2015 NFL Playoffs: top 10 performers of the Divisional Round

Jan 11, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half in the 2014 NFC Divisional playoff football game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

3. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

On one leg, Rodgers is better than probably 29 out of 31 other starting quarterbacks. Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but there’s no doubt that Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league. He’s deserving of every bit of MVP talk, more so than J.J. Watt. For the first half, he looked somewhat conservative and uncomfortable, especially in the pocket, but was much more like himself as the game progressed.

In this case, Rodgers’ box score accurately reflects his overall performance. He completed 24 of 35 passes (68.6 percent) for 316 yards, three touchdowns, and no picks – good enough for a passer rating of 125.4. Stats in general paint a bleak picture of a player’s performance, but here, they in fact represent Rodgers’ Divisional Round game. He missed on some relatively easy throws but made some exceptional passes, especially in the second half.

Some throws Rodgers made were simply darts that few other quarterbacks could make. Rodgers threaded the needle on that 46-yard touchdown to Davante Adams. He made another pass to Jordy Nelson over the outstretched hands of a Dallas defender, but Nelson couldn’t bring it in even though the ball hit him in in his hands. Although he’s on one leg, he’s still better than most quarterbacks. His stellar performance against Dallas is good enough to be in the top three performances last weekend.

Next: A rising star