National Football League

Bears vs. Packers: Hey Chicago, Aaron Rodgers is NFL's best QB, so good luck stopping him

Published Nov. 6, 2014 3:47 p.m. ET

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Along with all the talk last week about the clash between the Broncos and Patriots came discussions about who the better quarterback is -- Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. While both of those guys are incredible and deserve to be at the center of any discussion about the best quarterbacks in the NFL, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers has been quietly having a monster season.

Through eight games he is the NFL's highest-rated passer and is on pace to throw for over 4,000 yards for the fifth time in his career. He's in the top five in pass completion percentage and has connected for 19 touchdowns with only three interceptions.

As this season continues to play itself out, folks are going to inevitably talk about who is the best quarterback in the NFL. Manning and Brady are two of the greatest of all time, and they may face each other in the AFC title game, so their names will certainly be brought up again. Veterans like Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco and rising stars like Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck will justifiably be thrown into the conversation, too.

But here are four reasons why the Packer's QB must not be forgotten and why he may be better than all of them. You will see all of this on display this week as the Chicago Bears try to upset Rodgers and the Packers.

1) He's performed at an elite level with inferior protection

Before looking at any of Rodgers' abilities, it must be pointed out that he has put up astounding numbers over the course of his career despite having an average-at-best offensive line protecting him. On average, Rodgers has been sacked every 12 pass attempts in his NFL career. Compare that with Brady (every 19 attempts) and Manning (every 31 attempts), and you can begin to understand the added level of difficulty with which Rodgers has performed.

FootballOutsiders.com ranks every offensive line group in the NFL according to their ability to protect the quarterback. The O-lines are ranked according to an adjusted sack rate, which is calculated by taking the number of sacks (plus intentional grounding penalties) per pass attempt and adjusting it for down, distance and opponent.

According to their research thus far in 2014, Manning has had the luxury of throwing from a comfy pocket created by the league's best pass protecting line -- he's been sacked only nine times. Brady has the league's seventh-best offensive line. Rodgers? He's operated behind a line ranked 21st in the league in pass protection.

What's even more impressive is during the five seasons prior to 2014, Rodgers performed as well as any other quarterback even though he never had an offensive line ranked higher in pass protection than No. 21. During that same span, however, Manning and Brady have had the privilege of being protected by some of the best pass-protecting lines in the NFL. Here's how their teams rank in pass protection from 2009-13 (courtesy of FootballOutsiders.com)

2013: Denver (1), New England (9), Green Bay (26)

2012: Denver (2), New England (5), Green Bay (31)

2011: New England (8), Indianapolis (18), Green Bay (23)

2010: Indianapolis (1), New England (6), Green Bay (21)

2009: Indianapolis (1), New England (2), Green Bay (30)

As we look at some of the statistics that point to Rodgers being the best quarterback in the game, keep in mind that he has put up his ridiculous numbers over the course of his career with an offensive line far worse than Manning's or Brady's.

2) He has incredible accuracy and timing

Pop quiz, hot shots: Who is the most accurate passer over the course of his NFL career -- Manning, Brady or Rodgers?

Answer: Rodgers.

His ability to get the ball to his receivers in a hurry with accuracy is unmatched in the NFL. He's completed 66 percent of his passes over the course of his career while Manning has completed 65.5 percent and Brady has completed 63.5 percent.

The most accurate passers in the league have an uncanny sense of timing and rhythm to the release of their passes. They are able to launches passes with accuracy to a spot that is approximately 6-7 yards from the wide receiver's break. The great ones, though, are able to release the ball to the target before the wide receiver even comes out of his break to look for the ball. Rodgers excels at this.

Take a look at the next set of photos to get an idea of how unique Rodgers' abilities of accuracy and timing truly are.

In this first photo, take note of where Randall Cobb's break point is in his route.  

Next you can see that Rodgers is into the release of his pass just as Cobb is coming out of his break. Take note of the tight coverage by the defender, who couldn't be in any better position, and also the distance between the break point and the catch point and where Rodgers puts this beautiful pass.  

Remember, good passers can place the ball accurately at a point about 6-7 yards away from the receiver's break point because they have good timing. You'll see in this next photo that Rodgers puts this ball on the money 12 yards away from the break point after releasing it before the receiver was even looking. That's just ridiculous, and Rodgers does it regularly.  

3) His mobility/arm strength combo is unmatched for pocket passers

While he's not a mobile quarterback in the sense that some of the dual-threat quarterbacks are, Rodgers is one of the most mobile traditional pocket-passers in the league and has been over the course of his career. Where most pocket-passers would throw the ball away and give up on a play when the pocket is breaking down, or when the defenders don't give him a place to pass, Rodgers runs for positive yardage or extends plays until his receivers get open. Rodgers gives his offense a shot at making positive gains on plays where most pocket-passers simply cannot.

He has dashed out of the pocket and out of trouble an average of 3.5 times per game, and he's good for an average of almost five yards every time he does so. Brady and Manning don't come near that. What's intriguing is that -- over the course of their NFL careers -- when Brady and Manning have decided to run the ball, they have averaged exactly the same laughable amount of yards per rush -- 1.7 yards.

What makes Rodgers truly remarkable, though, is his arm strength that allows him to make throws while on the run. Rodgers puts the ball on the money and his passes have more zip than all the zippers on a Michael Jackson jacket. The velocity of his passes has been measured at 50 mph. Even the most accurate quarterbacks in the pocket are unable to make the throws that Rodgers can make with accuracy while on the run. Here's an example of the athleticism that Rodgers brings to the table that Manning and Brady don't. On top of buying time with his mobility, this is a glaring example of Rodgers' super-human arm strength -- he connects on this pass with the flick of a wrist while running away from his target and getting hit.

4) Rodgers is in the Manning-Brady class of brilliant football IQs

When you think of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, you immediately think of guys like Manning and Brady because they've proven time and time again that they'll make smart decisions in the heat of the moment. It's been well-publicized that Manning has a work ethic second to none, and he'll spend hours studying film and tendencies of the defenses he'll face so that he'll know exactly where to go with the ball on game day. Brady is one of the best in the league at finding weaknesses in individual defenders' technique so he knows exactly where to place the ball as his receivers run their routes even against tight coverage -- putting it where only his receiver can catch it.

While both Manning and Brady use their knowledge and preparation to make smart decisions on game day, Rodgers is a mastermind of the game as well and -- combined with his elite physical tools -- executes better than both of them. Rodgers has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio of the trio over the course of their careers. Defenses have intercepted his passes on average only once in every 58 pass attempts, while Brady has had his passes picked off once in every 50 attempts and Manning once in every 39.

Rodgers doesn't get as much attention or coverage as Manning and Brady for his intellect and commitment to his craft, but that will come in time. If you want to pick one of two elder statesmen in a debate of the NFL's best QB right now, I wouldn't argue with you. Both Manning and Brady are exceptional.

But as you'll see once again this weekend against Chicago --€“ like all year if you've been paying attention --€“ Rodgers is playing QB as well as anyone in the NFL this season and deserves to be right in the middle of those Manning-Brady discussions.

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