Will Aaron Rodgers Win the 2014 NFL MVP Award?

There are a lot of factors that go into determining the MVP of the National Football League.  Yards, touchdowns, ratings, wins, and sometimes even popularity figure in to the award.  And while the MVP title is rather pointless in such a team sport as football, it does still carry a lot of merit and often helps label who the most impressive player has been in the league.  And while we still have a ways to go before anointing a true NFL MVP, my early vote (as well as my long term assumption) is for Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers to claim the award.

Rodgers has long been among the elite players and quarterbacks in professional football, and has already won the award in 2011.  That season he threw 45 touchdown passes and led the Packers to a 14-1 record before sitting out the finale.  This year he is playing at that same level.

His current QB rating of 119.3 is tops in the NFL, and so is his yards per attempt statistic at 8.65.  That value is often a reflection of just how potent a passer is.  His 30 touchdown passes are second in the league behind Peyton Manning.  The only areas of concern would be his 7^th ranked completion percentage and total yards ranking.  Some would argue that makes him the 7^th best quarterback in the NFL, hardly worthy of the MVP.

But such insight is terribly misguided.  Rodgers ranks just 16^th in the league in passing attempts!  Again looking at his remarkable touchdown and yards/attempt figures paints the more accurate picture.  He is doing more with fewer throws.  In fact, his 342 pass attempts is exactly 100 fewer than Manning.  The reason for this anomaly has been that the Packers have been winning a lot of their games early, and with blowouts.  Against the Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings (first game), Chicago Bears, and Philadelphia Eagles, Rodgers tore apart defenses and had the win wrapped up by halftime.  By the 3^rd quarter he’d largely be handing the ball off to Eddie Lacy and by the 4^th quarter backup Matt Flynn would be in.  His incredible play has actually put the Packers so far ahead that Rodgers hardly has to play.

Additionally, in tighter games Aaron Rodgers has been exceptional as well.  His memorable drive to win late in the game against the Miami Dolphins was exactly the type of stuff that MVP’s produce.  There is really no stopping this guy.  And while he has benefitted from an improved run game and a stronger defense in recent weeks, it just goes to show how strong a player Rodgers is when his team is clicking.

Lastly, I feel that the statistic that ends all the MVP discussion is his 3 interceptions.  This is by far the lowest of any starting QB and is the main reason his rating is so high.  To get a clear picture of the significance of this mark, Tom Brady has 6 and Peyton Manning has 9.  The only player who manages games close to Rodgers’ level is Alex Smith, who has just 4 interceptions.  But while that number is very solid, his 13 TD’s pale in comparison to the 30 thrown by Rodgers.

And so if the season ended today, I would fully expect the MVP to be awarded to Aaron Rodgers.  And based on how he and the Packers typically finish seasons, I would anticipate those great numbers to continue.  The only player who really has a good shot of beating him would be DeMarco Murray of the Dallas Cowboys, a running back.  But this is where the name factor comes into play and would largely lean in Rodgers’ favor.  It’s also worth noting that 6 of the last 7 MVP awards have been handed to quarterbacks.  But if Murray breaks 2,000 rushing yards he may take the award.  However, I think that Rodgers’ season has been more impressive and is likely to capture the 2014 NFL MVP!

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Is It All Over for the 2013 Green Bay Packers?

2013 has been a trying year for the Green Bay Packers.  Expected to be a legitimate contender for Super Bowl XLVIII when the season began, injuries have plagued this team since the week 1, and now star quarterback Aaron Rodgers has gone down.  For any team to lose their quarterback is like trying to win a fight without arms.  Basically, such a team is at an extreme competitive disadvantage.  But with an uncertain timetable for Rodgers’ return, the question becomes will the Packers still have a shot at making the playoffs?

The fortunate thing for the Packers in 2013 is that they built a solid 5-2 record before the major injury.  Even though they have lost their last 2 games and now sit at 5-4, there is still hope that they could potentially get Rodgers back in several weeks and be able to make a late-season run.  However, the clock is surely ticking.  With backup quarterback Seneca Wallace’s early injury this week against the Philadelphia Eagles, even those faint hopes are getting dim.

It really has been a sad sight to witness.  The question coming into the season revolved around whether the Packers’ strong passing game could persist without the departing Greg Jennings and Donald Driver.  With Randall Cobb, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Jermichael Finley, the team was confident.  Unfortunately, Cobb suffered a fractured fibula and has missed most of the year.  Finley took a nasty hit several weeks ago and may have to retire due to a spinal injury.  Jones has also missed some time, meaning that Nelson has had to share the catches with players like Myles White and Jarett Boykin, formerly of the practice squad.  Rodgers was able to push the team ahead even in the circumstances, but now that he is hurt it is all falling apart.

The defense has been with their pains as well.  Both outside pass rushers, Nick Perry and Clay Matthews have missed time, and performed poorly in their returns that seem to have been rushed.  The secondary has largely played abysmal, though without a legitimate pass rush such play is understandable.  And since Rodgers’ injury, the team’s rushing defense has been gouged, resulting in little possession to make comebacks late in the game.  The team is playing without their leader and seemingly without any heart.

The only aspect of the team that is clicking is the run game, led by outstanding rookie running back Eddie Lacy, whose angry style of play has given the offense a jolt.  For the hopes of the season to fall upon any rookie is asking quite a lot, but such is the dire situation that the organization finds themselves in.  Scott Tolzien is now the starting quarterback for the Packers.  He has spent most of his career on the practice squad.  This team is literally falling apart.

Any hope for the Packers rests on two things: a soft schedule, and an optimistic outlook on Rodgers’ injury.  The remaining schedule for the team features the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Chicago Bears.  Their divisional games will be tough, but this is otherwise a very soft end to the season.  Even without Rodgers at the helm, this team could potentially win a game or two.

Based on the timetable of his return, the Packers desperately need 1 or 2 wins without their star quarterback.  It is certainly a tall ask but not totally impossible given the caliber of their opponents.  However, the status of Aaron Rodgers is key here.  If he could return in 3 weeks for the Thanksgiving game at Detroit, the Packers have hope.  However, if he doesn’t return for 5 or 6 weeks, the season could be completely lost by that point.

So for Packers’ fans, all they can do is wait and pray.  Perhaps the team will beat someone without their hero, but what is most important is that Rodgers comes back to play as soon as possible and that the defense starts to play football again.  This team is certainly at a major low point of the season, but if they can get it together perhaps a late season surge isn’t entirely out of the question.

The Green Bay Packers is one of the most successful teams in the NFL and have great a history.  Packers fans have been visiting AAA Sports Memorabilia for their collecting needs since 2006.  We have a great collection of Packers memorabilia including autographs and officially licensed collectibles.  If you can't find what you are looking for on our site, please let us know, as we have even more stock off-line and we probably have the item you are looking for.