For those who assume the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers owns the Bears, take a look at his numbers vs. the Vikings – Minnesota Vikings Weblog

EAGAN, Minn. – A month in the past, Aaron Rodgers stretched throughout the airplane of the top zone with the soccer in his left hand late in Inexperienced Bay’s 24-14 victory over NFC North rival Chicago. He celebrated together with his signature “Low cost Double Test” gesture earlier than looking at some fans in the Soldier Field crowd and yelling: “I nonetheless personal you!”

It might be onerous to argue. Rodgers’ 22-5 document in opposition to the Bears is the third-best profitable share (.815) by a quarterback in opposition to a single opponent since 1950, with a minimal of 25 begins, in response to ESPN Stats & Data.

However there’s one other measure of possession that means Rodgers has been much more dominant over his subsequent opponent. In 25 conferences in opposition to the Minnesota Vikings since turning into a starter in 2008, Rodgers has thrown 50 touchdowns to only seven interceptions, a 7.1 TD-to-INT ratio that’s the finest by any quarterback versus a single opponent ever, in response to Elias.

The Vikings host the Packers on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox).

Rodgers’ stats are even higher in opposition to Mike Zimmer-led Vikings’ groups. Since 2014, Rodgers has thrown 24 touchdowns to 3 interceptions in opposition to Minnesota, which is a barely higher share than his profession ratio, and he has discovered methods to rattle Zimmer’s protection in particular areas.

In keeping with ESPN Stats and Data, Rodgers has the very best landing share (5.9%) of any quarterback the Vikings have confronted beneath Zimmer (Minnesota has allowed a 4.0% TD share to everybody else). And Rodgers has extra large performs, averaging 9.5 completions per sport that acquire 10-plus yards, whereas the Vikings permit a median of 5.6 per sport to everybody else.

The battle between Zimmer and Rodgers is among the NFL’s most intriguing chess matches.

Each play is a battle for Zimmer the place the distinction between a well-timed blitz or getting burned by Rodgers’ potential to catch defenses with 12 males on the sector may change the result of a sport.

“Each time I play him, I really feel that approach,” Zimmer mentioned. “You by no means need him to have the ball on the finish of the sport. I don’t assume any coach within the league would say, ‘Oh, let’s give him the ball.’ So that you’re preventing, scratching, all the sport.”

However Rodgers hasn’t at all times been on the profitable finish in opposition to Zimmer-coached groups. Since 2014, the Vikings are 6-7-1 in opposition to Inexperienced Bay, with two of these wins coming with Rodgers on the bench with a damaged collarbone he suffered in opposition to Minnesota in 2017.

“Each time we play them, they current one thing new,” Rodgers mentioned. “Helps that they’ve a number of the identical guys over time —Harrison [Smith] and [Anthony] Barr and [Eric] Kendricks have been in that system for a very long time now – to allow them to throw plenty of various things at you, they usually at all times have some particular wrinkle off of stuff that they’ve accomplished on tape or accomplished in opposition to us previously, so coach Zim is a superb coach, and he at all times has one thing particular for us.”

Whereas Minnesota’s blitz price is identical versus Rodgers (26%) as it’s for the 31 different groups, the Vikings have performed extra man protection in opposition to the Packers QB since 2016 (46% in comparison with 40%), and it’s been to the Vikings benefit. In keeping with NFL Subsequent Gen Stats, Rodgers has a 54 QBR in opposition to Minnesota’s man protection in that span, in comparison with a 70 QBR in opposition to the Vikings’ zone.

Rodgers enters Week 11 coming off the second win of his profession through which he threw zero touchdowns and no less than one interception in a 17-0 victory in opposition to Seattle. Inexperienced Bay’s offense is in a rut, rating twentieth in complete offense (339.4 yards per sport) and nineteenth in speeding (109.3 ypg) and it is going to be with out star again Aaron Jones. The Packers are additionally nineteenth in passing (230.1 ypg), nineteenth in scoring (21.6 ppg) and twenty fifth in pink zone effectivity (53.9%).

However a down stretch for the Packers gained’t make Minnesota’s problem simpler. Few quarterbacks snap the ball in a while the play clock than Rodgers, making it tough for a protection to vary its look to confuse Rodgers earlier than the play goes dwell. His potential to maneuver round within the pocket whereas retaining his eyes downfield (with a median of two.64 seconds to throw) makes pressuring him even tougher, although the Vikings are 3-1-1 once they’ve sacked him no less than 4 instances. And the Vikings lead the league with 3.2 sacks per sport.

So is throwing a brand new wrinkle at Rodgers even attainable — or crucial — after this many conferences?

“No, probably not,” defensive coordinator Andre Patterson mentioned. “Although you’re attempting to just be sure you don’t give away what you’re attempting to do, with a view to win, we’ve nonetheless received to do what our guys can do finest. You may’t throw every little thing out the window and provide you with an entire new scheme, and your gamers can’t go on the market and execute it. You’re setting your self up for failure.”

However as those that have confronted him in Minnesota and elsewhere know, letting Rodgers have the ball with even the least period of time on the clock will be lethal.

Zimmer stood on the sideline together with his abdomen in knots final October when the Vikings gave Rodgers the ball again with 47 seconds left and no timeouts remaining. The most important sack of then-rookie D.J. Wonnum’s profession ended Rodgers’ likelihood of spoiling Minnesota’s 28-22 win.

“You’ve received to defend each second on all the clock,” mentioned Patrick Peterson, who confronted Rodgers whereas with the Arizona Cardinals and can swimsuit up Sunday for the Vikings. “… He’s by no means out of the sport.”

ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.