Aaron Rodgers Can Add Even More to His Legacy in Seattle

It seems all people want to talk about regarding the Green Bay Packers' thrilling 26-21 win over the Dallas Cowboys is the non-catch by Dez Bryant with 4:42 left in the game.

True, that was a key point in the contest. But there were many other key points in that terrific game Sunday at Lambeau Field.

How about the forced fumble of Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray by Packers outside linebacker Julius Peppers early in the second half just as it appeared that Murray would be on his way to a long touchdown run in the third quarter?

If Murray doesn't fumble and scores, the Packers would have been down 21-10.

But to me, the Packers don't beat the Cowboys without the sparkling performance of quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the second half. Rodgers was playing with a strained calf muscle for the third straight game.

It was a tale of two halves for No. 12. In the first half, Rodgers completed nine of 15 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown, and the Packers trailed 14-10 at halftime.

In the second half, Rodgers really got in the groove, especially after the Cowboys went up 21-13 with a little more than four minutes to go in the third quarter.

Rodgers completed 15 of 20 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns in final half. He also completed 10 straight passes to end the game, as the Cowboys never got the ball back after Bryant's non-catch.

When it was all said and done, Rodgers completed 24 of 35 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns for the game. That adds up to a 125.4 passer rating.

Again, all this was done with a bad left calf. But even with that injury for the past three games, Rodgers has performed admirably.

Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the game in which he injured his calf, Rodgers threw for 318 yards and one touchdown. No. 12's passer rating for the game in Tampa was 108.1.

The following week against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field, a game in which the victor would win the NFC North crown, Rodgers had to leave the game for awhile due to his calf injury flaring up.

Even with that, Rodgers threw for 226 yards and two more touchdowns. The passer rating for Rodgers in that game was 139.6.

Scott Eklund/Associated Press

The test will now get even tougher for Rodgers and the Packers. On Sunday, they will play the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, at CenturyLink Field in the NFC Championship Game.

The Packers and Rodgers started their 2014 regular season there and were beaten 36-16. Rodgers did not have a stellar game, as he only threw for 189 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

But the Packers are a different team now than they were on September 4 of last year on both offense and defense.

The game Sunday will also feature the two top-rated postseason passers in the history of the NFL.

Believe it or not, former Wisconsin Badger Russell Wilson of the Seahawks is now the top-rated passer of all time in the postseason. Wilson's rating is 109.6.

Right behind him is Rodgers, who has a 105.3 rating. Rodgers was able to pass former Packers great Bart Starr (104.8) after the performance against Dallas last Sunday.

Both Wilson and Rodgers have hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Whoever wins Sunday in Seattle will get that same opportunity on February 1 in Arizona.

If Rodgers can somehow put together another great performance in Seattle, bad calf and all, and the Packers can advance to Super Bowl XLIX, his legacy will grow even larger.

We are talking about a player who has thrown 226 touchdown passes versus just 57 picks for 28,578 yards in his career. That adds up to the best passer rating in the regular season in NFL history, a mark of 106.0.

Rodgers has also won the NFL MVP award in 2011 and looks to be the favorite to win the award again in 2014.

Rodgers was also the MVP of Super Bowl XLV.

He has led the Packers to the postseason for six consecutive years, and the team has won four straight NFC North titles under him.

That's quite a legacy.

With a win Sunday against the Seahawks, the legend of No. 12 will grow even bigger.