Is Aaron Rodgers even better than Brett Favre?
In case you hadn't noticed, the kid is pretty good.
His 117.8 quarterback rating, 253 yards per game, 2 touchdowns per game, and no interceptions only tell half the story. The way he carries himself on the field and how his teammates seem so eager to follow him tells the rest of the story.
In case you hadn't noticed, he's better at this point in his career than the guy he replaced. That's not to say he's better than Brett Favre ever was, but he's certainly better than Brett Favre is today.
Inarguably better. Much, much better.
The Packers, a team some believed would struggle without Favre, are going to be even better without him. Aaron Rodgers just brings more to the table than the 2008 version of Brett Favre.
There are a lot of people in Green Bay who owe Packer management an apology. They were right — all of the fan-owners were wrong.
Aaron Rodgers is the right guy to lead this Packers team.
No matter how much pressure he faces in the playoffs, can it possibly compare to what he went through in Week 1? The fans were ready to boo him. They wanted to jump all over him. They wanted Brett Favre back.
But Rodgers played his was into their good graces. They wanted to boo him, but they were too busy cheering him.
Think the Dallas Cowboys or the New York Giants in January are going to put more pressure on him than he felt that day?
Neither do I.
Why is Chad Pennington starting for the Dolphins?
I could understand starting Pennington over John Beck and Chad Henne if the Dolphins had even a remote chance at making the playoffs this season.
But this team is not making the playoffs. They'll be lucky to win five games. So why not play the rookies?
I, personally, have seen enough of John Beck. I'd like to see Chad Henne get some reps.
This is a team that should be building for the future, not worrying about adding a win or two to this season.
How does Matt Millen still have a job?
Have you seen the Lions' defense? They might be the worst defensive unit in NFL history.
Millen took over as CEO and GM of the Lions in 2000. It's now 2008. The Lions are arguably worse off today than they were when he took over — and that's saying something!
In between drafting wide receivers, he's done absolutely nothing to fill the holes in this team. His defense has actually managed to get worse every season. His offense has taken some dramatic steps back this season.
When John Kitna is your best move as a GM, you probably shouldn't be a GM.
Is Vince Young a bust?
With the latest news about Vince Young being an emotional, and potentially suicidal wreck after the Tennessee fans booed him in the season-opener, is it time to admit that Vince Young as a bust as a professional quarterback?
He's a terrible passer. He's a pretty good running back, but like most running backs masquerading as quarterbacks, he has trouble staying healthy because of all the hits he takes.
Yes, the Titans made the playoffs last year. But you can make a pretty good argument that they did it in spite of him, not because of him.
As a quarterback in the NFL, you're supposed to start making strides in your third season. Young looks just as bad in the pocket as he did the day he was drafted.
Maybe he'll prove me wrong, but I'm ready to declare the Vince Young experience a failure.
Sean Crowe is a senior writer for Bleacher Report and writes a column for Sports Central every other Thursday. You can read more articles by Sean Crowe on his blog.
September 19, 2008
Deanna:
Rodgers is having a great start and has handled himself well. Good for him.
Favre is doing fine but lets be honest, their is an age difference here. Does Favre look right in a Jets uniform? Absolutely not.
Reality check - it’s only week 2. Rodgers is no Favre when it comes to injury recovery so if he gets injured, the Packers season is pretty much down the tubes.
Nobody needs to apologize to Packers management because no matter what way you look at it, they handled it poorly. The sooner the ego of Ted Thompson is gone, the better.
September 20, 2008
Mike Round:
Deanna
How did Packer management handle the Favre situation badly? Please explain!
To anybody besides the Favre family or Favre-obsessives, the team did exactly what they needed to do. He retired so the team moved on. He changed his mind (more than once) but the team stood by Rodgers, just as they should. They asked for a draft pick for him rather than just release him, as they should.
Favre’s bleating and blubbering doesn’t mean he was hard done by. If you want to talk ego’s, take a look at Favre’s before you take a shot at Thompson.
No player, Favre included, is bigger than the Green Bay Packers organization, which is consistently one of the best run and classiest franchises in the NFL.
Go Pack!
September 20, 2008
Andrew Jones:
Rodgers is a good player. He demonstrates something that players like Matt Leinart, Tavaris Jackson, Vince Young, and many other young QBs have failed to demonstrate, a willingness to learn under a veteran with a humble attitude. And more importantly, when given the opportunity to play, to play well. Time will tell on Rodgers, but he’s already shown far greater professionalism than the majority of the young QBs that are currently in the league.
September 20, 2008
Jim:
Let’s be honest…Favre is weeks into a new offense, obviously with a coaching staff who not only don’t fully understand what he brings to the table, but also follow a very conservative approach to games. Anyone watching the Pats/Jets game can’t possibly argue that.
Rodgers has done well so far…no doubt about it, but you honestly have to reserve judgment until after the Dallas game. Yes, he looked great…against the Lions. He looked good in his first game against a Vikings team with a quarterback who racked up what, 6 yards the entire first half, posting similar numbers to Favre’s first start w/the Jets (who had the experienced QB he replaced at the helm). Let’s ignore the fact that Favre was playing with an entirely new team and only weeks of knowledge of an entirely new playbook and nowhere near the receiver quality. To even think the handicaps Favre faced were off-set by the pressure Rodgers had to overcome is insane.
Much, much better? You might want to look again.
No apology is needed to the Packers management, they could’ve done exactly what the Jet’s did for Pennington…release him & let him sign with any team he wanted out of respect for what he had done there. However, management was too scared of running into Favre their first game. The Jet’s, on the other hand, had confidence their new QB & weren’t worried about running into their old QB, which they did in week 1.
For all the lip service Pack management gave backing Rodgers, in the end, the though of Rodgers vs Favre was just too risky to their jobs…so pin the drama on Brett all ya like. That’s just what the Packers did to save face. Their actions spoke louder though.
September 21, 2008
gman:
Well… .Vince Young may not be the best natural quarterback, but he is one of the best athletes on the Titan team. I disagree with the assessment that Tennessee won in spite of Young. How can a quarterback both be expected to accept responsibilities for losses but not given credit for his team’s success? Illogical. Like all coaches, it is up to the head coach to adapt his team’s offense to fit his talent. This is true for Young as well. When he and rest of backfield is running well, then the passing game opens up nicely for the Titans. Take a look at tape from last year.
Besides, most quarterbacks do not perform to their potential until their 3rd or 4th season. That includes John Elway, Farvre, Marino, etc.
p.s. I am not necessarily a Titans fan, Just think people can be a little too eager to jump on the media bandwagon.
September 21, 2008
Darnell E. Patton:
Rogers stats maybe better, but that doesn’t make him better. Rogers has been in the Green Bay system for 3 years. He was already set up for instant success. In Favre’s case, he wasn’t set up for instant success with the Jets. If Rogers would’ve went to a new system that he knew nothing about, I think his stats would be a lot different. I admit, he is playing good right now, but you can’t compare 2 games to 18 years.