This week NFL.com has a list of the Top 10 Deep Threats, so let's take a look at where our favorite buzz cut Packer landed. 1. A.J. Green, (Bengals); 2. DeSean Jackson, (Redskins); 3. Odell Beckham, Jr. (Giants); 4. Allen Robinson (Jaguars); 5. Julio Jones (Falcons); 6. Antonio Brown (Steelers); 7. Alshon Jeffery (Bears); 8. Emmanuel Sanders (Broncos); 9. Amari Cooper (Raiders); 10. Will Fuller (Texans).
Well, there you have it not in the Top 10, but at least he made honorable mention, but not 11, but...well you'll see: 11. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts; 12. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 13. Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills; 14. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans; 15. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys; 16. Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers; John Brown, Arizona Cardinals; Corey Coleman, Cleveland Browns; Marvin Jones, Detroit Lions; Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints; Travis Benjamin, San Diego Chargers; Mike Wallace, Baltimore Ravens; Michael Floyd, Arizona Cardinals; Ted Ginn, Carolina Panthers; Torrey Smith, San Francisco 49ers.
Earlier NFL.com listed Week 3's Top Quarterbacks with this caveat: This is the Quarterback Index. And this is the first week of the season in which we're ranking each quarterback based on 2016 play alone. Things are about to get weird ... and they did because for the first time since 2009 Aaron Rodgers dropped out of the Top 5.
1. Cam Newton (Panthers); 2. Andrew Luck (Colts); 3. Matthew Stafford (Lions); 4. Matt Ryan (Falcons); 5. Carson Wentz (Eagles).
Here's what Chris Wesseling said: There wasn't a clear No. 1 this week. Newton played two exceptional games and was electric early against Minnesota before the Vikings' defense overwhelmed Carolina up front. Luck has two of my highest-graded games of the year (Week 1 and Week 3) with a rough outing in between. His re-emergence as a top-five talent is one of the big stories to watch at the position this year. Stafford and Ryan have been the steadiest quarterbacks thus far, which is a strange sentence to write. Ryan has faced a cream-puff schedule, but the level of Atlanta's offensive dominance can't be denied. He looks so much more comfortable in Year 2 under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Meanwhile, we're about two weeks away from a "Matthew Stafford has finally made the leap" article that will be regretted four weeks after that.
If every quarterback could face the Dom Capers Packers Defense in the second half every week then Rodgers would be ranked No. 32. Now let's find out where our former All-World quarterback landed.
 |
| Bye To The Top 5 |
6. Aaron Rodgers (Packers); 7. Drew Brees (Saints); 8. Ben Roethlisberger(Steelers); 9. Derek Carr (Raiders); 10. Russell Wilson (Seahawks); 11. Joe Flacco(Ravens); 12. Dak Prescott (Cowboys).
Well, there it is. Rodgers is a second-tier quarterback lumped in with an old man hanging on, a rapist, an up-and-coming young gun, an injured shortie, a one game wonder and a 4th-round rookie. How the mighty have fallen.
Here's what Gregg Rosenthal said about the next 7: The erosion of the Steelers' weapons has impacted Roethlisberger the last two weeks. Markus Wheaton's drops changed the shape of the loss in Philadelphia, and Sammie Coates has proven to be a one-trick pony. (Although he does that one trick -- running really fast down the sideline -- exceedingly well.) The tight end position is extremely underleveraged, and it's a bad sign that slot receiver Eli Rogers' injury was such a setback for the offense. Big Ben can still make enough big plays to win, but it could take this Steelers offense some time to get fully in sync.
Flacco is another veteran quarterback playing well in Year 2 with his coordinator (Marc Trestman). He is getting all his receivers involved and showed in Week 3 that he's not afraid to move on his surgically repaired knee. There aren't many tandems in football more trustworthy on fourth down with the game on the line than Flacco and Steve Smith Sr.
I hope you noticed Rosenthal didn't mention Rodgers at all to mark his fall from not only the top spot, but the entire Top 5 for the first time since 2009.
The Week 4 Power Rankings were out and the Packers maintained No. 4 behind the Patriots, Broncos and THE VIKINGS.
Here's what Elliot Harrison said: Aaron Rodgers pulled off the Tom-Brady-circa-2015 "Up Yours" performance with an insane first half. Then things got dicey after the break. So why are the Packers this high in the rankings? Because they were the walking wounded on Sunday, playing without Clay Matthews III and Morgan Burnett, among others. Not to mention (but we'll mention), Mike McCarthy got a bit conservative late. On that note, maybe "a bit conservative" -- i.e., pounding the rock on the ground -- isn't such a bad idea in the long run. Ratcheting up Eddie Lacy not only makes sense in terms of taking pressure off Rodgers, but it is the recipe for success in cold playoff games. Just a thought.
In all of that Harrison agreed with me about the second half swoon, McCarthy taking his foot off the pedal and then added that Rodgers is getting old because he said "taking the pressure off Rodgers" like he can't handle pressure or can't play four quarters at a high level any more. Whatever it is the talking heads are beginning to notice a drop off from Rodgers.
After all the disappointment of our Packers falling in the rankings or being dissed I think I will....
No comments:
Post a Comment