NFL Week Five Recap: Aaron Rodgers, we are not worthy

Everything is starting to take shape as we wave goodbye to NFL week five. Everything, that is, except the New York Giants. Here’s what we’ve learned this series.

By / NFL / 7 years ago

Green Bae:

We’re witnesses to a once-in-a-generation talent. Tales of Dan Marino, Steve Young and Joe Montana are the quarterbacks we hear about from bygone days all the time now. If your children are lucky enough, you’ll be lecturing them about Aaron Rodgers.

The Cal product was sacked four times for a combined loss of 39 yards against the Dallas Cowboys. He was once again without the meat of his offensive line. He rushed for 32 yards. On only 29 passing attempts, he completed 19 of those. He threw for three touchdowns and, in a game of small margins, he didn’t turn the ball over once.

Perhaps for all the stats available, it’s in intangibles that make him such a great player. That very fact means that no matter how many numbers you reel off to future generations, they’ll never truly understand his genius unless they lived through it.

We’re blessed to be able watch someone like this play every week.

Big Ben Bye-Bye:

After his side’s embarrassing 30-9 defeat at the hands of a Blake Bortles-led Jacksonville Jaguars, Ben Roethlisberger had a stab at the media huddle in the locker room. Touching on his FIVE interceptions, the press rightly asked about his struggles. The 35-year-old brashly responded, “Maybe I don’t have it anymore.” Of course he was being sarcastic, but is there some truth in that?

The first pick is a slight underthrow on a seam route to his tight end. That’s excusable, perhaps. The second one was tipped. The third one is an issue, though. Despite only being down by four points with twenty minutes remaining on the clock. Roethlisberger threw into triple coverage in a third down-and-forever. He forced it, and the throw itself wasn’t great, either.

The fourth was on JuJu Smith-Schuster’s trip, although the fade on the ball was more suited to Tashaun Gipson than it ever was to someone running into that spot. The fifth pick was to Gipson again – a horrible underthrow on the deep ball into the end zone.

While this is only one games, it’s worth pointing out that Pittsburgh still have the most explosive offence in the NFL – built for this man. It seems hard to envisage most quarterbacks putting in a performance like he did the other night, given the talent around him.

An Unexpected Golden Year?

There was little or no hype about the 2016 NFL Draft quarterback class. The Rams and the Eagles both gave up their respective farms to go up and grab prospects that nobody thought would be anywhere near as elite as the 2018 group. Maybe everyone was wrong.

Jared Goff now leads an explosive offence in Los Angeles. Carson Wentz drops nicer looking dimes than anyone’s seen in a long time. Jacoby Brissett is leading the Colts’ offence and doesn’t look out of place. Dak Prescott is the future of the Dallas Cowboys.

Paxton Lynch is still playing behind Siemian, but reports are positive. Even some of the lower-drafted guys are doing well. Cardale Jones looks like the most talented backup the Chargers have had since Philip Rivers, and even Kevin Hogan threw a touchdown pass this weekend.

You just never know.

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