Packers vs. Falcons: Why Aaron Rodgers Is Light Years Beyond Matt Ryan

The Green Bay Packers moved to 5-0 Sunday night with a gritty 25-14 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was predictably fantastic for the Packers as he led his team back after a disappointing first half.

Last night, Rodgers once again showed why he is among the best quarterbacks in the NFL, while his counterpart, Matt Ryan, showed that he has a long way to go before he is at Rodgers' level.

Rodgers finished Sunday night's contest completing 26-of-39 passes for 396 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He hit 12 different receivers, spreading the ball around in a way that made Green Bay's offense almost impossibly to defend. The seven-year veteran was incredibly accurate on the evening, and he was a few Jermichael Finley drops from having an even bigger night.

Everyone knows Ryan is incredibly talented and has all the tools to be a very successful quarterback in the NFL. The No. 3 pick from the 2008 NFL draft completed 18-of-32 passes for 167 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Ryan managed to get the ball to just six receivers, and his quarterback rating of 55.1 was incredibly disappointing.

Through the his first three seasons, Ryan put up very good numbers, but this year has seen his numbers drop off. On the season, he has completed 120-of-196 passes (61.2) for 1,302 yards, with seven touchdowns and six interceptions. He finished 2010 with a quarterback rating of 91.0, and this year he is down to 79.9.

While Ryan has been incredibly successful through his first three seasons, last night's game showed that he isn't yet among the NFL's elite quarterbacks. Rodgers is light years ahead of Ryan right now, and he might be the best quarterback in the NFL.