Is Rogers Really Outplaying Number Four?

Is Aaron Rodgers really outplaying Brett Favre this season?

There are a lot of football fans who are jumping on the bandwagon of Aaron Rodgers this season and even Packer fans who would say Rodgers is wiping out the memory of Favre...

This article is for you.

To start let's keep in mind who Aaron  Rodgers is playing with, who he has played against this season, and how many games he has played. Now let's compare that to who Brett Favre is playing with, who he has played against, how many games he has played.

Aaron Rodgers' big debut came on a nationally televised, Monday night showdown, against the puking purple Minnesota Adrian Peterson's. If that isn't pressure enough, keep in mind the last time that Minnesota came to Green Bay on a Monday night - Antonio Freeman with the "You couldn't script that in a movie" catch in OT.

So how did Rodgers play? Well, he performed like Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson said he would: he managed the game, through some touchdowns and appeared to lead the Packers to victory.

From a different perspective he only through 22 times, threw a lot of routine throws, in which Greg Jennings and Driver caught and ran for yards, and got credited for a rushing TD after the O-line created a hole the size of a truck for Ryan Grant to run through on the previous play.

On a third down with three minutes to go, the Packers only up five, and the ball on their own side of the field, McCarthy calls a running play in which they do not convert. What does that tell you about your quarterback? You would rather your defense try to stop the greatest phenom since Barry Sanders and a Michael Vick type quarterback than your quarterback throw the ball with the game on the line. What would the play call have been with Brett Favre? My guess is five wide with five different options, quick slant, button hook, pump and go deep or Brett might even running for it.

Sure Rodgers got out of the pocket and made some throws, but he's doesn't keep his eyes down the field. He's spotting someone at the last second and throwing it against a pathetic secondary.

Now the Detroit Lions. Right now, can you name one player on that entire Lions secondary................... TIMES UP! Didn't think so. The last decent player on that Detroit defense was Shaun Rogers who was traded to the Cleveland Browns on the off-season. Sure Rodgers threw for over 300 yards and 3 TD strikes; sure he scrambled out of the pocket when it was collapsing and made the throw; sure he ran the ball a little bit and remained calm, but my perspective is still the same.

Again a lot of those plays were run and catches by the wide outs, he had 5-10 seconds on two thirds of the entire game to find a receiver, and when he did roll out he doesn't keep his eyes down field and I'd still give more credit to the receivers for getting open after the initial called play for Rodgers to throw to.

With the game on the line did Rodgers make the game-changing play? No, again it was the defense in the fourth quarter who made John Kitna look like a pop-werner child. Don't get me wrong, it was the defense who put themselves in that situation, I would agree, but whereas everyone on the sideline knew that the game was in Brett's hands, everyone on the Packers' sideline knows that the game is in the hands of the defense when it comes down to it.

Again, don't get me wrong, its not that I haven't been impressed with Rodgers because I absolutely have, but I still have yet to see him make a play under a lot of pressure, develop a deep chemistry with all the players on the sideline, deal with an injury to Driver, Jennings, or James Jones, win the game when its on the line, and although it is debatable, be the kind of subtle, but play-making leader the Favre was and is.

I really think that tonight against the Dallas Cowboys will be a great test for the guy. I hope he performs well, but also keep in mind his history of stepping-on-the-field and getting injured. While I still don't think that they have the best defense in the league, Dallas will for sure bring a lot of pressure, and while I don't expect him to play perfect or even win the game, I think a lot of people will see if Rodgers can really replace our always #4.