Aaron Rodgers vs. Brett Favre Comparison Gets Technical

There is no doubt to this day many Green Bay Packers fans are still getting into debates about who was better between Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre.

Their competition for the starting job from 2005 to 2007 may have created a rather frosty relationship, but the two never got an answer to the question. Favre beat Rodgers twice in 2009 and Rodgers beat Favre twice in 2010. Both men have a single ring to their name. One is in the Hall of Fame and the other will be five years after he retires. It remains too close to call. Is there no way to get a definitive answer on this.

Elliott Harrison and a number of other experts from NFL.com took a serious crack at it. They wanted to see if quarterbacks of the modern era like Rodgers are superior to those 25 years ago in the early 1990s. To help with that they created the Quarterback Era Adjustment. It goes as follows:

"“…we multiplied 2016 total passing figures by 87.5 percent (seven-eighths) to reflect the jump in teams from 28 in 1992 to 32 now. Next, we took the percentage differences in each category and applied them to the older quarterbacks’ ’92 stat lines.”"

In other words they tried to get the most accurate barometer possible of how those 1992 stats would’ve looked under 20165 rules and regulations. It’s a fascinating methodology that revealed a lot, particularly when it came to the Rodgers vs. Favre comparison that followed. It proved to be as competitive as one could hope for with a surprising twist at the end.

The fatal flaw reveals itself

"“Well isn’t this matchup fun: one of the most ballyhooed (and hottest, based on last year’s stretch run) quarterbacks in the league against a first-ballot Hall of Famer in his first year as a starter. Cheeseheads can argue about these two all day. Taking the long view, Rodgers has inarguably impressive numbers, like his 45-touchdown, six-pick 2011 season, and his career passer rating of 104.1, currently the best in league history. Ah, but Favre took the Pack to more Super Bowls (two to one) and won more MVPs (three to two). Well, the Favre lovers will have to take one on the chin here, because the certifiable iron man threw a lot of picks early in his career. Favre’s era-adjusted ’92 stat line would include a 24:9 TD-to-INT ratio and a solid 97.9 passer rating. Which is still well under Rodgers’ 2016 marks of 40:7 and 104.2. Yikes.”"

Indeed Favre’s efficiency issues come back to haunt him. His interception issues throughout his career really held back what could’ve been at least two or three more championship teams. He made some spectacular plays but Rodgers does that to, and does it without less than half the mistakes to go along with them. That will end up being the deciding factor in their personal rivalry. Presuming of course Aaron is unable to win another Super Bowl before he retires.