2011 NFL Power Rankings: Why Aaron Rodgers Is Just Getting Started
By on August 9, 2011
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By numbers alone, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had an outstanding season in 2010. The amazing part, of course, is that numbers alone don’t quite do Rodgers’ 2010 season proper justice.
But what the heck, let’s take a look at the numbers anyway. Rodgers finished third among NFC quarterbacks with 3,922 passing yards, was tied for third with 28 touchdowns, and his 101.2 QB rating was the best his conference had to offer.
As any self-respecting football fan knows, the reason these numbers don’t do Rodgers justice is because they were achieved in circumstances that were beyond adverse. After watching Ryan Grant suffer a season-ending ankle injury in the Pack’s first game of the season, Rodgers never did have much of a running game to rely on. As if that wasn’t enough, he also lost tight end Jermichael Finley for the season.
Adding injury to, well, injury, Rodgers then suffered a concussion in early October. Then he suffered another in December, just for good measure.
Somehow, Rodgers still had a great season. Then he capped it all off by leading the Pack to their first post-Brett Favre Super Bowl victory. If he could do all that, it begs the question what he might do in 2011.
If I had to guess, I’d say Rodgers is going to do a lot.
For starters, there’s nothing wrong with Rodgers himself. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and he’s still relatively young. Assuming there are no lingering effects from his two concussions – and there shouldn’t be – he’s going to be just as good as he was in 2010.
Moreover, the returns of Grant and Finley give Rodgers every excuse to be even better. With Grant backing him up in the backfield and Finley once again catching passes, defenses are going to have an even harder time keeping up with Rodgers. They’ll have a harder time getting to him too, as rookie guard Derek Sherrod will give a boost to an offensive line that needed one last season.
All things considered, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if Rodgers put up the same kind of numbers he did in 2009, when he threw for over 4,400 yards with 30 touchdowns and a 103.2 QB rating. And after what he went through last season, Rodgers should be even more savvy.
Basically, the only thing that is not going to get any better is the belt. But that’s only because it’s awesome enough as it is.
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