Greatest quarterback you have seen?

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by itjclarke

I'm with Bill on Rodgers, he is virtually the perfect quarterback. He may have the greatest combination of measurable talent (speed, arm), smarts, and intangible traits (leader, calm and full awareness in the pocket and down field). I read an article criticizing him and saying he'd never be truly great because he doesn't take enough chances, using his low INT% to prove this point. IMO this was some of the laziest professional analysis I've seen... just watch the guy! He not only fits the ball into tight windows as well as anyone, he's able to identify windows that will open for a split second.

Hey Ian,

It is very lazy analysis. He doesn't take enough chances? LOL, Aaron Rodgers pushes the ball down the field more than any quarterback in the NFL:

Adjusted net yards per pass attempt 2014

1. Rodgers, GB 8.65
2. Romo, Dal 8.11
3. Roethlisberger, Pitt 7.82
4. Manning, Den 7.68
5. Luck, Ind 7.28

Rodgers gets, on average, a half more yard per pass attempt than any other quarterback in the NFL. He gets more than a yard more per pass attempt than every quarterback in the NFL, save for Romo, Roethlisberger and Manning. Yet he also....has the lowest interception rate in the NFL. He throws the longest passes, but gets intercepted the least.

Interception rate 2014

1. Rodgers, GB 1.0
2. Smith, KC 1.3
3. Palmer, Cinn 1.3
4. Roethlisberger, Pitt 1.5
5. Brady, NE 1.5%
6. Wilson, Sea 1.5%
7. Stafford, Det 2.0%
8. Carr, Oak 2.0%
9. Tannehill, Mia 2.0%
10. Romo, Dal 2.1%

What wide receiver has the most 60 + yard receptions since the start of the 2011 season?

Jordy Nelson has 12 of them to lead the NFL. 9 for touchdowns.
Victor Cruz is second with 10.
Only Cruz and DeSean Jackson (8) even have half as many as Nelson over that span.

Not surprisingly, since 2011, Rodgers leads the NFL with 20 passes of 60 + yards.

But yeah, he doesn't take chances. Methinks that writer is a moron. Or he doesn't watch Green Bay play. Or both. I can't tell you how many times I've seen Rodgers chuck it downfield 40 yards on 3rd and 3. And he makes a lot of them. But it sometimes makes me nuts.

"What the hell are you DOING, Aar....oh, never mind. Touchdown, Packers. What a great throw!"

I've said that at least three times in the last year. That's why he gets the big bucks/MVPs/Olivia Munn.

The Packers need a new defensive coordinator. They need to resign Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga, and add two new middle linebackers-one via the draft, one via free agency. If they do that, I guarantee they win the Super Bowl again within two years.

The middle linebacking unit, which is the key to the 3-4 defense, is the weakest position on the Packers by far. And they keep burning the Packers.

Brad Jones doesn't need to be anywhere near Green Bay next year. He's the guy that blew it on the fake field goal touchdown. I was yelling at my tv. Apparently he's too dumb to see what was going on.

And A.J. Hawk, God love him, he just doesn't have it anymore. He's taken pay cut after pay cut to stay in Green Bay, and I'll always love his loyalty to the team. But he can't start anymore, and he really doesn't offer much from a rotational standpoint, either. These guys can't wrap up on anybody. And they don't have the speed to close gaps. You're constantly seeing our safeties having to run up because our linebackers lose contain, and running backs shoot up through the gap, and right by them. We were much better in the second half when we folded Clay into the middle linebacking rotation, but it wore him down.

Chase the quarterback. Shoot the gap. Chase the quarterback. Shoot the gap.

Is it any wonder he was gassed at the end of the 4th quarter?

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

It is very lazy analysis. He doesn't take enough chances? LOL, Aaron Rodgers pushes the ball down the field more than any quarterback in the NFL:

That's why he gets the big bucks/MVPs/Olivia Munn.

He's with Olivia Munn?? Had no idea, but great score. My wife is in love with her character on HBO's Newsroom. We're down to our last episode.

You guys are so lucky he wore his hat backwards (allegedly) to his interview with the Niners in 2005. This, and Rodgers' overwhelming self assuredness, supposedly turned Mike McCarthy off so much, they took Alex at #1. By the next year you had both guys!! (though I think McCarthy is the interchangeable of the two)

He is such a beast of a player. I went to Lambeau for the first time this year, and watched him play the Bears on Sunday night. He was throwing darts all night, and the 40+ yard throw, while running hard to his right, was so typically Rodgers. He's athletic enough to escape the pressure, and can still square up enough to get that ball off and downfield with velocity, and he put it into the only spot it could go.

To the point of stat padding, Rodgers threw 6 TDs in the first half!! I can assure Manning finishes with 8 and a new NFL record... or at least dies trying. There's a great clip of his back up (Osweiler) getting pissed when Manning trots back on the field up 3-4 TDs toward the end of a game. Rodgers took one shot at the end zone in the 3rd quarter, on a 3rd down, then never took another. If guys wanna pad stats, so be it, it gets them paid, but it was impressive to see the Pack's restraint in this game. He played nearly 2 full quarters, one TD short of the NFL record. All his stats were fully in the context of the game, none coming via the late game hard play action fake on the 1 yard line while up 28.

Glad you agree with my take on the writer. I'll ask my friend to re-send the link, and forward to you. OT, my friend reads everything and is one who seems to form many/most of his opinions based what is written. It is amazing to me though how many people writing have no business writing! and as result how many opinions they affect. I mentioned in another thread, I once lived with a sports radio talk show host (some time nationally syndicated), who really knew very very little about anything he talked about, especially football... he mostly prepped by listening to the other talking heads.

[Prof_Plum]

When I was growing up it was Johnny U and those funky looking high tops. After him it became Elway for me. I just thought Elway was able to do more with less talent around him than any other QB.

[Runscott]

Bill, it's okay. I have enjoyed reading the analyses that you and Ian have put together. Thanks.

Ian - you really brought back memories. I forgot how much I enjoyed watching Aikman. After the Danny White years he was a real pleasure to have on those 3rd down plays.

The thing I remember most about Montana and Young was that pinpoint accuracy. Kaepernick actually has the ability to make similar throws, but doesn't have the brains and has too much ego. I know this sounds biased, but Wilson has his passing moments as well - not just receivers getting open and lobbing it in, like he did against Green Bay, but some real pin-point stuff. Unfortunately, he mixes that with periods of horror that you would never see out of the top-tier players unless they were injured (like Manning in the playoffs this year).

[billyb]

One reason I mentioned Y.A. Tittle, right behind Unitas and Starr was, not only was Tittle an outstanding Quarterback, he was the innovator of the, then termed, "alley-oop" play.
RC Owens was one of his receivers and when they got near the end zone, Tittle would throw a lob pass to Owens and he would out jump the defenders for the ball. Back then, DBs could not defend against the play.
That pay still goes on as you know.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by billyb

One reason I mentioned Y.A. Tittle, right behind Unitas and Starr was, not only was Tittle an outstanding Quarterback, he was the innovator of the, then termed, "alley-oop" play.
RC Owens was one of his receivers and when they got near the end zone, Tittle would throw a lob pass to Owens and he would out jump the defenders for the ball. Back then, DBs could not defend against the play.
That pay still goes on as you know.

As a man living about 6 blocks from old Kezar (now very much downsized), it makes me happy to this see mentioned. We all knew about it as kids from watching the old NFL films stuff. I so wish the Niners were still a neighborhood team playing at Kezar.