Why They Won: Green Bay Packers vs Philadelphia Eagles

Nov 16, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) warms up before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

MVP Candidate Aaron Rodgers

Hyperbole?

Not at all.

If you don’t believe Aaron Rodgers should be at the top of the list of candidates, then you haven’t been watching football.

This past game was yet another example of his prowess.

He put up 341 yards and 3 TDs to earn an 89.8 QBR* against the Eagles, a large portion of which was put up early enough to put this game out of reach by halftime.

Aaron Rodgers. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports photograph

To me, that last stat is key; QBR is as of now the most efficient way we have of being able to measure the full impact of a quarterback on the entirety of a contest, and not only did he have a high-echelon performance this week but he leads the league over the season with a 85.9** rating.

On top of the stats, everything out there just appears to be so simple for him and his offense right now. That type of ease is the same that we’ve seen from players like Peyton Manning during MVP years, and something that undoubtedly comes into play on some level for those in charge of voting.

Even if he doesn’t win, it probably won’t matter. He looks like he’ll probably stay somewhere around this level of play the rest of the season – the schedule isn’t that tough outside of home games against New England and Detroit – so even if his play dips slightly he is poised to lead these Packers to a potential top-2 seed in the playoffs.

*ESPN’s QBR Ranking system acts as a more accurate alternative to the oft-used Passer Rating statistic. It more accurately portrays the specific impact of the quarterback himself. Accounts for areas such as Yards After Catch by pass-catchers, impact of running ability, sacks, and time during game when the plays are made (As the game gets closer to finish, each play holds more of an impact), among other things

**The way QBR is constructed, the scoring scale goes from 0-100; 50 is average, 60+ is above-average, 70+ is Pro Bowl/ All-Pro level, etc, with 100 being an impossible number to reach (because technically, you could ALWAYS do better; there is no cap on yards/TDs/etc)