Green Bay Packers: Gutsy Effort Shows Why Aaron Rodgers Is Best QB in NFL

It is always said that the great players come out in big games.  Well, if that’s the case, then Aaron Rodgers is definitely a great player. 

On Sunday, playing against the division rival Detroit Lions with a first-round bye on the line, it took a gritty effort by Rodgers to clinch the NFC North.

Rodgers initially injured his calf against the Buccaneers the week before, and he left the game before halftime against the Lions after he landed awkwardly on his calf on a touchdown pass in the second quarter. 

When the star quarterback left the game, his Packers led 14-0.  Midway through the third quarter, the score was tied 14-14.  So Rodgers did what winners do: He fought through the pain and returned to the game.

On his first possession, he led the Packers right down the field for a touchdown to retake the lead.  He threaded the needle twice on the drive, both big completions to Randall Cobb.  The first was a 29-yard pass that got Green Bay into the red zone, and then after two running plays, Rodgers found Cobb in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown that gave the Packers a 21-14 lead.

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A few drives later, Rodgers capped off a nine-play, 42-yard touchdown drive with a decisive one-yard scoring plunge that put the Packers ahead for good.

It is this type of determination that seals the deal that Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL.  A case could be made for Peyton Manning or Tom Brady that they are the best at their position, but Rodgers has shown that he is just a step above.

Rodgers doesn’t air it out as much as some other quarterbacks around the league do thanks to the consistent running threat of Eddie Lacy, but he has amassed some stellar stats nonetheless.  He has thrown for 4,381 yards, which ranks seventh in the NFL, despite throwing only the 13th-most pass attempts.

He has completed 65.6 percent of his passes and has taken care of the ball better than any other signal-caller in the NFL.  He has thrown only five interceptions all season, which is the fewest number of picks of anyone in the league with at least 300 pass attempts.

And while playing inside the friendly confines of Lambeau Field, he has been nearly flawless, throwing 25 touchdown passes and zero interceptions.  As a quarterback, he has the entire package.  He has a strong, accurate arm, he is a very good decision-maker and he has enough speed to scramble effectively when he needs to.

He also has a phenomenal 112.2 passer rating, per ESPN.com, which ranks second in the NFL behind only Tony Romo, who had the best season of his professional career. 

Manning and Brady are both losing a bit of their edge as the years go by, but Rodgers is in his prime and playing the best football of his life.  His QBR is the second-highest of his career, behind only his MVP-winning season in 2011.

His coach, Mike McCarthy, insists that Rodgers is “much better” than he was in 2011.  He was very complimentary of Rodgers in a quote via Fox Sports. 

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Aaron is a much better player today than he was in 2011.  His responsibility has increased a lot since then.  So, what he does during the course of the week, during the course of the game, at the line of scrimmage, the communications between (QB coach) Alex Van Pelt and myself, he is, in my opinion, watching him grow throughout his career, he’s clearly a better player.

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His improvement in the mental side of the game is nice, but both Brady and Manning are revered for their pre-snap decisions and ability to read defenses.  Where Rodgers really separates himself is in the running game.

He is deceptively quick and can scramble for first downs better than most other quarterbacks in the NFL. 

Rodgers has rushed for 648 yards in the past three seasons.  In that same amount of time, Brady has 107 rushing yards and Manning has failed to record positive yards on the ground (-49).  Rodgers played only nine games last year because of an injury, so he likely would have amassed more yards in a full 16-game season.

That stat is not to make Brady or Manning look bad; running the ball is not their metier.  It just shows how truly great Rodgers is.  He can do things that nobody else can.

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Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III are known as running quarterbacks, but they have both struggled to throw the ball consistently.  Rodgers, on the other hand, is known as a tremendous pocket passer, but he can also contribute to the offense with his legs.

It is for this reason that Rodgers is in a league of his own when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks.  He can throw the ball from the pocket, throw the ball on the run and scramble if he needs to.

He is more than likely going to win his second MVP award for his outstanding efforts this year, and it is well deserved.  Rodgers is the best player at the most scrutinized position in football.

He has the talent to retain that title for a long time, and his display of perseverance against the Lions on Sunday only strengthens his case.