Aaron Rodgers vs. Tom Brady: Inside the numbers as future Hall of Fame QBs meet for fourth time

At last, we get to see Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady head-to-head in the postseason.  

Rodgers led Green Bay to the NFC championship on Saturday in a 32-18 victory against the Rams. Brady powered Tampa Bay to a 30-20 victory on Sunday. That sets up a matchup between the Packers and Buccaneers at 3:05 p.m. on Jan. 24 on FOX.  

It’s No. 12 vs. No. 12 in what should be a conference championship game for the ages.  

Which future Hall of Fame quarterback has the edge? Sporting News explores the past matchups between Rodgers and Brady for some trends you should pay attention to: 

Aaron Rodgers vs. Tom Brady  

Brady is the all-time NFL leader with 581 TD passes. He ranks second in career passing yards (79,204). Brady has a 97.3 career passer rating, which ranks seventh all time.  

Rodgers ranks third in the NFL in career passer rating (103.0). He ranks seventh in passing TDs (412) and 11th in passing yards (51,245).   

Brady and Rodgers have combined to win five AP NFL MVP awards. Brady won the award in 2007, 2010 and 2017. Rodgers won the award in 2011 and 2014 and is considered the front-runner for the award this season.  

How many seasons has Tom Brady played in the NFL?  

Tom Brady is in his 21st season in the NFL. He made his NFL debut on Nov. 23, 2000, taking over for starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe in a blowout Thanksgiving loss to the Lions. 

How many seasons has Aaron Rodgers played in the NFL?   

Aaron Rodgers in his 16th season in the NFL. He made his debut on Oct. 9, 2005 with the Packers in mop-up duty for Brett Favre in a blowout victory against the Saints.  

Aaron Rodgers vs. Tampa Bay  

-Rodgers has five career starts against the Buccaneers, and he has a 2-3 record in those starts. That includes three road games. Rodgers is 101 of 171 (59.1 percent) for 1,208 yards, eight TDs and nine interceptions in those games.  

-Rodgers made his first appearance against Brady in New England in a 35-0 loss on Nov. 19, 2006. Rodgers completed 4 of 12 passes for 32 yards in a blowout loss. 

Tom Brady vs. Green Bay   

-Brady has made six career starts against the Packers – two against Brett Favre, one against Matt Flynn and three against Rodgers. Brady is 4-2 in those games, with three starts against Rodgers. 

-Brady is 120 of 196 (61.2 percent) with 12 TDs and three interceptions against the Packers in those six starts.  

Rodgers vs. Brady head-to-head matchups   

Rodgers and Brady have met head to head just three times in their career. Brady is 2-1 in those games.   

Brady is 61 of 97 for 805 yards, five TDs and zero interceptions in three head-to-head starts against Rodgers, who is 64 of 116 for 787 yards, four TDs and two interceptions in those three games.  

A look at those two meetings: 

Green Bay 26, New England 21 (Nov. 30, 2014)   

The Patriots (9-2) and Packers (8-3) entered the game with winning records at Lambeau Field, and Rodgers finished with 368 passing yards and two TDs. Brady had 245 yards and a pair of TDs. The Packers sealed the victory on a late connection from Rodgers to Randall Cobb, which elicited a memorable reaction from Brady.  

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New England 31, Green Bay 17 (Nov. 4 ,2018)  

The second matchup fell on Sunday Night Football, and it came complete with a promo from Michael Jordan.  

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Brady, who finished with 294 yards and a TD, led two TD drives in the fourth quarter to break open a tie game. Rodgers finished with 259 passing yards and two TDs in the loss.  

Tampa Bay 38, Green Bay 10 (Oct. 18, 2020) 

The Buccaneers dominated a regular-season matchup with the Packers this season. Green Bay jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but Rodgers threw two second-quarter interceptions which ignited a 28-point second quarter for Tampa Bay in a route. Brady finished 17 of 27 for 166 yards and two TDs. Rodgers finished 16 of 35 for 160 yards. 

Rodgers vs. Brady playoff history   

Brady is a six-time Super Bowl winner with a 32-11 record in the postseason, and he has 230 career victories as a starter in the regular season. Brady won all six Super Bowls with Bill Belichick in New England. This marks his 14th conference championship appearance and first in the NFC. 

Rodgers won a Super Bowl with Green Bay in 2010, but he has yet to get back to the big game. Rodgers also took the Packers to the NFC championship game in 2014, 2016 and 2019. He is 12-8 in the postseason, and Green Bay is in its second straight NFC championship game with Matt LaFleur. 

Rodgers vs. Brady in 2020  

Rodgers enjoyed a MVP-caliber season for the Packers, which finished 13-3. He finished with 4,299 yards, 48 TDs and five interceptions in the regular season, and he is the leading candidate for the MVP award. Rodgers finished with a 70.7 completion percentage. He finished 23 of 36 for 296 yards, two TDs and no interception in the divisional playoffs against the Rams. 

The Buccaneers finished 11-5 with Brady this season. He finished with 4,633 passing yards, 40 TDs and 12 interceptions. Brady finished 18 of 33 for 199 yards, two TDs and no interceptions against the Saints. 

The Packers opened as four-point favorites in what should be an epic matchup.