Bleacher Report - Articles by Doug Dwyer

Brett Favre vs Aaron Rodgers: 2009 Preview

Doug Dwyer — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:29:40 -0400

Last year Brett Favre retired, unretired, and then was traded to the NY Jets.

Aaron Rodgers was the new face of the Green Bay franchise and the Bleacher Report had a week by week comparison of the two quarterbacks.

Each week, David Arreola wrote up his summary of the weekend games, including the good, bad, and the ugly. Then he crowned either Brett or Aaron the winner of the week.

Last year, David scored Rodgers winning the week to week competition at 9-8, while 78.8 percent of respondents to his poll said Rodgers played better as a whole in 2008.

This year, the saga continues, as Brett retired, was released by the Jets, and then was given the full court press by the Minnesota Vikings coaxing him back into the NFL. Who will have the better games week by week? This preview edition compares what’s new before the real season begins.

Brett Favre, The Hired Gun

Brett Favre was with the New York Jets in 2009 and completed the season at 9-7. Through the first 11 games, Favre had 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions with a QB rating of 94.5. Favre guided the Jets to an 8-3 record, including back-to-back road wins at the Titans and the Patriots.

Then the wheels fell off. Brett went down the stretch throwing only 2 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in the last five games. The Jets went down with him going 1-4 and missing the playoffs.

Favre's new receiving corps with the Vikings is loaded with interesting pieces. Rookie Percry Harvin is an exceptional talent with a great first step and is capable of lining up anywhere on the field. Bernard Berrian caught 48 passes last year and possesses speed on the outside. Bobby Wade is a reliable receiver, while Sidney Rice is a big target at 6’4” who is coming back from a knee injury last year.

Visanthe Shiancoe led NFC tight ends with seven touchdown catches last season. The Vikings' offensive line is outstanding, particularly the left side (McKinnie/Hutchinson). But the best asset for Brett is Adrian Peterson at running back. Chester Taylor also ran for 399 yards and caught 45 passes coming out of the backfield. The Minnesota defense has been dominate against the run for several years and is very good overall.

In one preseason game with significant play, Brett Favre showed some rust, but completed 13 of 18 passes for 142 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown pass to RB Chester Taylor.

Whether or not reports are true of a cracked rib, Favre didn't appear to be slowed down against the Texans. Favre shrugged it off in an interview saying there was nothing you could do if it was cracked, so why bother X-raying it.

Mr. Rodgers’s Neighborhood

Aaron Rodgers had a magnificent first year statistically as a starter in Green Bay. Even though Rodgers played through a separated shoulder injury sustained in week four, he had 28 touchdowns versus 13 interceptions with an outstanding QB rating of 93.8. However, the Packers as a whole were a huge disappointment, winning six games—which included two wins over the worst team in NFL history.

The Packers were not only hard hit by injuries on defense, but plagued by penalties on offense for false starts and illegal motions. At the end of 2008, the Packers lost the last five out of six and were 0-7 in games decided by four points or fewer. Whether it was the defense giving up fourth quarter drives or having a game winning field goal blocked, it appeared the Packers were cursed in 2008.

Aaron Rodgers has been even sharper in 2009, leading the Packers to a 3-0 preseason start, completing a sizzling 71.1 percent of his passes (27 of 38) for 458 yards, six touchdowns and a 151.1 quarterback rating. Rodgers has directed nine touchdown drives on 12 possessions this month.

The Packers have an awesome receiving corps with pro bowl receiver Donald Driver and the explosive Greg Jennings leading the way. Last year, the Packers added Jordy Nelson and still have James Jones and Ruvell Martin with experience. The five wide receivers could be considered the best group in the NFL.

At tight end, Jermichael Finley could emerge as a big play guy to go with the solid possession receiver Donald Lee. Ryan Grant battled injuries at running back last year, but is healthy and should produce an effective running game to slow down the pass rush.

The Packers didn’t resign veteran offensive lineman Mark Tauscher during the offseason. The offensive line is still being tweaked throughout the preseason but all have experience. Jason Spitz right now is starting at center with Daryn Colledge LG, Josh Sitton RG, Allen Barbe RT, and Chad Clifton LT filling out the line.

The Packers' defense was horrible last year, but they changed to a 3-4 and got back several veterans returning from injuries. Green Bay has generated 13 turnovers in three preseason games compared to 28 takeaways in 16 regular-season games last year. The defense looks awesome in preseason, but will that transfer over into the real thing?

Favre and Rodgers By the Numbers

2008 Stats	Rodgers	Favre	’08 Vikings
Wins	6	9	10
Touchdowns	28	22	22
Interceptions	13	22	17
Attempts	536	522	452
Completions	341	343	265
Comp %	63.6	65.7	59.1
Yards	4038	3472	3213
Yards/Att	7.5	6.7	7.1
QB Rating	93.8	81	80.9
Sacks	34	30	34
Fumbles/Lost	10/3	10/2	9/4
QB Rushing	207	43	152

Career Stats	Rodgers	Favre
Pro Experience	4 yrs	18
Touchdowns	29	464
Interceptions	14	310
Games Started	16	269 *
Game Record	6-10	170-99
Playoff Games	0	22
Pro Bowl’s	0	10
MVP’s	0	3

* - 291 including playoffs

Team Comparison	Favre/Vikings	Rodgers/Packers
Running Backs	√
Wide Receivers		√
Tight Ends	--	--
Offensive Line	√
Defense	√
Special Teams		√
Quarterback	Graded weekly!

