This past weekend two front-running candidates for the league’s MVP trophy faced off in an epic battle in Green Bay, Wisc. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady went head-to-head against Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field last Sunday night. Brady and Rodgers have been on a terror of late; both having slow starts to the season with a combined record of (4-4), and have now tortured teams the last nine weeks.
The media criticized Brady early on this season, stating he and his team were finally done with their long playoff run over the past decade and that they had finally lost their touch. Ever since then, Brady and the Patriots have rattled off seven straight wins. This pushed the Patriots back to the top of the American Football Conference (AFC). The Patriots were at 9-2 before Sunday’s showdown against the other quarterback in the MVP discussion, Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers and the Packers had a similar mountain to climb starting 1-2, but have now become relevant again going on a 7-1 run before last Sunday’s matchup against the Patriots. The game last weekend was a good measuring stick on where these two stacked up against one another.
Both quarterbacks put on a clinic. Brady went 22 of 35 for 245 yards and two touchdowns, while Rodgers went 24 of 38 for 368 yards and two touchdowns. Rodgers and the Packers out-dueled Brady in the end with a 26 to 21 victory.
This game and the weeks leading up to it showed me how much these two teams rely on Rodgers’ and Brady’s performances each week. Without these players on their respective teams, the Packers and Patriots are not relevant and that’s what an MVP type player can do. No one has been able to contain Brady or Rodgers on the field, which makes me believe we might see a rematch in February at Super Bowl XLIX.
There is a justified argument for either of these two quarterbacks to win the coveted MVP award, but I am going to have to give the nod to Rodgers. He is 6-0 at home this season and hasn’t thrown an interception at Lambeau since 2012. He is successful anywhere on the field and has posted a remarkable 32 touchdowns to only three interceptions this season, throwing almost 10 touchdowns for every one interception. Sunday’s matchup against the Patriots defense, coached by the guru himself, Bill Bulichek, proved to me Rodgers can adapt and spread the ball wherever he needs to against whoever he needs to.
Rodgers has carried the Packers to a 9-3 record overall and is tied with the Patriots for the league’s best record.
