Rodgers, Allen Have Been Stars Under Lights
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Different sport, but in Dick Vitale’s world, Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen would be PTP’ers. These primetime performers will take center stage when the Green Bay Packers face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.
With Rodgers at the wheels, the Packers have been primetime powerhouses. In regular-season action, Green Bay has won 13 consecutive primetime games. That’s the NFL’s longest streak dating to 2000. During the Matt LaFleur era, Rodgers has thrown 45 touchdowns vs. four interceptions in primetime, good for a league-best 114.4 passer rating. On Sunday night, Rodgers has thrown 21 touchdowns vs. only one interception in his last seven starts.
With Allen at the reins, the Bills have been primetime stalwarts, too. The team’s first-round pick in 2018, Allen is 8-3 in night games. According to NFL Research, his .727 winning percentage under the lights trails only Steve Young (.793), Ken Stabler (.738) and Joe Montana (.733) among all quarterbacks with 10-plus primetime starts.
Among all quarterbacks who have thrown 300-plus primetime passes, Allen ranks No. 1 with a 108.6 passer rating and Rodgers is second at 106.5.
The Packers will need Rodgers to find his under-the-lights greatness to snap a three-game losing streak and give Green Bay its first-ever win in Buffalo.
“We’ve been pretty good in primetime the last 13 games or so, so we expect the same type of performance this week,” Rodgers said.
Allen is on an MVP trajectory entering Week 8, ranking first in passing yards and total touchdowns per game and second in passer rating. You name the phase, he’s excelled – especially in comparison to the four-time MVP Rodgers.
According to Pro Football Focus, out of 32 quarterbacks with more than 10 deep passing attempts, Allen ranks No. 1 with a 127.7 passer rating and 59.3 percent completion rate. Rodgers is 15th with an 81.1 rating and 24th with a 30.3 percent completion rate.
According to PFF, 31 quarterbacks have faced pressure on at least 30 percent of their dropbacks. Allen ranks No. 1 with a 106.5 passer rating and 8.9 yards per attempt. Rodgers is 12th with a 73.6 rating and 17th with 5.8 yards per attempt.
On third down, Allen has produced 36 first downs to Rodgers’ 22.
With Allen playing like the MVP that Rodgers was the previous two seasons, the Bills are not only favorites to win this game but they’re favorites to win the Super Bowl.
Rodgers’ greatness, however, is inescapable.
“He’s Aaron Rodgers,” Allen told reporters in Buffalo this week. “One of the best if not the best quarterback to ever play the game. I think we understand that.”
The real X-factor is Allen’s running ability. Allen also is Buffalo’s rushing leader. Among all quarterbacks with at least seven rushes (Rodgers’ number), Allen ranks fourth with 13 missed tackles and second with 4.09 yards after contact per attempt, according to PFF. That’s no longer part of Rodgers’ game. He’s forced four missed tackles during the LaFleur era.
“I’ve never seen a quarterback not slide like this guy,” defensive coordinator Joe Barry said. “This guy is looking to get every inch of grass that he can get and in a violent physical manner.”
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