Aaron Rodgers, a man who doesn't lack the cockiness to match his immense abilities as an NFL quarterback, has informed the city of Chicago that there is an "I" in "team" after all.
Perhaps you've seen the clip a few thousand times since Sunday.
Sparked by a female Bears fan who flipped him "a double bird" after his rushing touchdown in Sunday's win at Soldier Field, Rodgers let loose with the NFL's quote of Week 6. We'll leave out the colorful language at the beginning and repeat the part where Rodgers announced, "I still own you!"
Cocky? Yes. Accurate? Yes, although Rodgers might have chosen the pronoun "we" since there's been a few other Packers who have helped him spank the Bears 23 times in 28 meetings.
Why is this being mentioned outside Chicago?
As a friendly warning for fans in Detroit and Minneapolis-St. Paul to not go flipping this first-ballot Hall of Fame competitor the double bird.
Why? Because he owns y'all's entire division.
The Packers publish a weekly news release called "The Dope Sheet." Let's just say a lot of trees have been sacrificed to list the many ways Green Bay's No. 12 has dominated his division foes while winning the NFC North seven times … and counting, apparently.
Here are some of the best stats. Or worst, depending on your address and team allegiance:
- In division games that Rodgers has started and thrown 15-plus passes, the Packers are 53-15-1. He was knocked out of four games with an injury. Green Bay lost all four, which explains why no one will ever buy Anthony Barr a beer in Titletown.
- In the 69 NFC North games that Rodgers has thrown 15-plus passes, he has posted a 100-plus passer rating in 42 of them, including a 128.0 while, ho-hum, still owning the Bears on Sunday.
- Rodgers ranks No. 1 in NFL history in TD/INT ratio (6.28, 157/25) in division games (minimum of 50 TD passes).
- Rodgers is 13-1 in the division, including a seven-game road winning streak since Matt LaFleur was hired. That, of course, explains why the Packers essentially ignored Rodgers' offseason whining and strong-armed the reigning league MVP into taking one more romp through the Bears, Lions and Vikings en route to the playoffs and maybe a third straight NFC title game. After that, the Bears, Lions and Vikings probably will get their wish that Rodgers moves on to Denver or Cleveland or anywhere outside the NFC North.
For the record, in division games in which he's thrown 15-plus passes, Rodgers is now 23-4 against the Bears, including 1-0 in the playoffs; 15-8-1 against the Vikings, including 1-0 in the playoffs; and 18-3 against the Lions.
The Mike Zimmer-Haters should take note that Rodgers is a more-mortal-like 7-4-1 against the Vikings' coach in games in which Barr isn't breaking Rodgers' collarbone after four passes. Also, the only thing standing between LaFleur, Rodgers and a 14-game win streak in the division is Zimmer's 28-22 upset while using seven rookie defenders at Lambeau Field last year.
In the past 10 seasons, Rodgers has won seven division titles. The Vikings have won two, including the year Rodgers broke his collarbone and missed nine-plus games; and the Bears have won one.
Heading into Week 7 this season, the Packers are 5-1, 2-0 in the division and have won five consecutive. The Vikings are 3-3, 1-0 in the division and have won two straight. The Bears are 3-3, 1-1 in the division. The Lions are … the Lions.
Here is a look at the schedules between now and Nov. 21, when the Vikings host the Packers:
Packers: Washington (2-4), at Arizona (6-0), at Kansas City (3-3), Seattle (2-4). The good: They get a 10-day rest before the Chiefs game. The bad: They have to play the Cardinals on the road on three days of rest. Combined opponents' record: 13-11.
Bears: At Tampa Bay (5-1), San Francisco (2-3), at Pittsburgh (3-3), Bye. Combined opponents' record: 10-7.
Vikings: Bye, Dallas (5-1), at Baltimore (5-1), at Chargers (4-2). The (kinda) good: Dallas at home in prime time on Halloween. The bad: a three-game stretch against teams with a combined 14-4 record.
Pretty much everyone outside of Vikings headquarters expects Rodgers' two-game division lead to grow before he arrives at U.S. Bank Stadium next month. If it doesn't and the Vikings are still in the hunt, be careful if you're a Vikings fan sitting within heckling range of this guy.
And don't fire a double bird in his direction. You might not like his response.