Aaron Rodgers Chasing Records for Passing Efficiency
Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers is putting together a 2014 season so void of mistakes that he is beginning to close in on several team and league records for passing efficiency. Rodgers’ dominance in 2014 hasn’t featured gaudy yardage or TD numbers to this point, but his ability to avoid interceptions has been among the all-time best.
With 18 TD’s and just 1INT, Aaron Rodgers has solidified himself at a leading candidate for the NFL MVP, as Daniel D. Zimmer outlined this week. His lone pick of the season came in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, and even that could have been avoided. WR Jordy Nelson began to cut across the field on a slant as Aaron Rodgers threw him a hard pass, which glanced off his hands and fell into the waiting arms of Byron Maxwell.
This leaves Aaron Rodgers in the hunt of two important records: the all-time NFL mark for INT%, along with the Green Bay Packers’ and NFL records for consecutive completions without an INT.
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/25/2014.
When compared to his 2011 MVP campaign, Rodgers’ yardage and TD totals may fall just short, but again, it is his efficiency with the football that has made 2014 so special. Aaron Rodgers currently possesses a 0.47 INT%, meaning that he throws an INT on 0.47% of his total passes attempted. This puts him within striking distance of the NFL record of 0.41%, which was surprisingly set by Kansas City Chiefs QB Damon Huard in 2006. Keep in mind that Huard started just 8 games that season.
Secondly, Rodgers has continued his climb toward Bart Starr and Tom Brady for the Packers’ and NFL records for consecutive completions without an INT. The legendary Bart Starr set the Packers mark at 294, which is made even more impressive by the fact it was done a half-Century ago. Rodgers, now sitting at 192, could move within reach of this mark with two more clean games against the Saints and Bears. Tom Brady’s all-time mark sits even higher, at an astounding 358 passes. Aaron Rodgers is just over halfway to Brady’s NFL mark, but if can reach Starr’s record, there could be no stopping him.
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The argument made so commonly against Aaron Rodgers in discussions of MVP voting or records is that he is surrounded by elite-level talent. That has almost become a “flaw” in the modern NFL, to have other good players on your own roster.
Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson and Eddie Lacy certainly make life easier on Aaron Rodgers, there is no arguing that, but outside of letting balls bounce off of their hands and into their air, there is little these players can do to impact Rodgers’ consecutive completion and INT% numbers. They would have a much larger impact on TD’s or yardage, if that were the record in danger, but this is more about efficiency and less about sheer volume. If they are unable to get open, Rodgers has a proven ability to find the next option, or a little too often, take a sack.
The O-Line may have somewhat of a greater impact on these records, and their ability to keep Rodgers upright and away from pressure will allow his decision making process to be successful. The Green Bay Packers’ O-Line is miles from being the strength of their football team. I’ll never argue that Aaron Rodgers is doing this alone, but for these specific statistics, he is not being carried on the shoulders of others. The next two weeks will show how realistic and sustainable his performance is, but Aaron Rodgers did not slow down in 2011, and I don’t expect him to slow down now.