Aaron Rodgers: Can he get any better?
For the third time this season, Aaron Rodgers has been named the offensive NFC Player of the Week.
His performance last week in San Diego only punctuates what everyone seems to understand: That he is clearly the best quarterback in this league, easily surpassing the likes of Tom Brady and even Drew Brees or Philip Rivers and Eli Manning.
His statistics are nothing short of astounding and the team he has playing around him has allowed him to become the best.
The Packers PR department released the announcement seen below, but before you read about the NFC defensive and special teams players, take note of the highlights from that focus in on Rodgers’ accomplishments. You, too, will be amazed.
See it after the jump …
OFFENSE: QB AARON RODGERS, GREEN BAY PACKERS
Rodgers completed 21 of 26 passes (80.8 percent) for 247 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 145.8 passer rating in the Packers’ 45-38 win at San Diego. He also added 52 rushing yards. The Packers are the third defending Super Bowl champion to start the following season 8-0 (1990 San Francisco, 1998 Denver).
He is the first quarterback in NFL history to register a 110+ passer rating in eight consecutive games in a season.
Rodgers is the only player in league annals to pass for at least 2,600 yards (2,619) and 24 touchdowns in a team’s first eight games.
Rodgers and Lynn Dickey are the only two Packers to pass for at least four touchdowns in a game and complete at least 80 percent of their passes.
In his seventh season from California, this is Rodgers’ fifth career Player of the Week Award – all in the past 14 weeks (since Week 13, 2010) – and third this season (Weeks 1 and 4). He is the first player to be named NFC Offensive Player of the Week three times in the first nine weeks of a season since SHAUN ALEXANDER in 2005.
Rodgers and Brett Favre (12) are the only quarterbacks in team history to win the award at least five times.
Here is the full release:
PACKERS QB AARON RODGERS, GIANTS LB MATHIAS KIWANUKA &
CARDINALS PR-CB PATRICK PETERSON NAMED NFC PLAYERS OF WEEK 9
Quarterback AARON RODGERS of the Green Bay Packers, linebacker MATHIAS KIWANUKA of the New York Giants and rookie punt returner-cornerback PATRICK PETERSON of the Arizona Cardinals are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played the ninth week of the 2011 season (November 6-7), the NFL announced today.
OFFENSE: QB AARON RODGERS, GREEN BAY PACKERS
Rodgers completed 21 of 26 passes (80.8 percent) for 247 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 145.8 passer rating in the Packers’ 45-38 win at San Diego. He also added 52 rushing yards. The Packers are the third defending Super Bowl champion to start the following season 8-0 (1990 San Francisco, 1998 Denver).
He is the first quarterback in NFL history to register a 110+ passer rating in eight consecutive games in a season.
Rodgers is the only player in league annals to pass for at least 2,600 yards (2,619) and 24 touchdowns in a team’s first eight games.
Rodgers and LYNN DICKEY are the only two Packers to pass for at least four touchdowns in a game and complete at least 80 percent of their passes.
In his seventh season from California, this is Rodgers’ fifth career Player of the Week Award – all in the past 14 weeks (since Week 13, 2010) – and third this season (Weeks 1 and 4). He is the first player to be named NFC Offensive Player of the Week three times in the first nine weeks of a season since SHAUN ALEXANDER in 2005.
Rodgers and BRETT FAVRE (12) are the only quarterbacks in team history to win the award at least five times.
DEFENSE: LB MATHIAS KIWANUKA, NEW YORK GIANTS
· Kiwanuka led the team with 12 tackles and had an interception in the Giants’ 24-20 win at New England.
· On the first play of the second quarter, with the Patriots driving into Giants’ territory, Kiwanuka intercepted a New England pass at the New York 19-yard line to keep the game scoreless. It marked the third interception of Kiwanuka’s career.
· The Giants ended the Patriots’ 20-game regular-season home winning streak and handed New England quarterback Tom Brady his first regular-season home loss since November 12, 2006 against the Jets, ending Brady’s 31-game winning streak.
· New York forced four turnovers (two interceptions and two fumbles) and the Giants recorded two sacks. The Giants are the first team to shut the Patriots out at home in the first half since September 24, 2006 (Denver).
In his sixth year from Boston College, this is Kiwanuka’s second Player of the Week Award (Week 8, 2008).
