Packers gaining confidence in Rodgers' strong arm

[Partial]

I don't care what they say he can do--they said Favre could do that on his knees. Dude's gotta be able to get it to the receiver. Until he does, he's not special.

I don't believe that. I've never been super impressed with his distance. Its his insane velocity that he gets on a line that is so impressive. Some of those guys can chuck it farther than Favre, but I doubt they can fire a harder laser.

[Partial]

The guys that can really chuck the ball a long way to my knowledge are:

Favre
The raider dude
Culpepper
Leftwich
Boller

I don't think any of those guys can get a ball out nearly as fast as Favre, or can throw a laser like him. There is a HUGE difference between taking several steps and a huge wind-up and chucking it a long way versus doing it against a pass rush with a quick release in a ball game. Take a look at their combine NFL records and you'll see what I mean!! Those guys, while having an arm that can make all the throws when there isn't a rush, have yet to show that they can in game consistently.

Give me Favre any day when I need someday to rifle a ball.

[RashanGary]

Good point, Partial. I don't know if I agree that Favre still throws and elite level laser, but his quick release, strong arm (not elite at all), damn good fundementals and top tier decision making made him great last year. Early in his career it was his rocket arm and brute strength that allowed him to get away from defenders. The Favre last year was a very different QB of the Favre 15 years ago but similarly effective. Rodgers is going ot have to play more like the 39 year old Favre than the 24 year old Favre because Rodgers just doesn't have the phsyical skills of a young Favre. He might be a step up from the old Favre physically though. His teammates seem to think so as well so it's not that far fetched.

[Tarlam!]

but realize that Arod is more likely to be gone in two years than he is to make a probowl.

I was nodding in agreement until I got to the above. Sharpe, are you speculating Brohm is the future of this Franchise?

[GrnBay007]

I don't take offense. I know many Favre fans use Favre as a way to measure their own self esteem (odd, I know). It doesn't suprise me that y'all don't see the drop off and it doesn't suprise me that y'all get offended when it is brought up.

Reality though, Favre's arm is no longer top 5. It's very good. So is Rodgers. Don't hate the messenger. Just deal with the message like men.

ODD is this train of thought....

I know many Favre fans use Favre as a way to measure their own self esteem

Where do you come up with this stuff?

[HarveyWallbangers]

I bet you could go to NFL.com and look at the highlights of the guys Harrell mentioned, and you wouldn't find four highlights for many of them making some of throws Favre made last year. The laser to Driver in the back of the endzone at the Giants early in the year. The throw along the right sideline to James Jones for a TD at Minnesota. The ~57 yard throw to Jennings at Denver in OT off the back foot (you can argue whether he needed to make it off his back foot, but that's another issue). The throw to Jennings at Kansas City off his back foot for the game winning TD (this one he probably needed to throw off his back foot because the blitz was coming). That took great arm strength to throw it up there using all arm. Those weren't even his hardest throws, but those are four that you can probably see in the highlights at NFL.com.

[Stevogbfan]

Very good:
Carson Palmer
Ben Rothlisburger
Alex Smith
Jason Cambell
Matt Hasselback
Tom Brady
Tony Romo
Donavan McNabb
Brett Favre
Byron Leftwich
Tavaris Jackson
Aaron Rodgers
JP Losman

This list is laughable.

I would laugh if I thought he was joking.

he has to be joking... his "Special" qb have hardly played and his "very good" qb's have ben, matt, tom, donavan and brett on the list... superbowl qb's
let's not forget, brett is the only 3 time mvp ever

[MJZiggy]

God I hate the offseason.

[Scott Campbell]

...........but his (Favre's) quick release, strong arm (not elite at all), damn good fundementals................

Did I just read Favre and damn good fundementals together in the same sentence?

[MJZiggy]

Apparently the guys are right: he doesn't know much about football.

[RashanGary]

So far Partial is the only guy who's made a reasonable arguement that seemed to be relatively objective in nature and based on last year not reputiation. I think he was a little influenced (believing Favre throws rockets so believing he saw it, not simply observing it). Still, it had more to do with quick release and a wide array of skills than it did with brute physical skill (arm and strength, although he was still good in those departments as well) and I think that is a very good description of old man Favre. It's not a very good description of young man Favre (the one who's reputation blinded people from seeing the good decision maker, fundementally sound, protypical smart QB) that played last year.

