C’mon, leave Aaron Rodgers alone already
This week, NFL.com came out with a piece featuring four of their writers giving Aaron Rodgers their love by projecting him as the leading candidate to win the NFL MVP Award for the 2014 season.
Well, three of the four selected Rodgers …
Those selecting Rodgers as their guy were Greg Rosenthal, Marc Sessler and Kevin Patra.
Only Chris Wesseling selected Drew Brees as his MVP.
While it’s great to have Rodgers honored by writers from across the country for his prowess at the position, but it’s also a bit disconcerting. Some may say it’s the kiss of death; some may say it’s just ridiculous to try to project such an award.
While it’s great to have Rodgers honored by writers from across the country for his prowess at the position, but it’s also a bit disconcerting. Some may say it’s the kiss of death; some may say it’s just ridiculous to try to project such an award.
For me, it’s just annoying.
As we know, anything can happen and to win anything in the NFL requires so much to come to fruition. In addition to the planets and stars aligning, there is a whole lot of luck and timing that surround these types of occurrences. The player, first of all, has to have a great group around him. The team has to play well – and it’s even better if the team wins the championship.
But just to get a flavor as to why these guys think that Rodgers is ready to win the big award, here is what they had to say about him:
Gregg Rosenthal
"The weapons around Rodgers remain outrageous. A vastly improved backfield will only help the Packers stay on the field and give Rodgers more red zone opportunities. The offensive line has some concerns, but it appears to be in better shape than any time in five seasons. Rodgers has sounded like a man this offseason that has thought about his football mortality. He turns 31 in December and fully understands how hard it is to get back to the Super Bowl or win an MVP. I see Rodgers as a transcendent, all-time great talent. He’s due for another all-time great kind of season.Marc Sessler"
"Yes. It’s a boring pick, but sometimes greatness is predictable, and that’s Rodgers. Teams tied to middling quarterbacks live in fear from pass to pass, but not so with Aa-Rod. With an NFL-best 104.9 career passer rating, Rodgers stands out as the game’s most surgical signal-caller. He’ll be aided this season by the game’s most underrated pass-catcher in Jordy Nelson and a wideout in Randall Cobb whom I expect to lead the NFC in receptions. Matched by a strong ground game and spicy defense, Rodgers — in the prime of his outrageous career — is a safer pick than even Peyton Manning. Nothing can go wrong here — right?"
Aaron Rodgers is ready for another great season. Will he be the NFL MVP? It’s too rely to tell. Raymond T. Rivard photograph
Kevin Patra
"The Packers‘ faster-paced offense will allow Rodgers to restamp his name on the “NFL’s Best QB” plaque. Green Bay is focused on running a quicker, no-huddle offense this year, which will allow Rodgers to carve up defenses. The early returns have looked glorious. With Eddie Lacy primed to make defenses take notice, no longer will teams be able to pin their ears back and go after Rodgers."
And just for good measure, below is what the lone wolf Chris Wesseling had to say about his choice …
Chris Wesseling
"The Saints‘ offense had grown stale down the stretch last year. An aging wide receiver corps, a hobbled Jimmy Graham and predictable backfield usage patterns contributed to a five-game stretch in which Brees’ offense topped 17 points just once. Rookie Brandin Cooks adds instantplaymaking ability, joining Nick Toon and deep threats Kenny Stills and Joe Morgan to add young legs and speed element that was missing too often last season. Now over his plantar fascia injury, Graham is once again as unguardable as early last season when he was averaging 120 yards per game on an MVP pace. Khiry Robinson is a “serial run-finisher” and tackle-breaker, Mark Ingram is running as well as any back in the league and Pierre Thomas is Brees’ choice as the NFL’s best all-purpose back."
Here’s my response to all of them:
Hey guys, back off a bit. Let’s worry about the Packers getting by the world championship Seattle Seahawks Thursday, Sept. 4, before going ga-ga and crowning anyone, especially Rodgers, as the MVP.