Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady gave Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers a ringing endorsement during his appearance on the the FOX pregame show on Sunday.
"Beyond impressed," Brady said . "I think at that age, there are so many other factors that come into play about how to be a great quarterback. You know, we all want to talk about what happens in the offseason with him, and there are a lot of narratives. But what we know about him on the field is he's a surgical passer. He's got a killer instinct. He's hypercompetitive. And I think he's brought all those things to Pittsburgh."
In four games, Rodgers has completed 74 of 108 passes (68.5%) for 786 yards, with eight touchdowns and three interceptions for a 102.6 passer rating. His eight TDs were tied for third in the NFL heading into Week 5.
According to Next Gen Stats , Rodgers recorded an average time to throw of 2.17 seconds in the Steelers' Week 4 win over the Minnesota Vikings , his quickest average time to throw in a game since at least 2016. On quick throws (under 2.5 seconds), he completed 13 of 16 pass attempts for 174 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was an 80-yarder to DK Metcalf . Metcalf leads all NFL WRs in yards after the catch this season with 199, per Next Gen Stats .
Colin Cowherd of FS1, who's well-known to be critical of Rodgers, said the four-time NFL MVP played his best game in a couple of years in his last outing.
"I felt (Vikings head coach) Kevin O'Connell came into the game with a game plan. So did (defensive coordinator) Brian Flores. And they didn't adjust," Cowherd said . "But I think Kevin O'Connell couldn't adjust. Aaron played the best game, I think, Aaron's played in a couple of years. I really did. He and DK Metcalf have a clear connection.
"I looked at Pittsburgh and I'm like, 'Jesus, this is the best Steelers performance (in years).' And again, (the Vikings) were missing three linemen. The Vikings were a mess on the O-line."
Former NFL scout John Middlekauff, a guest on Cowherd's podcast, was encouraged by the brand of football that the Steelers played in the win.
"I thought for the first time in four games … they looked like a physical team (from) start to finish," Middlekauff said. "If you just gave the Steelers, every week, a 100-yard rusher, they're gonna have a chance. Because the days of Aaron throwing for 375 are done. But what he can do is, a little bit like today, 20 of 24, 220 yards. And part of giving DK a lot of money — which was pretty risky — (is) every once in a while, he's gonna take it 80 yards and cut across the field and run by everyone."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Tom Brady Raves About Aaron Rodgers' Start with Steelers: 'He's a Surgical Passer'
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