Rodgers: Tied for 4th in QB Rating

[MetroDrugUnit]

Besides being blessed to have a few years to just sit and watched vs being thrown out there to soon, Rodgers was helped to be drafted by a team with a coach good at developing QB's, as Steve Young had in SF. Looking at Rodgers throwing mechanics now compared to when he was drafted, there is a sizable difference, especially ridding himself of holding the ball so high like he learned at Cal under Tedford.

Had Rodgers been drafted elsewhere and forced to play right away, he may have never got his mechanics straightened out. As a rookie, i remember in preseason games Aaron throwing his share of just ugly passes, now he has picture perfect throwing mechanics and the accuracy, tight spirals, and great deep ball has followed.

That really is a good point with alot of QB's...where would Favre have been if he stayed the circus freak for Glanville? How good might have David Carr been had he not been drafted by a first year team with no O-line? What if Elway had not been dealt to the Broncos? What if Ryan Leaf went to the Colts and there excellent O-Corrd? I am sure we could go on and on but it really does take the right guy in the right situation.

Such is life. It's all about your potential and the opportunities given to you; not all of them are created equally.

And by the way, I think Leaf would have sucked ass where ever you put him.

[TheGhostDog]

A number of people are comparing Rodgers to Young, but I have been thinking for awhile that the Packers are instead pulling a reverse-49er QB scenario (knock on wood). That is, in going from Favre to Rodgers we are going from Young to Montana, at least in style of play.

Favre and Young were both incredibly physically talented, emotionally-driven athletes. Favre's arm strength is rightly legendary, and could let him continue playing into his 40s if the rest of his body and mind can hold out. Young was also an exceptional athlete, best demonstrated by his running ability: he averaged nearly 6 yards a pop over a 15-year career; in the eight full seasons Young played in his 30s he always managed at least 50 carries and yet only once did he fail to average at least 5 yards per carry. He averaged 6.5 yards on 70 rushing attempts at age 37! Due to their exceptional physical gifts, both Favre and Young were at their best when the pocket and play broke down and they were forced to improvise.

Now so far Rodgers has been running with the ball quite well, but he (3.8 yards per carry this year) simply is not in Young's league. I expect Rodgers will always be nimble in the pocket, but as he ages his rushing attempts should scale back like most QBs. Rodgers is generally physically talented, but I don't think he has any one athletic ability that is off the charts like Favre or Young. Rodgers wasn't even recruited out of high school and was often called just a "system" QB in college. Montana was even less of an athlete - he fell to the third round of the draft largely due to his "average" arm strength - but the traits he was best known for are the same ones that I think will come to characterize Rodgers' game in time: very smart, quick decision-making and a cold-blooded competitive personality that is at its best in high-pressure situations. He's already showed it in uncanny college performances versus USC and again now in dealing with the post-Favre pressure cooker.

Of course, I know Rodgers cannot even begin to be mentioned with Montana in terms of NFL accomplishments. I am merely saying I see a lot more physical and mental parallels between Rodgers and Montana than between Rodgers and Young. I am really hoping he proves this in the years to come.