Rodgers: Tied for 4th in QB Rating

[LUKE23]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/stats/bycat ... ame=ToDate

I had high expectations for the kid this season, but I have to say he's surpassing them. He's also ahead of a certain QB who will remain nameless.

[ReasonablySober]

He simply doesn't make a lot of bad choices with the ball.

2. Aaron Rodgers is putting all the Brett Favre comparisons to bed. What's not to like about the Packers' new starting quarterback? He's really only had one rough game this season, and that's when he hurt his throwing shoulder at Tampa Bay. Against the Colts, Rodgers was superb, leading Green Bay to points on four of the first five drives, with only a missed Mason Crosby 36-yard field goal attempt marring his record.

And what may be most impressive about Rodgers is his ability to play so mistake-free and put together long drives. The Packers' first five drives went 13, 8, 11, 10 and 12 plays, and Green Bay had a season-best 19 first downs in the first half. Three of those first five possessions were for 60-yards-plus, which Green Bay turned into two touchdowns and a field goal. That gives Rodgers 20 drives of 60-plus yards on the season, and Green Bay has scored on all but one (13 touchdowns and six field goals). Through three quarters on Sunday, the Packers held a more than 10 minute lead in time of possession (27:57 to 17:03). Rodgers is very efficient. He had no turnovers against the Colts, took no sacks and found eight Packers receivers in the course of completing 21 of 28, for 186 yards, with one touchdown and a sterling 104.2 passer rating. This guy knows how to take care of the football, and you certainly couldn't always say that about No. 4. When you factor in that Rodgers has been playing with a sore shoulder since Week 4, and the pressure on him at the start of the season, it's hard to not be impressed.

"This was just a big confidence boost for our team,'' Rodgers said. "We were 3-3 coming into this one and playing a team coming off a big win against Baltimore. We really felt we needed this one going into our bye week. This one was sweet for us.''

It's refreshing.

[LUKE23]

Yeah, I have to say I've been amazed at how he's mentally handled everything too. I mean, there was a good portion of the fanbase that maybe didn't want him to fail, but were ready to jump all over him if he wasn't great from the start. Then he had a big time injury. He's played well through all of that and also remained about as calm as you can get with the media. It's really amazing.

Lock this kid up now.

[Jollay]

He is not a rookie, and is not playing like one. Still, his poise has been the thing that has impressed most people even given that fact.

What is funny to me is that ideally Rodgers should have been entering the perfect situation--groomed slowly for the position, good supporting cast, but the Favre situation in the offseason made it almost the opposite.

Playing through the injury and playing well was a huge step as well.

[MadCityBucky]

And the guy's only 24 years old.

Has been everything I've wanted and more.

1,781 total yards
15 total touchdowns
4 interceptions
98.8 rating

[xTitan]

At slightly less than the halfway point, I think you could make a strong arguement for Rodgers getting some MVP votes. The way Rodgers has played under what amounts to unreal pressure is nothing short of amazing.

[ReasonablySober]

Brees is still on his way at this point, even with the crummy game yesterday. But if the Aint's end up 3rd or 4th in the South he won't win it.

Warner is a bit of a darkhorse candidate. They'll probably win the West and he's having a nice season.

Cutler's another guy in the mix.

With Romo missing time and the Cowboys slide he won't win it. On a team with TO, Barber and Witten I don't know if he was ever in the discussion.

With Peterson and LT having less than awesome seasons, the only RB worthy of MVP talk right now is Portis.

Rodgers is certainly in the discussion.

[MickeyDavis]

I think you have to have Rodgers in the top 5 in any MVP discussion. We have a very tough 5 game stretch coming up. If we ever get our running game working, look out.

[paulpressey25]

Kudos to Ted Thompson for filling the most critical position on the team with an all-pro caliber guy. He found our "Steve Young" and may have also found a "Jerry Rice" in Greg Jennings.

[ReasonablySober]

I've tried to resist it, but Steve Young is the player I've thought about most recently when watching Rodgers. There's the obvious correlation of him being a first round pick, waiting a few years behind a legend and having immediate success. But it's also in his style of play. Young was quicker to pull it down and run, but Rodgers has that ability. Also, Rodger is such a great decision maker. He's accurate, doesn't force many balls, makes quick reads. What he's doing right now is normally something that comes with years of time on the field, not a matter of weeks. If he stays healthy he has the chance to really be a special QB.

[Jollay]

Just out of curiousity, what was Rodgers like on the Wonderlick or whatever they use now to gauge "smarts" before the draft? Not that I give that test all the cred in the world, but what?

Cause as I said, even with the time to learn slowly, he's playing beyond his years in terms of football smarts.

[paulpressey25]

I don't know Rodgers Wonderlic, but recall it was high. DB will have it.

I do believe though in that test because I remember after we drafted Javon Walker, Homer had a few personnel guys on from the Packers and there seemed to be some dissension on Walker because his wonderlic was in the bottom 3%. But that Sherman over-ruled his guys on it. Now Walker physically was a great player, but his road to perennial all-pro got derailed by his stupid decisions both on and off the field.

Same issue with Brent Fullwood, who I believe scored a 6 on the Wonderlic. Talented knucklehead.

I wish the NBA could administer that test and publicize the results.

[Bernman]

A-Rod scored a 35 on the Wonderlic.

I made the Joe Montana-Steve Young comparison on this board in preseason and took a little bit of heat for it.

[LUKE23]

http://www.macmirabile.com/Wonderlic/Wonderlic.htm

39 on the Wonderlic for Rodgers, which is extremely high.

[ReasonablySober]

I don't know Rodgers Wonderlic, but recall it was high. DB will have it.

I do believe though in that test because I remember after we drafted Javon Walker, Homer had a few personnel guys on from the Packers and there seemed to be some dissension on Walker because his wonderlic was in the bottom 3%. But that Sherman over-ruled his guys on it. Now Walker physically was a great player, but his road to perennial all-pro got derailed by his stupid decisions both on and off the field.

Same issue with Brent Fullwood, who I believe scored a 6 on the Wonderlic. Talented knucklehead.

I wish the NBA could administer that test and publicize the results.

Walker scored an 8 on the wonderlic. I remember thinking that had to be a mistake.

[Bernman]

http://www.macmirabile.com/Wonderlic/Wonderlic.htm

39 on the Wonderlic for Rodgers, which is extremely high.

type in "Aaron Rodgers Wonderlic" on google. On the first page they all report he scored a 35 on the Wonderlic, not 39. Neverthless, his performance was quite impressive.

[El Duderino]

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.

[Bernman]

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.

Very salient point about Rodgers' slow development allowing him to iron out his mechanics. If he gets drafted by San Francisco, he's thrown into the fire right away ala Alex Smith, and maybe it kills his confidence struggling with that goofy ball carriage. Rodgers wasn't nearly the same quarterback as he is today early on in his Packer's career. The switch to me turned on at the start of his 3rd preseason (2007).

[xTitan]

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.

[MetroDrugUnit]

http://www.macmirabile.com/Wonderlic/Wonderlic.htm

39 on the Wonderlic for Rodgers, which is extremely high.

Good to see Jim Sorgi representing the U with a 14