Last year, the deck was stacked against Favre. Favre went to the 4-12 Jets who were retooling the entire team, while Green Bay was coming off 13 regular season wins in 2007.

This year, Brett joins a team that features a great running back, an excellent defense, and is already playoff caliber. The gray haired experience is obvious, but will that transform into advantage this year? Aaron Rodgers has arrived, but can he carry the Packers over their hated rivals? Will either quarterback finish the season standing?

This year, both teams play the AFC North and NFC West with identical schedules, except the Vikings get the NY Giants and Carolina Panthers while the Packers get the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Of course, this year, Rodgers and Favre have the chance of going head to head twice. The Vikings and Packers will be joined by the Chicago Bears with pro bowl quarterback Jay Cutler contending for the NFL North title in 2009. I am looking forward to comparing the good, the bad, and the ugly week by week.

The New York Jets, Just As Predicted, 9-7

Doug Dwyer — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 14:44:49 -0500

At the beginning of the 2008 NFL season, there were high hopes for the New York Jets. The team had acquired several big name players such as Alan Fanaca, Kris Jenkins, Brett Favre, and Calvin Pace. The Jets lost their last game of the season winding up with a 9-7 record. It was a disappointing end to the season for Jets fans and Favre fans alike. But what did we expect?

Looking back to August, 2008, I poured through the on-line preseason predictions, particularly, here, in the Bleacher Report. I reviewed 48 articles making prognostications for the 2008 Jets looking at what everyone thought back then. For the most part, the predictions were right on.

Out of 33 writers predicting wins and losses, the average was 8.9 wins. Zeroing in on 17 Bleacher Report writers, the average prediction was 9.05 wins for the Jets for 2008. Interestingly, on-line sports books had the Jets over/under at winning 7.5 games.

No one predicted the Jets winning the AFC East Division. New England was the unanimous pick for taking the No. 1 spot while The majority of prognosticators thought the Jets would finish second place in the division, a few third, no one predicted last place. Eight writers out of 54 said the Jets would snag a wild card play off spot.

Sean Crowe, in a Bleacher Report article was dead on, “Jets will go 9-7, barely missing the playoffs.” Mike Noffke was the most optimistic with a predicted 12.5 wins for the Jets. Jason Ward thought the Jets could finish eighth overall in the NFL (about 11-5) while Mike Sausa went out on a limb with an 11-5 prediction.

Meanwhile, Curly said “With Favre, the Jets do just well enough to take us out of the top of the draft list.” Benjamin Ward was similarly pessimistic saying the Jets would finish 24th in the NFL (Green Bay is 24th with a 6-10 record). Many writers predicted a 7-9 season. One of my favorite lines from all the predictions was Raider Card, “If Favre can make this squad go 9-7, he probably could walk across the East River, too (not including pollution or ice).”

In spite of all our hopes, the Jets did just what was predicted before the season started.

The Jets started out inconsistent, and then had flashes of greatness, only to be followed by down right poor. They started out 1-2 and then pulled to 3-3, six weeks into the season. That is when all the fans were stirred into a fever pitch when the Jets reeled off five straight wins, climaxed by a road win in Tennessee against the previously 10-0 Titans.

The Jets had a record of 8-3 with sole possession of first place in the AFC East. However, the Jets only won one more game; losing four out of five to close out the season 9-7, just as everyone predicted.

What nobody predicted, is the Miami Dolphins winning the AFC East with an 11-5 record, eliminating the New England Patriots on tie breakers. The Dolphins went from 1-15 the year before, to the playoffs with 29 new players on their roster, including Chad Pennington, cut by the Jets. The Dolphins were a consensus pick to be fourth in the division again, with analyst predicting up to five wins in 2008.

The Dolphins started out 0-2, and clinched the division in the fourth quarter of the last game of the season. Congratulations to the Dolphins and all the other teams that kept us on the edge of our seats for seventeen weeks of the NFL season.

Packers-Bears: Green Bay Is Cursed!

Doug Dwyer — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:16:09 -0500

Watching Monday Night Football, the announcers said Rodger is 0-8 on chances to come back in the fourth quarter. Does Rodgers have trouble closing out games or is it the defense that collapses?

The Packers dominate the beginning of the game going up 14-3 at half time. Bears get a turnover on punt that bounces and hits a Packer blocker. Bears score to close to 14-10. Packers and Bears look sloppy and cold in second half. Kyle Orton throws a pick.

Packers go for it on fourth down and make a first but just add a field goal after getting to the red zone. Packers up 17-10. Orton throws another pick, but Packers do nothing with it. Bears finally pound it down the field, convert on fourth down, and barely pick up the first down inside the 10-yard line. Then they score the TD.

The Bears tied the game with less than three minutes left in the game. Packers get a long kick off return plus a personal foul penalty on the Bears. They are almost in Field Goal range with time ticking down. Rodgers passes for a first down! Just a 30-yard field goal to win. IT'S BLOCKED!!! Bears go into overtime and win it.

Aaron Rodgers is CURSED!

The Packers are CURSED!!!!

The curse of Brett Favre is on. The Packers' CURSE is on. No, no, NO!!!