December
Green Bay Packers Again Struggling With Elite Quarterbacks
If a team is going to knock the Green Bay Packers from the ranks of unbeaten in 2011, there’s one thing we know: That team better have an elite quarterback.
While it’s not quite a flashback to 2009, the Packers defense is again struggling mightily with elite level quarterbacks.
Two years ago, the Packers were consistently burned by quarterbacks Brett Favre, Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner. The Packers lost all four of those games, including a playoff defeat to the Cardinals in which Warner threw for 379 yards and 5 touchdowns. Roethlisberger went over 500 and Favre had a combined seven touchdowns.
While Green Bay has won every game this season, a similar trend is forming for the 2011 defense.
In my estimation, the Packers have played three elite level quarterbacks this season: Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and Eli Manning. Not only were the Packers torched in the passing game by these three quarterbacks, but each of the three games were among the closest the Packers have played this season.
Let’s take a look at some of the stats from these three games.
| QUARTERBACK | CMP | ATT | YDS | TD | INT | RATING | FINAL |
| DREW BREES | 32 | 49 | 416 | 3 | 0 | 112.5 | 42-34 |
| PHILIP RIVERS | 26 | 46 | 385 | 4 | 3 | 85.9 | 45-38 |
| ELI MANNING | 23 | 40 | 347 | 3 | 1 | 100.7 | 38-35 |
| TOTALS | 81 | 135 | 1,148 | 10 | 4 | 99.9 |
