Best-Aaron Rodgers QB Green Bay Packers-32-44 364YDS 4TD 0INT 92.9QBR 127.5RTG 1CAR 2YDS
Over the offseason, one of the dominant headlines was whether or not Aaron Rodgers had finally reached the end of his career. Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks of all time but hasn’t hit 30 touchdowns the past two seasons. Last season, the Packers switched over to a run-based team and drafted a QB with their first-round draft pick. Considering that Rodgers and the Packers have a more immediate need for a WR, it gave the impression that the Packers were more concerned with longer-term plans, sans Rodgers. However, Rodgers came out on Sunday and showed that he is not ready to give up the reigns anytime soon.
Rodgers fell to the Packers at pick 24 in the 2005 draft. That year, Rodgers was considered one of the top quarterbacks and had hoped to be taken number one by his boyhood team, the San Francisco 49ers. But the 49ers passed on Rodgers, and he fell to the Packers. It was this slight that has fueled much of Rodger’s career.
The Packers have been known to lack in a bed-side manner when it comes to the QB transition. In 1992, the Packers acquired Brett Favre in the offseason, after their QB Don Majkowski had a bad year. Majkowski injured his ankle during a game, and Favre took over as the Packers’ QB. Favre enjoyed his career in Green Bay until he had a bad season in 2005. Head Coach Mike Sherman was replaced with Mike McCarthy, and rumors of the future Hall of Fame QB dominated the news cycle for the next two seasons. Favre announced his retirement in 2008 only to unretire a few months later, but it was too late. Aaron Rodgers had already taken the job.
Even though Rodgers put up good stats in 2018, the Packers had a bad season. They fired Head Coach Mike McCarthy and hired Matt LeFleur for the 2019 season. I can’t help but wonder if Matt LaFleur is to Aaron Rodgers as Mike McCarthey was to Brett Farve. New coach, new system, new QB.
Rodgers looks like he has accepted this new challenge of proving to the league that he is still one of the best QB’s. And there are few things more dangerous than a motivated Aaron Rodgers. On Sunday, Rodgers was laser-focused on the destruction of the Minnesota Vikings, 43-34. Rodgers may not be the same QB he once was, but Sunday proved that when he wants to take over and win a game, he is still one of the best QBs in the league.
Other Notables: Josh Jacobs RB Raiders-25CAR 93YDS 3TD 4REC 46YDS; Davante Adams WR Packers-14REC 17TGTS 156YDS 2TD; Mark Andrews TE Ravens-5REC 6TGTS 58YDS 2TD; Russell Wilson QB Seahawks-31-35 322YDS 4TD 0INT 87.5QBR 143.1RTG 3CAR 29YDS; Lamar Jackson QB Ravens-20-25 275YDS 3TD 0INT 94.1QBR 152.1RTG 7CAR 45YDS.
Worst-Ryan Fitzpatrick QB Miami Dolphins-20-30 191YDS 0TD 3INT 72.6QBR 44.6RTG 5CAR 18YDS
Ryan Fitzpatrick was anything but magical for the Miami Dolphins when they lost to the New England Patriots, 21-11, on Sunday. The Dolphins hung around for as long as possible, but Fitzpatrick kept giving the ball right back to the Patriots, killing any momentum the offense had. Fitzpatrick (62CMP% 3529YDS 20TD 13INT 85.5RTG) was pretty reliable and solid for the Dolphins, who traded away every good player they had last season. A few more games like this from Fitzpatrick, and he will be sitting on the bench watching their young rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa playing for the rest of the season.
Extra Trash: Joe Mixon RB Bengals-19CAR 69YDS 1REC 2YDS; Cooper Kupp WR Rams-4REC 40YDS; Rob Gronkowski TE Buccaneers-2REC 11YDS; Baker Mayfield QB Browns-21-39 189YDS 1TD 1INT 33.3QBR 65RTG 2CAR 3YDS; Joe Burrow QB Bengals-23-36 193YDS 0TD 1INT 20.1QBR 66.1RTG.
- Best Coach-Jim Harbaugh
- Worst Coach-Doug Pederson
- Best Win-Arizona Cardinals
- Worst Loss-Indianapolis Colts
- Best Defense-Baltimore Ravens
- Worst Defense-Minnesota Vikings
- Best Offense-Green Bay Packers
- Worst Offense-Cleveland Browns