[bobblehead]

Very good:
Carson Palmer
Ben Rothlisburger
Alex Smith
Jason Cambell
Matt Hasselback
Tom Brady
Tony Romo
Donavan McNabb
Brett Favre
Byron Leftwich
Tavaris Jackson
Aaron Rodgers
JP Losman

This list is laughable.

I would laugh if I thought he was joking.

he has to be joking... his "Special" qb have hardly played and his "very good" qb's have ben, matt, tom, donavan and brett on the list... superbowl qb's
let's not forget, brett is the only 3 time mvp ever

Without getting into the rest of the arguement, for the second time....He is talking ARM STRENGTH and nothing else. And you deleted the top two from the list which makes the quote completely pointless, or at a bare minimum changes the point.

[bobblehead]

Special:
Jay Cutler
Jamarcus Russell



Very good:
Carson Palmer
Ben Rothlisburger
Alex Smith
Jason Cambell
Matt Hasselback
Tom Brady
Tony Romo
Donavan McNabb
Brett Favre
Byron Leftwich
Tavaris Jackson
Aaron Rodgers
JP Losman



There is a very small, elite class that can throw harder than anyone else. Favre used to be the leader of that pack, now he's right with the pack. Rodgers is right with the pack too. There should be very little drop off in arm strength. I've watched the Dallas game several times and Rodgers threw the ball just as hard as Favre, if not harder. Don't ask me though, Jennings and Jones probably know more than any of us and they say Rodgers throws harder.

I know this hurts people like someone was questioning their religion, but Favre is a human being and like all other people, his physical skills eroded from age 24 to age 39. It's just part of this reality thing we live in. Any one of you (or all of you) can join me if you let down your defenses enough to see it.

To be honest this list destroys your credibility; there are a lot of sub par arms on your very good list that Favre is well above. If you actually think that is accurate it's hard to even begin reasoning.

IMO hasselback is the only one who has a subpar arm on that list. I can't say about campbell because I don't recall him, I watched a game or two of his, but didn't notice him really. Every other arm on that list is above average, and the top 2 are probably the strogest dart shooters in the league at this point. I would even go so far as saying Favre, Losman, and McNabb are a tad above the rest in the next list, but not enough to matter anymore.

[GrnBay007]

Lucky us. We went from having the strongest arm in the NFL to having the strongest arm in the NFL. We beat all odds on that one.

I just really need to know.......are you basing all this on the Dallas game?
Other than the Dallas game how could you possibly have anything to base this statement on. AND, if you are making a comment on a QB's future based on one game, I'd say you are kinda out there.

Is it really so bad to be a Packer fan and taking the wait and see stance? Seems all you want to do is dog Favre and pimp Rodgers. Trust me, no one thinks less of those that are hopeful but skeptical this year....it's natural.

[RashanGary]

Young Favre

Dumb
Can't read defenses
Doesn't fully understand offense
Fun teammate
Humble
Took a lot of sacks and got up smiling
Believed in his guys
Bad decision maker
Legendary arm
Strong as a horse and able to break tackles
Tough as a hell



Old Favre

Good footwork (except when needing to pass while avoiding rush)
Very good ablity to read defenses presnap
Very good understanding of offense
Very good arm (In the pack of good NFL arms, not above the pack at all)
Strong enough to avoid some tackles and escape when needed
Affraid of contact and rarely took sacks (even when he should have at times)
Knew how to make all of the throws (touch and hard ones when needed)
Average teammate
Stubborn
Ornary



All in all, Favre became teh complete QB. My biggest complaint was that I don't think he really wanted to play at the end. He'd rather be at home than practicing with his teammates. I understand, but some guys want to be there and those are the guys I like to watch. He did everything well and still had a few of the classic Favreisms (like such as ability to fall back and throw in face of pass rush and ability to sense pressure and avoid the hit while making a play. He wasn't the bad ass Favre of yesteryear that went out and just threw it through the wall. He was more like Brady, Manning and Rothlisburger in that he did it the way it was taught more often than not. I'm a big audio clip guy and a resounding theme from opposing coaches was that MM really got him to play within hismelf and that he's really become a more sound QB. He was a different QB, similar to a pitcher who got by on 99 mph stuff but developed into an all around stud in his mid 30's. It's really not an insult. It's reality.