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Let's be fair: Rodgers was ready
Kevin Seifert, ESPN.com
Nothing seemed fair or right or particularly well-vetted during the summer-long saga that ended with Aaron Rodgers atop the Green Bay Packers' depth chart at quarterback. So why start now? In the spirit of apples and oranges, we present to you the key numbers for Rodgers and the man he replaced:
* Rodgers: 117.8 passer rating, 2-0 record
* Brett Favre: 104.1 rating, 1-1 record with the New York Jets
All summer, Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy were asked why they thought the team was better off with Rodgers. But the question missed the point. To Thompson and McCarthy, the issue was moot: They were convinced their team could win with either quarterback.
Their publicly mangled stance drew criticism around the NFL. Two games don't make a season, but today it's only fair to point out the Packers couldn't have opened the season any better under Favre. Rodgers has made a near-flawless debut, in the process making Thompson and McCarthy look like football soothsayers.
On the eve of the season, here is how McCarthy articulated his sense of transition: "I definitely feel we will win with Aaron Rodgers." Speaking to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, McCarthy added:
"I guess I'm going to have to continue answering this question until we reach the point where it's evident to everybody that we made the right move, and I understand that. I don't disagree with everybody's concern, but that's the reality of the position. I think we have a quarterback that's taken advantage of a great opportunity to learn from a Hall of Fame quarterback in front of him. He's prepared for this opportunity, and it's time."
Now, it's much more evident for everyone after Rodgers completed 42 of his first 60 passes this season for 506 yards and four touchdowns. He has demonstrated a deep knowledge of the Packers' offense, an arm that can get the ball anywhere on the field and surprising agility outside of the pocket. In the quarterback-deficient NFC North, Rodgers has needed only two games to establish himself as the class of the division.
"We understand why people would have the questions," right tackle Mark Tauscher said. "He hadn't played yet. But we've always thought Aaron could do the job for us. We've seen it every day around here."
Most public concerns about Rodgers centered not on a perceived deficiency -- other than a name that doesn't rhyme with "Barve" -- but rather a lack of empirical evidence. The reality is no one had seen him play a full game since his final season at Cal in 2004. The only people with a true comfort level were Thompson, McCarthy and the rest of the Packers' staff. And they were essentially unanimous in the belief that if Favre didn't return for 2008, Rodgers could run their offense at a high level.
While they kept things relatively basic in the opener against Minnesota, the Packers noticeably took off the training wheels Sunday at Detroit, throwing 38 passes out of all kinds of personnel groupings. McCarthy, in fact, publicly linked Rodgers to his aggressive game plan.
"We kept pushing the envelope," McCarthy said, "and I think that speaks volumes about the coaches and everybody having confidence in Aaron to stay aggressive."
Rodgers is comfortable enough with the Packers' playbook that he has been able to improvise a touchdown out of a busted alignment on at least one occasion, displaying the instincts and moxie that made Favre so successful.
Early Sunday in Detroit, Rodgers walked to the line of scrimmage and noticed running back Brandon Jackson was lined up on the wrong side of the formation. He looked to the other side and saw tight end Donald Lee in the wrong spot and coming in motion.
The ball was at the Lions' 9-yard line. McCarthy had called a play Rodgers thought would work. The play clock was winding down, so rather than burn a timeout, Rodgers decided to run the play out of the wrong alignment.
As he told the story after the game, Rodgers saw Greg Jennings wide open in the end zone and fired the ball. Fellow receiver James Jones ran in front of Jennings and snagged the ball for the score.
To summarize: Wrong alignment. Unintended receiver. Touchdown. Some might call it lucky, but it stemmed from a cool and well-schooled quarterback making a snap decision you wouldn't expect from a first-year starter.
After watching him practice for three years, however, the Packers were among the few who knew he could pull it off.
"I think some of my success can be attributed not only to my work ethic that I put in the offseason," Rodgers said, "but [also] really the three years of growth that I've been able to learn behind one of the greatest quarterback to ever lace them up. And to not really have any pressure on me for three years to learn the offense and also defenses. I think you're kind of seeing that by-product."
