Rosenfels on why Rodgers to Cook was one of the greatest plays ever
Sage Rosenfels is a former 12-year NFL quarterback who writes, does radio, and podcasts about the NFL and college football.
Through six playoff games, the NFL postseason felt more like this season’s "Thursday Night Football" games than must-watch television that NFL fans are accustomed to witnessing in January. All six games were fairly uneventful and thin on excitement and drama. Sunday, this took a 180 degree turn as NFL fans were graced with two fantastic games. Both the Cowboys-Packers and Steelers-Chiefs games had fourth quarters that highlighted everything that is good (and scary) about the sport. After the dust has settled, the NFC and AFC championship games will have four quarterbacks which consist of three sure-fire Hall of Famers and an MVP candidate. Not since 1993 when the final four consisted of Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Jim Kelly, and Dan Marino have we seen such an elite group of signal-callers in the two championship games. There is a tremendous amount of meat to dissect before next weekend’s games and they can’t get here quick enough. Before we jump ahead, there are five aspects of Sunday’s games which I would like to dissect.
The Dallas versus Green Bay game was dripping with all that is great about the NFL. The game had America’s Team, playing in the NFL’s marquee stadium, versus the small-town Packers. The uniforms of the two teams have barely changed in 60 years and at times I was mentally transported back to the early 1990s when Favre and Aikman were battling it out for NFC supremacy.
The Packers have been the hottest team in the NFL for the last two months. With their backs against the wall, head coach Mike McCarthy changed the course of his sinking ship by utilizing his personnel to best match his quarterback. Ty Montgomery and Jared Cook became valuable weapons for Aaron Rodgers, who may end up being known as the greatest quarterback of all time. Though he won’t have the Super Bowl trophies or playoff wins when compared to Tom Brady, I have never seen a quarterback who plays at the level of Rodgers. The only other athlete I can compare Rodgers to is Michael Jordan. The Bulls may not have had as many titles as Red Auerbach’s Celtics teams, but most NBA historians see Jordan as the better player over Bill Russell despite the Celtics winning 11 titles in Russell’s 13-year career. Tom Brady has had the better overall football career as it relates to championships, but Rodgers has carried more responsibility on his shoulders as his franchise’s quarterback. If you compare the two players when they are/were at their absolute best, Rodgers separates himself with plays like the throw he made on Sunday in crunch time.
After the Cowboys tied the game with 35 seconds remaining, there was little doubt the Packers would be aggressive in an attempt to get, at the very minimum, within Hail Mary range. Rodgers’ unprecedented arm strength meant the Packers needed to simply get the ball out to the 35- or 40-yard line. Just a week earlier, Rodgers connected on a heave which traveled 63 yards in the air. While many conservative coaches would be concerned with an interception, sack, or fumble with the ball on their own 25-yard line with 30 seconds left, McCarthy didn’t flinch. Even while facing an almost helpless situation at third-and-20, McCarthy kept his foot pressed firmly on the gas. The end result is what I believe to be one of the greatest throws in NFL history. Yes, it was that good of a toss. In my humble opinion, it was a throw only one NFL quarterback, past or present, could have made.
On the play, Rodgers took the snap, rolled to his left to buy time, and found Cook on the sideline with an unbelievable 36-yard laser. Coming from a perspective of a former quarterback, everything about that throw was magical. The wherewithal and preparation for Rodgers and the Packers to design a concept where he would escape to his left to extend the play was brilliant. Rodgers had the athletic ability to scramble to his left, when most quarterbacks prefer to escape to their right (for right-handed throwers). He had the arm strength, which I believe is unmatched in NFL history, to make the 36-yard throw while on the move. Finally, the accuracy of the pass. The window of error was so small that Rodgers literally had less than a foot of room to miss. Rolling to his left, as he was getting pressure, Rodgers found Cook as he barely snuck behind the Cowboys’ underneath defenders. When the ball left the quarterback’s hand, Cook was still behind Dallas defender Byron Jones. If Rodgers misses this throw to the right, Jones would have had an easy interception and Dallas would have had their own opportunity at a Hail Mary. If the throw is two more feet to the left, Cook would have been out of bounds. Awareness. Athleticism. Arm Strength. Accuracy. That throw had it all.
