Did Aaron Rodgers Pass Tom Brady to Take Over Lead in MVP Race?
We may have a new leader in the MVP race.
Former Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers put up some impressive numbers in the Packers' 31-30 victory over the Baltimore Ravens that clinched the NFC North title for Green Bay.
A few hours later, Tom Brady struggled in the Buccaneers' 9-0 loss to New Orleans, the first time in 255 starts that Brady has been shut out.
If we assume that Brady and Rodgers came into the weekend as the top contenders for this year's NFL MVP award -- and nearly everyone made that assumption -- then Rodgers may have overtaken Brady, who was seen as the MVP leader before Sunday.
If the Ravens had converted their two-point conversion with 1:20 left, it might have been a different story. Of course, Rodgers would still have had 1:20 to get the Packers in position for a game-winning field goal, and that would have enhanced Rodgers' MVP bid further.
The Ravens' belief that Rodgers would have fared better in overtime than Tyler Huntley may have played into Baltimore's decision to go for two and the win rather than a tie after the final touchdown.
But let's ignore the hypotheticals, and stick with what took place.
Rodgers finished the day 23-for-31 for 268 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Passer rating is the best indicator of a quarterback's efficiency and production and Rodgers entered the weekend leading the NFL in that category with a 108.8 passer rating. That will increase with Sunday's performance, when Rodgers recorded a 132.2 passer rating for the game.
The Packers are 11-2 in games in which Rodgers has played, despite the numerous injuries the Packers have endured, especially along the offensive line. He now has 30 touchdown passes with just four interceptions, and he has 13 TD passes with no picks over the past four games.
Meanwhile, Brady and the Bucs both had their worst games of the season Sunday night. Brady finished 26-for-48 for 213 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. His passer rating of 57.0 for the game was by far his worst of the season and his fourth-worst passer rating since 2013.
And Rodgers can thank another former Cal player, Cameron Jordan, for some of Brady's struggles, because Jordan sacked Brady twice and forced a fumble that the Saints recovered.
The Bucs dropped to 10-4 overall, a game behind the Packers, who now have the NFC's best record by themselves.
But the biggest negative for Brady is that his team failed to score a single point. Certainly being without his three biggest weapons -- wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and running back Leonard Fournette -- contributed to Brady's poor game. But the numbers don't lie.
Brady still has more touchdown passes than Rodgers, with his 36 scoring passes, but Brady also has 10 interceptions to Rodgers' four. And Brady's passer rating, which was 104.2 before Sunday, will take a hit.
Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray was also on the fringe of the MVP race coming into this weekend. But his so-so performance in the 30-12 loss to the last-place Lions certainly did not help his cause. He has thrown three touchdown passes and five interceptions in his past four games, and the Cardinals have lost two in a row and three of their last four.
Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes and the Rams' Matthew Stafford may have thrust themselves back into the MVP discussion this week, and Buffalo's Josh Allen is still a factor, although the Bills' 8-6 record hurts his chances.
Let's take a look at what Rodgers did.
His final TD pass tied Brett Favre for the franchise record:
You have to like Rodgers' touch on this touchdown throw as he proves again his feet don't have to be in perfect position to deliver a perfect pass:
Each of the Packers' final three games will have a major impact on Rodgers' MVP chances as voters tend to place more weight on the most recent performances. The Packers' remaining three regular-season games are against the Browns, Vikings and Lions, and if the Packers have wrapped up the No. 1 seed before facing the Lions, Rodgers may not play. But if the top seed will depend on the result of the Detroit-Green Bay game, Rodgers' MVP chances will probably rest with his performance in that game.
The fact that Rodgers is doing this with a painful broken toe is interesting, but is irrelevant when it comes to choosing an MVP.
Meanwhile, Brady and the Bucs finish up with three games against teams with losing records -- two games against the Panthers (5-9) and one against the Jets (3-11).
This MVP race is not over. Mahomes and Stafford still have something to say about this MVP competition, and a big game by Brady could push him back on top. As you saw on Sunday, things can turn around in a single day, and the final games are the ones that matter most to MVP voters.
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Rodgers' postgame press conferences are always enlightening and insightful:
And a short clip from Brady's postgame press conference:
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Cover photo of Aaron Rodgers by Tommy Gilligan, USA TODAY Sports
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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53
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