Now, that's fair to say.
Kevin Seifert, ESPN.com
Nothing seemed fair or right or particularly well-vetted during the summer-long saga that ended with Aaron Rodgers atop the Green Bay Packers' depth chart at quarterback. So why start now? In the spirit of apples and oranges, we present to you the key numbers for Rodgers and the man he replaced:
* Rodgers: 117.8 passer rating, 2-0 record
* Brett Favre: 104.1 rating, 1-1 record with the New York Jets
All summer, Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy were asked why they thought the team was better off with Rodgers. But the question missed the point. To Thompson and McCarthy, the issue was moot: They were convinced their team could win with either quarterback.
Their publicly mangled stance drew criticism around the NFL. Two games don't make a season, but today it's only fair to point out the Packers couldn't have opened the season any better under Favre. Rodgers has made a near-flawless debut, in the process making Thompson and McCarthy look like football soothsayers.
On the eve of the season, here is how McCarthy articulated his sense of transition: "I definitely feel we will win with Aaron Rodgers." Speaking to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, McCarthy added:
"I guess I'm going to have to continue answering this question until we reach the point where it's evident to everybody that we made the right move, and I understand that. I don't disagree with everybody's concern, but that's the reality of the position. I think we have a quarterback that's taken advantage of a great opportunity to learn from a Hall of Fame quarterback in front of him. He's prepared for this opportunity, and it's time."
Now, it's much more evident for everyone after Rodgers completed 42 of his first 60 passes this season for 506 yards and four touchdowns. He has demonstrated a deep knowledge of the Packers' offense, an arm that can get the ball anywhere on the field and surprising agility outside of the pocket. In the quarterback-deficient NFC North, Rodgers has needed only two games to establish himself as the class of the division.
"We understand why people would have the questions," right tackle Mark Tauscher said. "He hadn't played yet. But we've always thought Aaron could do the job for us. We've seen it every day around here."
Most public concerns about Rodgers centered not on a perceived deficiency -- other than a name that doesn't rhyme with "Barve" -- but rather a lack of empirical evidence. The reality is no one had seen him play a full game since his final season at Cal in 2004. The only people with a true comfort level were Thompson, McCarthy and the rest of the Packers' staff. And they were essentially unanimous in the belief that if Favre didn't return for 2008, Rodgers could run their offense at a high level.
While they kept things relatively basic in the opener against Minnesota, the Packers noticeably took off the training wheels Sunday at Detroit, throwing 38 passes out of all kinds of personnel groupings. McCarthy, in fact, publicly linked Rodgers to his aggressive game plan.
"We kept pushing the envelope," McCarthy said, "and I think that speaks volumes about the coaches and everybody having confidence in Aaron to stay aggressive."
Rodgers is comfortable enough with the Packers' playbook that he has been able to improvise a touchdown out of a busted alignment on at least one occasion, displaying the instincts and moxie that made Favre so successful.
Early Sunday in Detroit, Rodgers walked to the line of scrimmage and noticed running back Brandon Jackson was lined up on the wrong side of the formation. He looked to the other side and saw tight end Donald Lee in the wrong spot and coming in motion.
The ball was at the Lions' 9-yard line. McCarthy had called a play Rodgers thought would work. The play clock was winding down, so rather than burn a timeout, Rodgers decided to run the play out of the wrong alignment.
As he told the story after the game, Rodgers saw Greg Jennings wide open in the end zone and fired the ball. Fellow receiver James Jones ran in front of Jennings and snagged the ball for the score.
To summarize: Wrong alignment. Unintended receiver. Touchdown. Some might call it lucky, but it stemmed from a cool and well-schooled quarterback making a snap decision you wouldn't expect from a first-year starter.
After watching him practice for three years, however, the Packers were among the few who knew he could pull it off.
"I think some of my success can be attributed not only to my work ethic that I put in the offseason," Rodgers said, "but [also] really the three years of growth that I've been able to learn behind one of the greatest quarterback to ever lace them up. And to not really have any pressure on me for three years to learn the offense and also defenses. I think you're kind of seeing that by-product."
Now, that's fair to say.
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