Forget the fact that Aaron Rodgers throws the best-looking ball in the NFL. Forget that he makes the back-shoulder throw look easy. Forget that fact that backup Matt Flynn, you know, might actually be good. Forget the fact that the Detroit Lions secondary isn’t terribly good.
None of that matters.
Flynn’s record-setting performance against the Lions on Sunday, where he threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns, has caused some people to suggest Rodgers is a system quarterback. Frankly, those people aren’t anyone whose opinion we respect, so we’re not real concerned about their idiotic assumptions. They aren’t actually going to influence anyone who knows anything about football.
Most of the blather is coming from message boards and of course, some no-talent idiot at Bleacher Report brought it up. At least one supposedly “real” journalist actually suggested the possibility, though.
Frankly, every quarterback plays in a system. Not all of them are successful. Surely, some systems probably work better than others, but the fact of the matter is the Packers have superior talent on offense when compared to most teams. Rodgers, because of the throws he can make, is one of those talents.
Saying Rodgers is a system quarterback is like saying Tom Brady is a system quarterback, which we don’t recall anyone saying. When Brady went down in 2008, Matt Cassell, who wasn’t even a starter at USC, came in and threw for 3,693 yards.
Does that make Brady any less of a quarterback? Does that make him a product of that system?
No. His record speaks for itself. He’s outstanding year in and year out. He carries his team when he needs to. He’s a three-time champion and two-time Super Bowl MVP. Enough said.
Rodgers doesn’t have that resume yet, but we’d be willing to bet he will soon.
What happened on Sunday was the result of four years of development. Flynn has worked with Rodgers and coach Mike McCarthy to make himself into a starting-caliber NFL quarterback. He’s smart, he works hard and he takes preparation seriously.
While Flynn’s performance may have been somewhat surprising, we don’t know anyone in the Packers organization or in the fan base that didn’t think he’d go out and lead the Packers to a win on Sunday. And it’s not because of the system.
It’s because Flynn is good and the Packers are that deep.
The Green Bay Packers backup quarterback thrashed the Lions on Sunday, just like their starter would have done. The system didn’t do anything.
Skip Bayless’s bitch ass tweeted about an hour after the game talking about how hard can it be for Rodgers when his back up throws for 6 td’s, than wrote “mvp? Really? System?” ARodge feeds off that shit though. Keep it coming Skip.
As much as I’d like to see AR win the league MVP, I almost hope that this “system” shit gains traction and Brees wins it.
Then AR will go into the playoffs with another HUGE chip on his shoulder and when he and the Pack wrap up 46 and he’s named Super Bowl MVP for the 2nd year in a row, he hunts down Skip Bayless and rams the Lombardi AND Super Bowl MVP trophies down his fucking throat.
And then runs his ass over with the car he won.
I actually could see Aaron toting that out during the Super Bowl speech… just like he did with the “Imagine what we could have done if we had led our own training camp.”
Something like…
“How did I play so well? We’ll I’m fortunate that I play in a great system.”
Wut does that douchebag skip bayless know about shit i remember when he said that vince young was gonna be a great qb for years to come and texans would regret taking mario williams instead of young or bush, fuck that stupid nerdy bitch, cant believe they pay him to talk about sports
Tools and fools. And I thought the political talking heads were completely full of shit.
It’s a little of each, Rodgers is very good, and he is in a very good system. Without all cylinders firing, greatness cannot be achieved.
No, it’s not a little of each. The facts are pretty simple and straight forward, Flynn is a pretty damn good QB (he showed that last year) and he was playing against a horseshit defense in a game which required him to throw from beginning to end (when does Rodgers ever get to do that?). Take note of the fact that Detroit had absolutely no clue what to expect out of Flynn, which probably explains why the defense had no plan of attack against him. It takes everybody in the league to figure out certain quarterbacks and their tendencies, I’m not saying that’s what led to Flynn’s success entirely but it certainly played a factor. Flynn led LSU to a National Title and he clearly has demonstrated the ability to lead an offense and make good, accurate throws when he needs to. Detroit also gave up 387 points this year and gave up 24 points per/game thats the third most of any team in the playoffs this year (Broncos and Giants) — in short — Detroit’s defense is bad.
It’s also worth noting that Matt Flynn played one of the only complete games by a Packer QB this season and by complete game I mean that Fat Mac didn’t take his foot off the gas until the end of the game — partly because GB played from behind (how many games has Rodgers been in this year where that’s happened? I count maybe 2-3 games all season where that was the case for Rodgers and in each of those games he threw for 3+ TD’s and 350 yards or more.
