Aaron Rodgers is overrated Why hes not a top-five quarterback

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Aaron Rodgers is overrated: Why he's not a top-five quarterback Published: Jul 26, 2019 at 08:58 AM NFL.com Analyst ***** is overrated. I know this will create a little buzz in the Midwest, but I'm having a difficult time understanding the exhaustive veneration of the ' quarterback. The latest example of Rodgers worship? where Mike Sando asked 55 NFL coaches and executives to place each of the league's veteran quarterbacks into one of five tiers based on their performance and impact potential. Sando then took the average of all the survey results to provide an overall ranking from these football folks. Mookie Wilson Jersey Care to venture a gue s as to who claimed the No. 1 spot? That's right: Mr. Rodgers. And I'm left miffed by such blind devotion from a group of high-level figures. Although I certainly understand why the NFL community has the utmost respect for a quarterback with a ring and a couple MVP trophies on the mantel, the evaluation proce s is supposed to be a meritocracy where players are graded on their most-recent performances instead of nostalgia. And I'm sorry, but there's no way Rodgers should've been ranked as the top quarterback in football based on how he's played the past few seasons. Sure, No. 12 remains an exceptional talent with a resume that will net him a gold jacket after his career is done, but you can't tell me he's been the best player at the game's most important position in recent years. In fact, I think I've pinpointed an interesting line of demarcation -- for Rodgers and, inherently, the . Let's go back to Week 7 of the 2015 season. The were actually on bye that week, but they were sitting pretty at 6-0. Following the week off, Green Bay went 4-6 down the stretch and lost in the Divisional Round. The Pack then won the division in 2016 with a 10-6 record, but posted losing records in 2017 and '18. Now, let's focus in on Rodgers' play in this context ... Prior to that line of demarcation -- Week 7 of the 2015 season -- Rodgers sported a 76-33 QB record with a 66.0 percent completion rate and a gaudy 107.0 pa ser rating. That is, undoubtedly, first-cla s production. Since that point, though, Rodgers is just 24-24-1 as a starter with a 62.7 percent completion rate and 96.4 pa ser rating. Additionally, the QB is fresh off a season that saw him record the second-lowest completion percentage (62.3) of his starting career, as well as the fewest touchdown pa ses (25) in a season where he played in at least 10 games. Given this clear decline in Rodgers' play over the past few years, the QB just be ranked as the top player at his position -- especially when so many quarterbacks acro s the league are playing lights out. I know many people disagree with me. "He's still the gold standard at the position," an NFC personnel director told me this week. "It's not as clear-cut. ... He needs to play in an offense that lets him air it out and enables him to control the action at the line of scrimmage. When he's healthy, we've seen the win big with No. 12 at the helm." That last qualifier -- "when he's healthy" -- is no small thing. Injuries have definitely taken a toll on the 35-year-old signal-caller. He mi sed the majority of the 2017 season due to the second broken collarbone of his career and has been compromised by additional ailments in recent years, including . I don't think it's a coincidence that his efficiency from the pocket has simultaneously deteriorated. After averaging a healthy 8.4 yards per attempt and completing 66.3 percent of his pa ses from 2009 through 2014, Rodgers has seen those figures drop to 7.1 and 63.2 since. Considering Rodgers has finished with a completion percentage below 65 and a pa ser rating below 100 in three of the past four seasons, it is time to take away the hall pa s we've handed No. 12 when it comes to any criticism directed at his game. Rodgers defenders blame the ' coaching staff, particularly former head man Mike McCarthy, for concocting faulty game plans lacking imagination. The static nature of the offense (few motions, shifts or exotic-personnel deployments) has been frequently cited as one of the reasons for the unit's struggles against top defenses. The scheme purportedly didn't create easy-catch opportunities for the top targets on the perimeter, which forced Rodgers to hold onto the ball longer and wait for his pa s catchers to uncover on improvised routes down the field. That theory might have a little truth to it, but also reveals a quarterback with a preference for the three-point shot over the layup. Rodgers would rather launch the ball down the field off an impromptu scramble than take the "cheap" yards available on a checkdown to the running back. This prevents Rodgers from attacking the defense from all angles, the kind of approach that allows and to provide highly efficient play from the pocket year in and year out. Green Bay's front office also catches flak, due to the perceived lack of weaponry at Rodgers' disposal of late. The ' young, inexperienced receiving corps has fielded plenty of negative ink, with critics pointing to the unit's lack of chemistry and continuity with the veteran quarterback. While it is certainly challenging to break in a host of baby-faced pa s catchers on the perimeter, it is hard to give Rodgers a complete pa s when Brady, Brees