday. "I mean, that's amazing.

"And that's one thing we as an offense have said we don't want to have. And he has the ball in his hands. He controls all of it. And he has kept his composure and went out there and made sure he made the right reads and threw the ball to the right people. I think he's just very consistent with what he wants to do and what he has done."

It would be easy to say Rodgers has become this even-keeled quarterback as a result of being in the stringent development system employed by coach Mike McCarthy and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements for two years before moving into the starting role last season. Certainly that hasn't hurt.

"You have to give Tom a heck of a lot of credit," said offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. "Tom spends a phenomenal amount of time with the guy in the off-season.

"And you watch those guys during practice, during special teams they're working. They're working on footwork, working on different throws, hot throws and getting the ball out of their hand quick. So I think it's a reflection of the work ethic of those guys. They take it very seriously."

But like Favre with his rifle right arm, quick mind and flair for the dramatic, some players are just born with special tools. Rodgers' paramount gift seems to be his aversion to turnovers, the biggest factor in staying consistent.

In his two seasons at the University of California, Rodgers threw 43 touchdown passes against 13 interceptions. In his one season at Butte College, he had 28 touchdown passes and four interceptions.

That's 71 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. So far in his pro career, Rodgers' ratio is 57 to 20.

"It's just not my personality (to throw the ball up for grabs)," Rodgers said. "I've always tried to take care of the ball as best I could.

"It starts in the off-season, being here 95% of the time and putting in the time in the film room, studying the previous year's plays, studying our own offense, being able to work with a guy like Tom Clements, who is a perfectionist and is always giving you things you can work on. I think that's been great for my development.

"But the way I prepare each week I think allows me to have a supreme confidence going into the game on Sunday that I expect to play well."

It should be almost unfair to Rodgers to compare him with the best quarterbacks currently in the game. Those players, save Favre, are in the prime of their careers and have gotten to that level by playing a lot of snaps in the NFL.

Certainly Rodgers benefited from developing in anonymity for three years, but he still turned just 26 earlier this month. Rivers is 28. Brees will be 31 on Jan. 15. The rest are over 32.

"I'm very impressed," said cornerback Charles Woodson, who has played with and against many quarterbacks in his 12 seasons. "I think the numbers speak for themselves. He comes to work every day, prepares every day like a winning quarterback and then on Sundays it shows up. Again, he just keeps getting up off the ground and making plays for this team. And there's not enough that can be said about what he's done this year."

It's certainly been a strange transition, going from the rock and roll of Favre to the mellow overtures of Rodgers. But like San Francisco before it, different doesn't seem to be a negative for Green Bay.

"Aaron Rodgers is a Pro Bowl quarterback, and that's the facts," McCarthy said. "Trust me, I fully understand the greatness of Brett Favre, and I had the opportunity to be part of his career, and he deserves everything that comes his way.

"But this is the beginning of potentially another great career at quarterback here in Green Bay, and (fans) should embrace it."


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Mucky Tundra (13h) : beast, forecast is looking like 27-28 degrees at kickoff, slight chance of snow flurries
Zero2Cool (16h) : Oh? It wasn't on the injury report. That sucks, but it's what is best.
packerfanoutwest (17h) : Doubs is out due to concussion
beast (19h) : What does the weather look like?
Martha Careful (23h) : You can wear long-johns mittens and a hat. We want Hill and their other skill guys FROZEN
Zero2Cool (26-Nov) : I'm not sure I hope for that. I'll be at the game.
Martha Careful (25-Nov) : I hope it is colder than a well-diggers ass on Thanksgiving night.
Zero2Cool (25-Nov) : doubt he wants to face the speedsters
beast (25-Nov) : Dolphins offense can be explosive... I wonder if we'll have Alexander back
Zero2Cool (25-Nov) : No Doubs could be issue Thursday
Mucky Tundra (25-Nov) : Bears. Santos. Blocked FG
Zero2Cool (24-Nov) : Bears. Vikings. OT
Mucky Tundra (24-Nov) : Thems the breaks I guess
Mucky Tundra (24-Nov) : Two players out and Williams had an injury designation this week but Oladapo is a healthy scratch
Zero2Cool (24-Nov) : Packers inactives vs 49ers: • CB Jaire Alexander • S Kitan Oladapo • LB Edgerrin Cooper • OL Jacob Monk
TheKanataThrilla (24-Nov) : Aaron Jones with a costly red zone fumble
Zero2Cool (24-Nov) : When we trade Malik for a 1st rounder, we'll need a new QB2.
packerfanoutwest (23-Nov) : Report: Aaron Rodgers wants to play in 2025, but not for the Jets
beast (23-Nov) : That's what I told the Police officer about my speed when he pulled me over
packerfanoutwest (23-Nov) : NFL told Bears that Packers’ blocked field goal was legal
packerfanoutwest (22-Nov) : 49ers are underdogs at Packers, ending streak of 36 straight games as favorites
Zero2Cool (22-Nov) : 49ers might be down their QB, DL, TE and LT?
packerfanoutwest (22-Nov) : Jaire Alexander says he has a torn PCL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : Even with the context it's ... what?
Mucky Tundra (20-Nov) : Matt LaFleur without context: “I don’t wanna pat you on the butt and you poop in my hand.”
beast (20-Nov) : We brought in a former Packers OL coach to help evaluate OL as a scout
beast (20-Nov) : Jets have been pretty good at picking DL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He landed good players thanks to high draft slot. He isn't good.
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He can shove his knowledge up his ass. He knows nothing.
beast (20-Nov) : More knowledge, just like bring in the Jets head coach
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : What? Why? Huh?
beast (19-Nov) : I wonder if the Packers might to try to bring Douglas in through Milt Hendrickson/Ravens connections
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : The Jets fired Joe Douglas, per sources
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Jets are a mess......
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Pretty sure Jets fired their scouting staff and just pluck former Packers.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Jets sign Anders Carlson to their 53.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : When you cycle the weeks, the total over remains for season. But you get your W/L for that selected week. Confusing.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the totals are accurate..nrvrtmind
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : I don't follow what you are saying. The totals are not the same as last week.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : ok so then wht are the totals the same as last week?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : NFL Pick'em is auto updated when NFL Scores tab is clicked
Martha Careful (19-Nov) : The offense was OK. Let's not forget the Bear defense is very very good.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Who updates the leaderboard on NFLPickem?
beast (19-Nov) : Has the Packers offense been worse since the former Jets coach joined the Packers?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Offense gets his ass in gear, this could be good.
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