He is the fifth Giant to be named Defensive Player of the Week multiple times, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer LAWRENCE TAYLOR (nine), MICHAEL STRAHAN (five), JASON SEHORN (two) and OSI UMENYIORA (two).
SPECIAL TEAMS: PR-CB PATRICK PETERSON, ARIZONA CARDINALS
Peterson had a game-winning 99-yard punt-return touchdown in overtime to lead the Cardinals to a 19-13 win over St. Louis. He also had an interception and three tackles.
His 99-yard touchdown was the second-longest PR-TD in NFL history (103 yards, ROBERT BAILEY, 10/23/94) and the second time in league history that an overtime game ended with a punt-return TD (10/9/95, TAMARICK VANOVER, 86 yards). It also tied for the longest overtime play all-time (99-yard pass from RON JAWORSKI to MIKE QUICK, 11/10/85).
Peterson has three punt-return touchdowns, already tied for the fourth-most in a single season in NFL history and tied with DEVIN HESTER (2006) for the second-most among rookies.
He is the first player in league annals with three PR-TDs in his first eight career games. He had an 89-yard PR-TD in Week 1 and an 82-yard PR-TD in Week 8.
· In his rookie season from LSU, this is Peterson’s first career Player of the Week Award.
· Peterson is the sixth Cardinals rookie to be named Player of the Week and the first since LA ROD STEPHENS-HOWLING (Special Teams, Week 12, 2009).
2011 NFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offense
Defense
Special Teams
Wk 1
QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
LB Brian Urlacher, Chicago
KR-PR Ted Ginn Jr., San Francisco
Wk 2
QB Tony Romo, Dallas
S Roman Harper, New Orleans
K Jason Hanson, Detroit
Wk 3
QB Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants
CB Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay
K Dan Bailey, Dallas
Wk 4
QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
LB Brian Orakpo, Washington
PR-KR Devin Hester, Chicago
Wk 5
RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
LB Patrick Willis, San Francisco
K Mason Crosby, Green Bay
Wk 6
RB Ahmad Bradshaw, N.Y. Giants
S Kurt Coleman, Philadelphia
KR-PR-WR Devin Hester, Chicago
Wk 7
QB Drew Brees, New Orleans
LB Lance Briggs, Chicago
K Mason Crosby, Green Bay
Wk 8
RB LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
DE Cliff Avril, Detroit
DE Robert Quinn, St. Louis
Wk 9
QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
LB Mathias Kiwanuka, N.Y. Giants
PR-CB Patrick Peterson, Arizona
Other nominees for NFC Offensive Player of Week 9:
Chicago wide receiver EARL BENNETT, who had five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown in the Bears’ 30-24 win at Philadelphia.
San Francisco running back FRANK GORE, who rushed for 107 yards – his franchise-record fifth consecutive 100-yard game – in the 49ers’ 19-11 win at Washington.
Atlanta rookie wide receiver JULIO JONES, who had three catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns (80 and 50 yards) in the Falcons’ 31-7 win at Indianapolis.
New York Giants quarterback ELI MANNING, who had 250 passing yards and threw two touchdown passes in the final 3:03, including the game-winner with 15 seconds remaining.
Dallas rookie running back DE MARCO MURRAY, who rushed for 139 yards in the Cowboys’ 23-13 win over Seattle.
Other nominees for NFC Defensive Player of Week 9:
New York Giants linebacker MICHAEL BOLEY, who had 10 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.
Arizona defensive end CALAIS CAMPBELL, who had 1.5 sacks and blocked a field goal at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime.
New Orleans safety ROMAN HARPER, who had nine tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in the Saints’ 27-16 win over Tampa Bay.
Atlanta linebacker CURTIS LOFTON, who had 12 tackles and a forced fumble.
Green Bay safety CHARLIE PEPRAH, who had two interceptions – including a 40-yard touchdown – for a franchise-record 116 return yards and six tackles.
Chicago linebacker BRIAN URLACHER, who had a team-high 11 tackles.
San Francisco linebacker PATRICK WILLIS, who had 13 tackles and two forced fumbles.
Other nominees for NFC Special Teams Player of Week 9:
San Francisco kicker DAVID AKERS, who scored 13 points and converted all four field-goal attempts (52, 34, 45 and 20 yards).
New York Giants punter STEVE WEATHERFORD, who placed five of his eight punts inside the 20-yard line and had a net average of 41.0 yards per punt.