It’s a shame that McCarthy doesn’t run up scores like New England and New Orleans otherwise Rodgers would have blown apart every QB record in the NFL this season and be a lock for MVP. And for those who look down upon running up scores or think that’s BS (go fuck yourself) it’s all about stats come MVP voting and contract time which is why letting your foot off the gas in the 3rd and 4th quarters is such a big deal. Payton and Billicheck obviously know that maybe it’s time Fat Mac figures that out too.
Skip Bayless is a fucking classless clown, he said three weeks ago Tebow was his MVP. I mean — seriously?? I don’t know why anyone watches that piece of shit he never picked up or played a competitive sport in his life and he has no clue what’s going on. Hopefully he dies in a car crash soon.
Franchise Tag Flynn and trade him to Washington for picks!
No one who doesn’t go for shock to get noticed takes that shit seriously.
Everyone I heard on national radio today said Rodgers was the MVP.
The best way to make all this nonsense go away is to have Flynn go out and play great next year somewhere else. Just like Brady and Cassell.
Flynn might be a very, very good QB. We have no evidence otherwise, frankly.
A lot of people are really glad it finally got PROVEN that Rodgers isn’t any better than his backup, it’s been tiresome hearing he’s the best ever all the time when anyone can see it’s the receivers making those amazing catches. When Jennings was out Rodgers flopped, then Flynn blew him out of the water without Jennings himself.
There are only 2 qbs in the NFL today who are not system qbs, one is Tebow, and the NFL has shown how fast that gets figured out, and the other is Vick, who had an average year, Vick is the only qb who has had success not playing into a system.
Also now looking back at it, that is one of the major reasons TT wanted to get rid of Favre, he played out of the system too much, which lead to some great td/plays but also a lot of turnovers.
Mike Florio from profootballtalk.com is another giant doucher who stated Rodgers is a system quarterback. But, he did grow up in Minnesota and is butt buddies with Paul Allen, the Vikings’ classless radio announcer.
But, as a couple of people have already mentioned, keep the “system QB” comments coming. We all know how Rodgers responds to that BS.
What’s even more laughable about this “system qb” BS is that Flynn said how much it helped to have Rogers voice in his ear the whole first half as they were running no-huddle. What a stroke of genius on McCarthy’s part to have Rodgers involved like this. Favre would have dropped dead before he did anything like that to help out one of his backups. And I didn’t see anyone happier for Flynn than Rodgers. There is no doubt that Rodgers will be using this crap for motivation – lookin’ forward to his next game!
Rodgers played 6 less quarters than Brees did. He sat in the 4th quarter for two games prior to Flynn’s start against Detroit.
As PackAttack pointed out – MM takes his foot off the gas. Flynn put up 6 TD’s because he HAD to put up 6 TD’s to win.
Those throws didn’t complete themselves. Flynn showed he can read the blitz, make every pass in the route tree, change the call at the line, mastery of the hard count, run the 2 minute, etc. How is that a “system” of anything? Bayless is a moron and should be ignored.
NEWSFLASH – Every QB is technically a ‘System QB’
Flynn learned from a class act guy, A-Rod. When you learn from someone that you respect you will perform at a higher level. Fuck the System, it can’t be helped that we have top of the line QB’s. Not to mention a top of the line coach who can develop QB’s like no other. Had Brent listened to McCarthy half the time he would have made it to the Superbowl in ’06. So in addition Fuck Brent and Fuck the System. Go Greatness! Go Pack!
HHmmm…NFL teams actually have “systems” in place on offense and defense?
I thought they just ran to imaginary fire hydrants,parked cars,telephone poles and for some really intense routes…the third broken piece of sidewalk near the stop sign.
David –
More like…
“Aaron Rodgers, what does it mean to win the superbowl two years in a row?”
“Not bad for a system quarterback eh?” :D
Doesn’t any of these idiots remember Aaron Brooks, Mark Brunell or Matt Hasselbeck? Remember the Packers drafted Brian Brohm in the 2nd round but stuck with Flynn? Face it, the Packers are a golldarned QB machine. Of course it’s the system, the system of drafting and developing QBs. The QBs are effective in the offense because these guys have become good through development.
If you let Bernt tell it they all “fell into a good situation”
it’s almost like we have excellent coaches and a great offensive gameplay…
…and great talent evaluators to get them in the building to get that coaching.
system ≠ gameplan
Some credit here deserves to go to Mike McCarthy. He has developed one superstar quarterback plus one that seems more than ready to take a starting job next year. The man knows how to coach QBs.
McCarthy never gets enough credit. This blog, and its readers, were so quick to bash him last year when he (admittedly) mismanaged some late game situations. But, he has gotten much better. His play calling is superb and the team, and most importantly Aaron, really like him. He seems like a good guy too, especially across from that jerk Jim Schwartz. He never draws unnecessary attention to himself.