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, dropped 12 of its previous 13 games … and was starting at quarterback an undrafted free agent out of Temple with two career touchdowns.Green Bay, meanwhile, is a full 3.5 games behind the Vikings in the NFC North, to whom they lost in Week 1. It still has to visit Buffalo and Philly, among other parts of a challenging schedule. Rodgers may not be as old as Brady, an outlier in longevity, but he’s hitting the age where quarterbacks generally fade from effectiveness.
In seasons as the starting quarterback, Brady has never had a losing season and put up at least 10 victories in 19 of his 20 campaigns. Rodgers has had just two, one of which was his first year as a starter. It’s a major part in what makes this so stunning. It’s not just that the NFL is used to seeing these two compete deep into January and February, these dual towers of consistent excellence. It’s that they almost never look bad or overmatched.
Tampa Bay can’t run the ball — 46 yards against the Panthers. It can’t protect Brady in the pocket, and he can’t scramble. There is no speed on the outside. It's scored more than 21 points just once this season., the biggest margin ever for Rodgers in the NFL.