and constantly produce at a high level with a revolving door of playmakers at their disposal. Franchise quarterbacks are expected to elevate the performance of the role players around them, and I don't believe we've seen much of that from Rodgers in recent years. Remember, superstar quarterbacks are expected to carry the franchise with their individual brilliance, and I don't know if we can legitimately point to Rodgers putting the squad on his back in recent years. Sure, the team has won some prime-time games with No. 12 in a starring role, but Green Bay's middling 33-30-1 record over the past four seasons can't be ignored. Like everyone else, I'm fascinated to see how Rodgers and the perform in Year 1 under new head coach Matt LaFleur. But given Rodgers' recent play, I just don't understand how anyone could consider him as the absolute cream of the crop at the position at the moment. In fact, I wouldn't even have him in my top five. Here are my QB rankings heading into the 2019 season: 1) , Kansas City Chiefs: In his first year as a starter, Mahomes hit the 5,000/50 Club. Whoa. The reigning MVP is a video game quarterback with A+ arm talent, athleticism and improvisational skills. With Andy Reid dialing up explosive/exotic plays and the featuring a supporting cast with playmakers everywhere, No. 15 is the premier player at the position. 2) , Los Angeles Chargers: The ultra-confident QB1 is arguably playing the best football of his career. Rivers not only manages the game with veteran savvy, but he remains one of the top playmakers in the clutch, as evidenced by his three fourth-quarter comebacks and game-winning drives last season. Considering how effective Rivers has played with a revolving cast of characters on the perimeter, No. 17 deserves a prime spot on this list. 3) , New Orleans Saints: Brees has lost some arm strength in his later years, but he remains a high-level pa ser due to his pinpoint accuracy, superb judgment and deft management skills. Brees has become the master of connecting the dots from the pocket, which enables him to stretch the field horizontally while also attacking the seams. With a big-body pa s catcher like adept at making big-time catches over the middle, Brees will continue to torment opponents as a precise pocket pa ser. 4) , New England Patriots: TB12 might not be able to dominate every game from start to finish, but he remains the best closer in football. He most recently demonstrated his finishing skills in LIII and his clutchne s separates him from others at the position. Despite losing his security blanket (Rob Gronkowski), the six-time champion will continue to keep the in the hunt as the ultimate winner at the position. 5) , Seattle Seahawks: Don't let the ' run-first offense impact your opinion of Wilson as a Tier 1 quarterback. The improvisational wizard is an efficient pa ser from the pocket with enough magic to snatch wins from the jaws of defeat with the game in the line. With four game-winning drives in 2018, Wilson's winning pedigree and electrifying skills warrant a spot in the top five. So, where does Rodgers rank? Well, I'd have him battling for the No. 6 spot. This is a hot take -- not when you a se s the trajectory of Rodgers' play over the past four seasons. TWO-POINT CONVERSION: Quick takes on developments acro s the NFL 1) smart to re-up Tomlin. Hats off to the for ignoring the noise on Twitter and signing Mike Tomlin to a contract extension that keeps him in place . Despite Pittsburgh mi sing the playoffs last season -- and failing to reach double-digit wins for the first time since 2013 -- the rightfully gave the 13th-year head coach a vote of confidence heading into the 2019 campaign. This comes to the chagrin of some fans and observers who have repeatedly voiced their frustrations over Tomlin's coaching style and the team's inability to supplant the as the top team in the AFC. But I think the Pittsburgh bra s acted wisely, considering Tomlin boasts the second-highest winning percentage among active coaches at .654 -- a figure that just happens to be the best in franchise history. While some like to call Tomlin's underachievers, the coach ranks second among active coaches in playoff berths, with eight in his dozen seasons at the helm. And of course, his team hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in his second year on the job, reaching the again two seasons later. That's quite an impre sive resume for a so-called "rah-rah coach" with a reputation for running a player-friendly operation. Now, I'm not here to fete Tomlin as an una sailable god amongst men, especially in the wake of a Steeler season dominated by drama, with 's holdout and 's never-ending i sues with teammates, coaches and other franchise folks. The Killer Bs era of Steeler football certainly ended with a thud. , Bell and Brown were a combination many expected to deliver a seventh Lombardi Trophy to the Steel City, given how high-octane offenses have dominated the NFL in recent years. Pittsburgh's failure to even reach the with this core is a disappointment that does indeed fall on the shoulders of the head coach. He deserves criticism for not getting the to play at the highest po sible level when their talent, particularly on offense, suggested they were one of the top teams in football. That said, Jose Bautista Jersey Tomlin's overall resume warrants additional time to rebuild and retool a franchise that