In the NFL, we watch games each and every week, looking for the spectacular plays and the massive stat lines. We look to form opinions on players, teams and their legacies in history. Tonight, two legacies were altered within the sport.
Aaron Rodgers Legacy
An impressive career thus far has its first capper. Big time players play big in big games. The MVP of this year’s game, played like a big time player in THE big game. Rodgers plays with a calming swagger, one that reminds us of a tactical boxing champion, one searching for a championship belt of his own. Rodgers has battled for everything he has received in his career, fighting adversity and proving himself at each level. It’s hard for many people to argue that he didn’t deserve a Lombardi at some point in his brief career. His playoff performance in 2011 was nothing short of exceptional. It belongs in discussions with one of the great postseason runs in the history of the league. Take a look at what he accomplished this season, on the road each and every week. He beat the Eagles in the first round, playing a mistake free game against a defense that forces mistakes. In the second round, he posted gaudy numbers against the stingy Falcons squad that kept teams close all season. In the NFC championship, he overcame the nasty opposing tundra of their rival Chicago Bears to lead the Pack to their first Super Bowl in the post-Brett Favre era…Oops, I mean the Aaron Rodgers era. His statistics were prolific and his leadership was unheralded. Two seasons ago against the Cardinals, Aaron did everything in his power to push his team over the hill, but 45 points wasn’t good enough. His playoff performances have caught us, maybe, by surprise. I know it caught 23 NFL executives and numerous scouts that passed on him in the 2005 NFL draft by surprise. Aaron is a clutch quarterback with the make-up any head coach desires from a leader. A controlled gun-slinger, Aaron spreads them out and makes great decisions. Even in this Super Bowl, he overcame dropped pass after dropped pass by receivers Jordy Nelson and James Jones. Aaron is used to overcoming obstacles; adversity like this has helped him to begin forming a legacy for himself.
Ben Roethlisberger’s Legacy
While Big Ben’s opponent, Aaron Rodgers was fighting to prove his legitimacy, Big Ben was looking to join the all-time greats. With a potential for 3 Super Bowl titles in 6 years, Ben was on the brink of all-time greatness. He would join an elite class of all-time quarterbacks and secure a legacy for himself as a championship quarterback. Let’s fast forward to the end of the game, Pittsburgh fails to close out a mini dynasty and Ben comes short of all-time greatness - as it appears. With a loss tonight, we should place Ben’s all-time legacy on hold and examine it further. Ben is a great and unique talent in this league, a proven winner. But I think this game truly shows us the type of quarterback he is - a very good quarterback, one who stacks up well in his era, but not an all-time great. With a victory, we were ready to crown him as one of the greats. At 27 years old, he was approaching the lore of Bradshaw and Montana. The football nation was moving a little bit too fast. Let’s place the microscope on his 3 Super Bowl appearances. Roethlisberger has played noticeably poorly in two of them, sufficient in the other. Tonight, he threw 2 key interceptions, one going for a Nick Collins score, and couldn’t overcome those mistakes in last ditch effort. In 2005 against the Seattle Seahawks, Ben was only a second year quarterback and struggled to find his groove, riding his defense, running game and a trick play to Super Bowl glory. Even two years ago against Arizona, he was outplayed at the quarterback position by Kurt Warner. Without the Immaculate Reception by Santonio Holmes in the back of the end zone, we may look back on Ben’s Super Bowl career differently. We were ready to crown Ben. Let’s hold back on that crown and take it in perspective.
Having these thoughts about legacies leads me to wonder about the fantasy world and all of our ‘What if’ questions. What if Peyton Manning had the cagey Pittsburgh defenses that Ben Roethlisberger has enjoyed over the past 6 seasons? What if legends like Dan Marino could lavish on a team with the talent across the board that Aaron Rodgers has in Green Bay? These are discussions that drive creative minds. It challenges and intrigues football fans across the nation, but at the end of the day, we look at stats, playoff performances and the most importantly Super Bowl titles. These are how legacies are perceived. Aaron Rodgers joined the greats of his era tonight. His name belongs with Peyton, Tom and Drew (yes, even Ben). He reached the pinnacle of his sport. In a sport that explores the legacies of so many, Aaron is on the way to proving his own – with a belt around his waist.
Troy Eric Klongerbo
