Aaron Rodgers, the prototype for the modern quarterback, was ruthlessly efficient en route to capturing MVP honors last season.
Only one of Rodgers' five interceptions could be directly attributed to him, with the other four resulting from the ball ricocheting off his receivers' hands.
Rodgers outlined his strategy for avoiding interceptions in a profile by the The MMQB's Peter King.
"There's three senses as a quarterback we talk about," Rodgers said. "One: No premeditated decisions. Two: Don't make a blind throw. And that was a blind throw, meaning I didn't look inside to see where the next coverage element was - that will get you sometimes. It got me against (Bears safety Chris) Conte.
"Three: Don't throw it late down the middle."
Rodgers was methodical last season, completing 65.6 percent of his passes for 4,381 yards and 38 touchdowns. The Green Bay Packers star said he's been working on eliminating turnovers since he was in middle school.
"I knew that from eighth grade, when I started playing football, and on, the only way I was going to be able to stay on the field was if I made good decisions and didn't turn the ball over," he said.
"I was in a three-way quarterback competition as an eighth-grader and I got the job in the third week. I threw an interception on the first drive, but was able to hold on to the job somehow. I was in a quarterback competition at Butte Junior College and a quarterback competition at Cal and I knew decision-making was the way I was going to be able to stay out on the field. It's about calculated risks."
Rodgers attributed some of his success to his coaches, singling out his college coach, Jeff Tedford, and Packers head coach Mike McCarthy among his mentors.
"Throwing six interceptions in a season, throwing five interceptions in a season and both years, over 38 touchdown passes, that is pretty hard to do,” he said. “But a lot of that comes back to the guys coaching you, too. Jeff Tedford in college, Mike and Joe and Tom and Alex ... like I said, I love being coached. I love talking football with smart coaches. I love the input, the dialogue, the conversation. I love feeling like I need to play well for my coach, like he is expecting me to play well. It’s fun to be able to make all those coaches proud.”
The Packers enter as one of the prohibitive favorites every year, and this season is no different. Rodgers' outstanding distribution is the primary reason why Titletown is expecting another Lombardi Trophy this winter.