consistently competes, with six division titles during his tenure. Despite not reaching the mountaintop this decade, the have still been a steady squad under Tomlin, who has never had a losing season. In this parity-driven league, annual contention is really all you can ask for. You want to routinely make the postseason tournament, providing the chance to walk away with the Lombardi Trophy. Tomlin supplies this in Pittsburgh. With that mind, the coach needs to get the team back on track after a frustrating 9-6-1 season. He started the proce s with an "addition by subtraction" mindset that saw the team move on from Bell and Brown in the offseason. Sure, both players are viewed as top-tier talents at their respective positions, but they're now being permanently replaced in Pittsburgh by a pair of 2018 Pro Bowlers in and . Although I don't believe either guy is on par with his predece sor, I'm confident both can provide comparable production as designated playmakers in a rebuilt offense. Remember, Roethlisberger is an elite player with the ability to elevate his surrounding cast. Tomlin has to empower No. 7 to allow Pittsburgh's offense to thrive without the former All-Pro playmakers in the fold. Defensively, the must shore up their secondary to knock off the heavyweights in the AFC, namely the , and . Tomlin has fortified the defense lately by picking up some hard-nosed guys with personalities and playing styles that match the ' brand. First-round linebacker , in particular, will instantly serve as a spark plug to a defense that hasn't been the same since 's catastrophic injury. When I spoke to a personnel executive earlier in the offseason, he told me how the team needed to get back to focusing on acquiring and building around " guys," with outstanding football character, work ethic and selfle sne s viewed as critical components. Additionally, the executive discu sed the desire to return Pittsburgh back to a team-centric mentality. With all of this in mind, it's sensible for the to continue forging forward behind Tomlin. 2) safety getting his due -- now get to know him!Who is ? That's a question that popped up in the Twitterverse following the announcement of the safety's . Byard agreed to a five-year, $70.5 million extension with $31 million guaranteed, which makes him the league's highest-paid safety in average annual compensation ($14.1 million). That put him just above the ' and ' , both of whom signed contracts this offseason that average $14 million per year. Now, Byard is not a household name, but he has a spectacular game that pops when you study the tape. A first-team All-Pro selection when he led the NFL in interceptions (8) in 2017, Byard displays outstanding instincts, awarene s and anticipation as a deep-middle defender, while also po se sing impre sive range and ball skills. Byard rarely fails to cash in when presented with an INT opportunity on an errant pa s or overthrow, which is critical to playing great defense in a league where turnovers are extraordinarily valuable. And Byard is no one-trick pony in the back end. He is an impact player near the line of scrimmage, too, with a knack for getting to the quarterback on blitzes from the second Pete Alonso Jersey level. His energy, effort and instincts make him a challenge to keep out of the pocket, particularly when the scheme creates one-on-one pa s-rush chances against running backs. Looking back at how Byard entered the league -- he was a third-round pick (64th overall) out of Middle Tenne see State in 2016 -- he's clearly outplayed expectations. Not that he was completely slept on. Leading up to the '16 draft, Byard was noted for his football IQ, toughne s and ball skills. Although there were some concerns about his man-coverage skills, Byard displayed outstanding explosivene s in his pro-day workout (4.44-second 40-yard dash, 38-inch vertical, 6.73-second three-cone drill and a 4.15-second 20-yard shuttle) to complement his soft hands. But seeing how he was the 15th defensive back off the board in the 2016 draft, he's clearly proven to be a huge steal for Tenne see. With 224 tackles, 12 picks, 28 pa ses defensed, three sacks and 11 tackles for lo s in his first three pro seasons, the proof is in the pudding. Byard's wide-ranging traits (intelligence, ball skills, athleticism and toughne s) are invaluable for a safety in today's pa s-happy league, which is why Byard's succe s will only lead more scouts to hunt for safety prospects with similar attributes, no matter where they play their college ball. In fact, after watching Byard's ascension, I believe more evaluators will really home in on the combination of traits and production when scouting prospects from outside the Power Five conferences (like Byard was, coming out of Conference USA) this fall. Personally, I will pay closer attention to safety prospects at the Reese's during one-on-one drills and individual position work to see if a player displays more technique versatility and athleticism than the tape shows. Byard quietly put on a show at the '16 , but there wasn't a consensus within the scouting community on his evaluation and he didn't get the pre-draft love that he apparently deserved. With a new contract and duffel bag full of money in hand, I think it is time everyone pays closer attention to the ' dynamic ballhawk. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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