New England Patriots: Tom Brady vs. Aaron Rodgers, who had edge?

The New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers will go to battle in primetime, giving us a matchup between two all-time greats: Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

Football fans from around the world marked their calendars for the Week 9 Sunday Night Football matchup as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers go head to head for the second time in their storied careers. The New England Patriots taking on the Green Bay Packers promises to be one of the best showdowns of the season, a likely shootout between both quarterbacks.

If we go about comparing these two quarterbacks based on historical statistics and accolades, Rodgers falls short in almost every category related to playoffs and Super Bowl wins. Brady is clearly the more accomplished player with five Super Bowl victories, eight appearances, and three MVPs to his name.

Rodgers has one Super Bowl appearance which he won, earning him an MVP trophy as well for his performance in Super Bowl XLV.

In terms of play-style, Brady is the prototypical quarterback that mainly functions in the pocket, always looking to pass first and conducting his offense with an extreme level of efficiency. Rodgers, on the other hand, is a master of improvisation inside and outside the pocket. He is the faster more athletic quarterback who can make impossible throws on the run and uses his legs when needed.

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With historical context out of the way, we can focus on the matchup at hand illustrating which player has been performing at a higher level this year. Let us delve into the head-to-head matchup between Brady and Rodgers so far in the 2018 season:

Tom Brady (8 games): 199-of-295 (67.5 percent), 2,200 yards (7.5 ypa), 16 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, Passer Rating: 97.6
Aaron Rodgers (7 games): 174-of-284 (61.3 percent), 2,283 yards (8.0 ypa), 13 touchdowns, 1 interception, Passer Rating: 100.4

Considering that both quarterbacks will be motivated to perform at the highest level, the Patriots and Packers defenses will ultimately play a tremendous role in which team will pull off the win in Week 9. The Packers defense is ranked 12th in total yardage allowed per game. Contrarily, the Patriots defense is stuck at 25th, allowing a total of 382.8 yards per game.

Green Bay’s defense is much tougher by the numbers, as well as capable of making stops. The Patriots give up some ground on defense, but the pendulum swings their way when it comes to offense.

With the ball in their possession, New England is currently ranked sixth in total yardage compared to the 13th placed Packers. New England also ranks 11th in total rushing yards, which gives them a significant advantage over Green Bay, who has a virtually nonexistent running game (26th in the NFL).

Brady also has more weapons on offense this season with the addition of Josh Gordon, Sony Michel (though he’s out in Week 9) and the return of a healthy Julian Edelman. Rodgers has Randall Cobb and Davante Adams, who will surely make plays against the Patriots underperforming secondary, However, the Patriots might be able to shorten the field due to the Packers weak running game.

Green Bay’s pass rush will look to apply pressure against Brady in hopes of keeping the offensive line working and on its heels. Clay Matthews will also be roving around Brady, hoping to strike at any moment to force a fumble or a strip sack. The Patriots defense will also have a huge challenge in defending Rodgers, who can attack the defense in many ways — through quick passes on the move or advancing with his legs to gain yardage.

This is where Bill Belichick will prepare an elaborate scheme to contain Rodgers for just enough plays, while Mike McCarthy and his defensive coordinator, Mike Pettine, will have their hands full trying to stagnate Brady. In this scenario, the edge will go to the Patriots with their defensive genius Belichick.

The Patriots not only carry the advantage in the coaching and personnel department, but New England is also undefeated at home so far. Playing in Gillette Stadium brings out the best in Brady and his teammates especially in the clutch moments, where Brady has made a career of gutting his opponents at the end of games.

With all this in mind, as far as a prediction goes, the Patriots offense will outduel the Packers as Brady will put up enough points to streamline the team to a close win, 31-28.