Michael Ventre

Whenever I think of Aaron Rodgers, I recall four downs of failure.

They occurred in 2004 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Rodgers was still attired in Cal gear. It was first and goal at the 9 in the game’s final seconds. USC was ranked No. 1, Cal No. 7, and Rodgers was on the precipice of making history. Instead, the result of that drive: one sack, three misses, no points, no victory.

That seems like the last time Aaron Rodgers failed.

That’s not true, of course. But in terms of mass perception, there have been three phases of Rodgers’ career: 1) college star, 2) Brett Favre understudy, 3) field surgeon of the moment.

This Sunday, we’ll find out if we’re on the verge of a fourth: best quarterback in football.

Whenever we make these pronouncements, they’re always based on screwy hyperbole, because really, until a guy does it, he hasn’t done it. And any suggestion that he can do it, or will do it, is just crystal ball gazing with a little tarot card reading thrown in.

Yet Rodgers is currently inspiring such chatter because, when it comes to your ideal quarterback tale o' the tape, Rodgers has almost everything except three more inches of tallness.

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The best quarterbacks are devotees of Evelyn Wood. They speed read. They don’t zoom through “Crime and Punishment” in 15 minutes, but what they do is even more impressive: Go through their progressions in a few seconds with the threat of imminent pouncing by musclebound beasts on their radars.

Peyton Manning is masterful at this. So are Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

And Rodgers — in a relatively short period of time; remember, this is his sixth NFL season, but only his third as a starter — is reading way beyond his grade level.

Reading is not enough. Rodgers also delivers a near-perfect ball to the intended targets. For all the bombast around the Jets’ Mark Sanchez, count how many times he overthrows, or throws behind, his receivers. Then chart Rodgers’ daggers. It’s like comparing the country club golf pro with a weekend hacker.

Escapability is also a handy skill to have. Of the four quarterbacks competing this weekend, Rodgers comes in at a strong No. 2 to Ben Roethlisberger, who is like tackling a buttered bull. In relative terms, adjusting to Rodgers’ lesser frame, Rodgers is almost Big Ben’s equal in this department.

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Of course, paramount on the laundry list of quarterback tools is leadership ability. That’s where Brett Favre comes in.

There are stories on the internet about the early days of Jay Cutler in Denver. He wasn’t exactly Russell Crowe in “Gladiator” during his stint. He lived on Cutler Island, which was isolated and had sharks around it. It seems odd that Rodgers and Cutler are friends and texting pals. But then again, I have Facebook friends that I barely know.

Rodgers is the anti-Cutler.

Perhaps Rodgers’ most important preparation for this moment of ascension to QB royalty was the three seasons he sat behind Favre in Green Bay. While Favre soaked up the adoration like a faded crooner at a cheesy awards show, Rodgers sat quietly and learned. He didn’t whine. He didn’t cause a stir. He didn’t even offer the mildest Kevin Kolb-like “I want to be starting somewhere.”

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Rodgers just acted like a professional.

Favre has since overdosed on limelight, revealing himself to be a great quarterback with an even greater opinion of himself. He’s not only out of Green Bay, he’s out of the picture completely.

You can tell that the apprenticeship Rodgers served in Green Bay created respect among the Packers for him. Players want to rally around someone who is team first. The Packers certainly supported Favre during his many years there. But Rodgers has his own unique appeal. He is more humble, more gracious, but no less determined.

It’s a bit knee-jerky to knight Rodgers after his performance last week in Atlanta. He scalded the top-seeded Falcons by completing 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-21 blowout. It marked Green Bay’s highest-scoring playoff game in history. It was also more passing yards than Favre ever amassed in a postseason contest.

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But Rodgers has been climbing to this pinnacle all along. He was the top-rated quarterback in the NFC during the 2010 regular season with a 101.2 rating, and trailed only Brady and Philip Rivers overall. In 2009, he was the NFL’s fourth highest-rated signal caller, throwing for 4,434 yards and 30 TDs.

In three career playoff games, Rodgers has completed 77 of 105 passes for 969 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception. Oh, and the Packers have scored 121 points in those three games.

This weekend, he visits the Chicago Bears, and naturally it will be another major chapter in his evolving legacy. If Julius Peppers and the rest of the Bears put pressure on him and cause him to hurry, then there’s a chance he’ll be ordinary. And if he’s ordinary, the Packers lose, and the talk will shift from “Is Aaron Rodgers becoming the NFL’s best quarterback?” to “Why can’t Aaron Rodgers win a big game?”

That’s what happens, you know. As an NFL quarterback, you’re only as good as the last big game you won. And if the last big game you won isn’t the very last game of the season, then that’s just another incomplete on your stats.

Rodgers has raised his reputation way above that loss at USC in 2004. No matter what happens this weekend, it’s still likely to keep moving upward from here on.