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If you ask ESPN's Ron Jaworski whether Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is going to be any good, he'll tell you he's more optimisticabout Rodgers' chances now than when he was drafted in 2005.
"When I was out in Green Bay earlier this year, I was at practicefor three days and I watched him very closely," Jaworski said. "Imust say I was surprised by the arm strength. I was surprised by therotation of the football, the tight spiral he can throw. I wassurprised by the improvement in mechanics. Clearly, when you look ata guy from when he came out of college to now, and you project himinto the NFL, in my opinion he has shown great improvement.
"There have been pre-season games," Jaworski said. "There's beenmechanical improvement. Now you find out by going on the field. Istill love the Bill Parcells line about quarterbacks. You find outabout them when they've thrown three interceptions, been sacked fivetimes and you lost by 21 points. On Wednesday they've got to comeback in the huddle and they have to be positive and feel good aboutthemselves. That part we don't know. But what I have seen in termsof the growth of Aaron Rodgers, I like him."
Jaworski will call the Minnesota Vikings at Packers game Sept. 8at Lambeau Field.
He noted that Rodgers and Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson,who was drafted in 2006, have parallel story lines.
"There is tremendous pressure for Aaron and Tarvaris in thosefirst (few) games," Jaworski said. "I'm sure Brad Childress and Mike McCarthy will look at what the strengths of their football teamsare, that's going to be balance on offense. They will accentuate therunning game, particularly early in the season. Let theirquarterbacks get comfortable, get their feet wet. I think you'll seevery conservative play-calling in week one, with both teams tryingto force the run.
"But ultimately, you can't hide your quarterback," Jaworski said."Ultimately, you are going to have to ask him to make plays to winthe football game. If it's third-and-10, or it's late in the game togo down field, he has to make a play. The consistent part of bothteams will be the running game, but their quarterbacks willdetermine where they end up."
Top-rated quarterback
In absentia, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is abig hit on the Animal Planet channel.
"Animal Witness: The Mike Vick Case," which aired last Sunday,had the highest rating for a series debut ever on Animal Planet.
An estimated 1.1 million viewers watched the show about Vick, whowas sent to jail for his role in staging dog fights.
The series debuts that had been the highest-rated two specialsthat aired in January of last year "Ocean's Deadliest" and "Crikey! What an Adventure" with Steve Irwin.
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