The Minnesota Vikings usually don’t say much about the Green Bay Packers or their players. Just another game, right? An important divisional matchup, but just another game. No added emphasis.
Except the Vikings appear to be kissing Aaron Rodgers’ ass right now.
First, we’ve got cornerback Xavier Rhodes, who, unfortunately, is pretty damn good. Two-time Pro Bowler, 2017 first-team All-Pro. Rhodes wrote an article for The Player’s Tribune ranking the seven best players in the NFC North.
No. 1?
AR.
Rhodes describes a throw that nobody has the business of making.
Jordy Nelson was in the back of the end zone. I wasn’t on him, though. Josh Robinson was. I was underneath. When Rodgers threw it to Jordy, it went right over my head. But right when Rodgers let it go, I knew Jordy wasn’t gonna catch it. The trajectory of the ball was off to the right.
Then, as the pass went over my head, I turned around just in time to watch — and, man, I promise you, the ball bent back to the left, barely missed Josh’s helmet, and dropped right into Jordy’s hands.
Then he goes on to say this.
… he can do it from the pocket, outside the pocket, running left, running right, while he’s getting tackled … this guy has no weakness. He doesn’t get frazzled. He’s so accurate, always on the money. And the worst part?
He knows it.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer also had high praise for Rodgers. Zimmer, it seems, usually doesn’t talk about opposing players, but he talked about Rodgers.
He also mentioned a specific play, from a preseason game when he was the defensive coordinator of the Bengals.
“He ducked under a guy, spun, rolled to his right and threw a 30-yard dart on the sideline,” Zimmer said. “Since that day I’ve had the utmost respect for this guy.”
Then he went on to say this.
“The guy is an unbelievable player,” Zimmer said. “He’s obviously — I don’t want to say anybody’s the best — but he’s pretty darn close to being the best guy.”
We’ve always held off on calling Rodgers the greatest quarterback in Packers’ history.
Bart Starr. Because, championships.
And with that line of thinking, Tom Brady, Joe Montana… the rest. That is, from the standpoint of looking at league history. Great players who win. Win consistently. Are great along the way and rack up titles.
Other people have started to make other arguments, however. The most talented quarterback in league history.
Aaron Rodgers. And I see no argument beyond that. Not even The Gunslinger himself. It’s sad that Ted Thompson didn’t surround Rodgers with more talent more often. Football is the ultimate team game and no one man can will you to a title.
But make no mistake. It’s clear we are watching one of the greatest players to ever put on a helmet.
QB1. Aaron Rodgers.
“It’s sad that Ted Thompson didn’t surround Rodgers with more talent more often.” Same can be said of Wolf and Sherman. Something about GMs or coaches with GM powers having upper tier QBs affording them the ability to experiment with free agent players and draft picks. Ted and company had a free pass until they didn’t. Not enough positive returns on their experiments .
Good thing he has ONE ring. Can you imagine the every year mind fuck of the greatest QB to never win a ring discussions? Or the Trent Dilfer has a ring and AR doesn’t conversations? The Dan Marino discussions…..geez
Brees only has one, Manning has 1 1/2 with that Denver D and his noodle arm at the end he only gets 1/2. The Rams greatest show on turf…..1 ring. It’s not that easy to even get 1. Tom Brady has 5 could have 8, could have 0. Beat the Panthers by 3, Atlanta choked, Rams choked and the Pats cheated with practice footage, Seattle threw a pass when Lynch hadn’t been stopped all day…beat McNabb’s eagles by 3 in the barf on the field game where Andy Reid has his worst ever coaching day.
This is a going to be a little off tangent here, but this is exactly why I love competitive sports so much. It’s the best ‘reality TV’ there is. Opposed to shit like The Bachelor and Survivor, it’s unscripted (for the majority, conspiracy theorists be damned) and something that has such inconsequential impact in one year, one week, one day, or one play, can have a long lasting trickle down effect that can be the difference between genuine jubilation or sorrow at the end of the journey.
Remember when the Pack won the Super Bowl in 2010? They didn’t even control their own destiny to get into the playoffs that year. It come down the 4th tiebreaker scenario, strength of victory.
It also took a terrible Lions team (previously combined 0-26 on the road) to upset Tampa Bay at home. Without that loss, the Bucs finish 11-5 and knock the Packers out of contention, and there is no historic 6-Seed run to the Super Bowl.
Shit blows my mind every time I think about it.
So the next time your significant other starts to roast you about watching sports, just remind him/her that you’re watching “real” reality tv, lol.
Not to mention the giants kicking to DeSean Jackson