Aaron Rodgers: 6 Games That Made Green Bay Packers QB a Superstar

As you read this, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL. Rodgers is on pace to throw for 5,100 yards and 50 touchdowns.

He has the Packers off to a 9-0 start, and they look like Super Bowl contenders again. When you look at Rodgers' rise to super-stardom, you must look at his final six games of 2010-2011.

Up until that point of his career, the biggest knock on Rodgers had been his inability to win close games (he was 2-12 in games decided by four points or less). Rodgers turned that around in Week 16 of last year, and he hasn't lost a game since.

To truly appreciate what Rodgers and the Packers are accomplishing this season, I broke down Green Bay’s final six games of last season.

Two of the games were must-win regular season games; the other four were playoff games, including the Super Bowl. They are the six games that made Rodgers an elite quarterback.

Week 16: New York Giants at Green Bay

After losing two straight games on the road (Detroit and New England), the Packers returned to Lambeau Field to face the New York Giants. Rodgers sat out the previous game against New England after suffering a concussion against Detroit.

In a game the Packers needed to keep their playoff hopes alive, Rodgers was spectacular. The Packers dismantled the Giants 45-17 behind Rodgers' monster performance. Rodgers completed 25-of-37 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions. Rodgers’ near flawless performance got the Packers back on track and one game away from clinching the sixth seed in the NFC playoffs.

Week 17: Chicago Bears at Green Bay

 With the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs already in their grasp, the Bears had nothing to play for in the season finale against the Packers. Bears head coach Lovie Smith said he wouldn’t rest his players and stood by his word once the game kicked off. With everything on the line for the Packers, Rodgers was not the same quarterback he was a week earlier.

He completed 19-of-28 passes, managing just 229 yards passing and one interception. But a late touchdown pass to tight end Donald Lee was the difference. The Packers would win the season finale 10-3 on Rodgers’ late touchdown pass, securing them a spot in the postseason.

Wild Card Round: Green Bay at Philadelphia Eagles

 If the sixth-seeded Packers were going to win the Super Bowl, they were going to have to do it on the road. Their first stop was a trip out East to Philadelphia for a matchup with the third-seeded Eagles, who the Packers beat in Week 1.

Rodgers and the Packers offense jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, with Rodgers tossing two first-half touchdowns. He finished 18-of-27 with 180 yards passing, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Packers advance, beating the Eagles 21-16.

Divisional round: Green Bay at Atlanta

With his first playoff win under his belt, Rodgers looked relaxed and locked in against Atlanta. After a sluggish start by the Packers, Rodgers and the offense exploded in the second quarter. Rodgers threw two touchdowns in the quarter and had the Packers off to an early lead. In the second half, Rodgers would add two more scores, one passing and one running. The Packers destroyed the Falcons 48-21 behind Rodgers’ 366 yards passing and four total touchdowns. Rodgers missed just five passes during the game going 31-of-36 and zero interceptions.

NFC Championship: Green Bay at Chicago

For the third time this season, the Packers and Bears were matched up on the gridiron, but this time, a trip to the Super Bowl was on the line. Rodgers struggled against the Bears defense, throwing for 244 yards on 17-of-30 passing.

Rodgers did manage to score a rushing touchdown, but he also made two bad throws that were intercepted. This was by far the worst game for Rodgers during the six-game stretch. But it didn’t matter, the Packers beat the Bears 21-14 and they were headed to Super Bowl XLV.

Super Bowl XLV: Green Bay vs. Pittsburgh

Before the game, everyone talked about the Packers youth versus the Steelers experience. At the age of 28, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had already won two Super Bowls, while Rodgers was new to the big game. Once the game kicked off, Rodgers and the Packers settled into a familiar spot—playing with the lead.

Two touchdown passes by Rodgers in the first half had the Packers up 21-10 at the intermission. In the second half, Rodgers struggled for a stretch during the third quarter but snapped out of it with 5:59 left in the fourth quarter when he threw a 31-yard pass to Greg Jennings on 3rd-and-10.

In my opinion that throw was the biggest throw of Rodgers’ career; if the Packers didn’t convert that third down, the Steelers would have gotten the ball back with just under six minutes to go.

That conversion helped the Packers take an additional four minutes off the clock before kicking a field goal that gave them a six-point lead. Rodgers was the clear choice for MVP in this game, throwing for 304 yards on 24-of-39 passes. He also protected the football extremely well, throwing three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

I believe the best way to judge a quarterback is how well they perform in big games. During the final six games of the 2010-2011 season, Rodgers was 134-of-197 (68 percent) for 1,727 yards, 16 total touchdowns (14 passing, two rushing) and three interceptions (all against the Bears).

Rodgers has clearly proven he can win the big game, and this season, he's showing even more confidence, which is a scary thought.