It was so good that I think it should go down as one of the greatest plays in NFL history. I’d love to watch a scientific breakdown of the pass. The accuracy, distance, and velocity was something I have never seen before. Also, add that Rodgers threw it on the move and running to his left, the most difficult pass for a right-handed quarterback. Dwight Clark is known for "The Catch." Aaron Rodgers should have ownership of the phrase "The Throw."
Dak Prescott
Dak will be back.
We have seen this story before. A young, athletic quarterback having a Pro-Bowl season while playing for one of the NFL’s most storied franchises. I have no doubt that Dak Prescott will not end up like Robert Griffin III. Prescott is a better passer, leader, and overall quarterback. His style of play is much more conducive for long-term NFL success as well. During yesterday’s playoff loss, Prescott showed he is much more than a game manager. After falling behind 21-3 early, Prescott and the Cowboys didn’t flinch. They stuck to their game plan and clawed their way back into the game. Over the majority of his rookie NFL season, Prescott was not asked to carry the Cowboys' offense. Sunday, Prescott not only executed and managed the comeback, he also made impressive throw after throw when all the cards were on the table. I can’t wait to watch Prescott's progress going into his sophomore campaign. I’m sure Cowboys fans are just as eager.
Ben Roethlisberger
Last week, I wrote about great "slop" playoff quarterbacks. On Sunday, Roethlisberger, again, found a way to win a playoff game. This one was played in terrible conditions in Kansas City. On a sloppy field, which by the end of the game was mostly frozen muck, Big Ben played backyard football and got it done. After the Steelers stopped the Chiefs on the two-point conversion to tie the game, Pittsburgh needed one first down to secure the win. Facing a third-and-3 from their own 12-yard line, the Steelers had Antonio Brown running a shallow crossing route from the left side of the formation to the right. I believe Ben had no interest in throwing the ball to anybody but Brown. This is why Ben is so effective in these conditions. He and Brown have such a great connection that I believe Ben escaped the pocket to the right on purpose. He had very little pressure in the pocket, yet ran to the right because that is where Brown was headed. It was backyard football at its finest. Two great players who wouldn’t be denied, finding a way to finish off their opponent on an off-scheduled play. Ben and Brown found a way, and the Steelers are headed to Foxboro.
Alex Smith
Enough of the game manager talk. No, Smith doesn’t put up huge numbers or make as many amazing plays as the other quarterbacks remaining in the playoffs, but on Sunday, he did enough to give his Chiefs a chance to win. When the season was on the line, Smith marched his team down the field with key plays. On the two-point conversion, Smith again “made a play” and found his fourth option, a backup tight end in the back of the end zone. If it wasn’t for a controversial holding penalty on Smith’s left tackle, NFL talking heads may be talking about Smith finally earning the respect he desperately deserves as a quarterback who knows how to win close games, which is all that matters.
Davis' hit on Conley
Lastly, I’d like to address a scary play at the end of the Steelers-Chiefs game. Facing a third-and-9 with the season on the brink, Alex Smith attempted to squeeze a pass down the middle of the field to Chris Conley. On a bang-bang play, Steelers safety Sean Davis hit the defenseless Conley to force an incompletion. It was an ugly hit that spotlighted the nasty side of football.
Football is a dangerous sport. Big, strong, fast men who are sprinting as fast as possible away from and at each other is a recipe for disaster. While the league, and players, have done their best to minimize hits like this, the same reason we love football is the same reason why this collision was impossible to prevent. There is no way to expect Davis, a rookie safety who is trying to earn his stripes as a young NFL player for the Steelers, could have not hit Conley. Football is a violent sport, and the pressure and intensity of a fourth quarter in an NFL playoff game is unmatched. As unapologetic as it seems, I believe Davis made the right play. He had less than a second to react and make a decision which would affect his team’s season. As a hard hitting safety, Davis had no choice but to launch himself in Conley’s direction and hope for the best. He will be fined for an illegal hit on a defenseless player, but Sean Davis made the only decision possible and should feel no regret for that play.