I like Brady and I think he has played very well this year. Rodgers is definitely a notch better. This is probably his best year as a pro.
Last week I liked the Bucs as Brady was a much better QB than broken down Brees, even though the Saints had the better overall team. This week I like the Packers for the same reason in addition to the best home field advantage in football. That is somewhat neutralized by Brady being a seasoned cold weather QB. I could see any result, but I'm leaning slightly to the Packers.
Rodgers is definitely a more talented, more well-rounded QB that can hurt you by picking up first downs with his legs on the scramble and also extending plays and throwing accurate darts while on the move. Brady ain't picking up first downs with his legs, and he can't throw accurate darts on the run across his body without his feet being set like Rodgers. Rodgers is far more talented. He's always been that. What has separated Brady from Rodgers are Brady's intangibles, leadership, killer instinct, his will, his ability to read and manipulate defenses and get in and out of plays at the line of scrimmage- really only guy who did that at a level better than Brady was Peyton- and also his ability to perform at the absolute highest level in the clutch, under pressure in tough situations in the biggest games. The man has 6 Super Bowl championships with 6 game winning drives in the 4th QTR/OT. That is impossibly great.
Rodgers to me is like LeBron, whereas Brady is like Jordan. LeBron clearly more talented, more well-rounded, more of a physical specimen than Jordan, BUT he's simply just not as good as Jordan when the money is on the table and the game is on the line. Brady is the only guy in sports I would never bet against. He just finds a way to win, somehow some way, time after time, after time.
I don't think the gulf between Rodgers' play this year and especially down the stretch- vs. Brady's play was nearly as big as the gulf between Brady vs. Brees. Brees was in physical deterioration all year even before his injury- and in the playoff game he had been still recovering from a collapsed lung and like 8 broken ribs- he still wasn't 100%- and even before that injury he couldn't push the ball more than 20 yards down the field. Brady meanwhile had been bombs away all year under Bruce Arians' system and lead the league in deep throws and was 3rd in the NFL in passing yards and tied for 2nd in the NFL in passing TD's. And while Brady only had around 200 yards passing and 2 TD's in that Saints game- there were 3 deep balls dropped by his receivers- two of which should've went for TD's- two deep shots to Gronkowski- which Gronk should've absolutely had both of them- including one in the end-zone that should've been caught for the TD- and then another deep shot to Godwin in the end-zone that should've been caught for a TD. I don't think Brady got enough credit for his play that game- he's 21 of 33 and throws for around 300 and 4 TD passes and 1 TD run against one of the best defenses in the league if Gronk and Godwin just catch the damn ball like you'd expect elite level players at those positions too.
I can absolutely see it going either way, and that's solely because it's at home for Green Bay and the weather is going to absolutely suck. Brady is the greatest cold weather QB ever- but the rest of that team isn't used to playing in anything but 80 degrees and sunshine. I like Tampa, simply because they just have more talent top to bottom and they have the greatest post-season big game performer ever at QB- but I'm giving Green Bay a real good shot because it's at home in the cold and Rodgers is a truly great QB.
