How Dolphins’ top 3 corners have done against Rodgers and why he signed an INT against one
Future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he intends to play for the Jets, presuming the Jets and Packers can work out trade compensation.
So how have the Dolphins’ top three cornerbacks played against him?
The good news: Jalen Ramsey, Xavien Howard and Kader Kohou have faced Rodgers a combined six games, and Rodgers has thrown only one TD pass when any of those three have been in coverage (to Davante Adams against Howard, in a 2018 game).
Rodgers also has been intercepted once when targeting those three - by Kohou, during the Christmas game last season.
The bad news: Rodgers has completed 22 of 29 passes against Ramsey and Howard. He hasn’t lost in six career games against those two Pro Bowl cornerbacks.
An important and obvious caveat: The receivers have every bit as much to do with these numbers as the quarterback. Adams now plays for the Raiders.
Allen Lazard, the former Packers’ receiver who reportedly is joining the Jets on a four-year, $44 million contract, had five catches for 61 yards in one game against Miami (mostly against Kohou) but was kept in check by Ramsey in a Packers win against the Rams last December.
And Kohou picked off Rodgers’ deep underthrown pass intended for Lazard in the Christmas game.
Randall Cobb, who possibly could join Rodgers with the Jets, has done no damage against Howard and very little against Ramsey (1 catch in two targets for 10 yards) and has just one catch (for five yards) in one game against Miami.
So per my research of the database of Pro Football Focus, here are Rodgers’ numbers against the Dolphins’ top three cornerbacks, while understanding that his receivers are a big part of the equation:
▪ In four games, Rodgers has completed 15 of the 18 passes targeted against Ramsey, but for a modest 125 yards in those four games, with no touchdowns and no interceptions on those 18 throws. That’s a 95.6 passer rating.
That four-game sample included Ramsey’s NFL debut (for Jacksonville) and a divisional playoff game in January 2021 when Rodgers was 5 for 5 for 54 yards targeting Ramsey, but no TDs or INTs.
But most of those passes were caught by players who aren’t expected to be Jets.
Ramsey’s trade to the Dolphins is expected to become official after 4 p.m. Wednesday, when the deal can be finalized.
▪ In two games (2018 and the Christmas game last year), Rodgers has completed 7 of 11 passes for 88 yards when targeting Howard, including a touchdown to Adams in 2018. That’s a 118.7 passer rating against.
▪ Kohou’s one interception in his rookie season was on that pass by Rodgers, with the game tied at 20 at the time.
According to WSVN-Fox 7’s Josh Moser, Kohou asked for Rodgers to sign the ball he intercepted against the future Hall of Famer. Rodgers obliged, writing “Merry Christmas!” on the ball.
Overall, Kohou allowed five of the eight passes thrown in his coverage area to be caught that day, including three for 57 yards against Lazard.
Ramsey is 0-4 against Rodgers, including one loss as a Jaguar and three as a Ram.
Howard is 0-2, and Kohou 0 for 1 against Rodgers, whose Green Bay teams were usually very good throughout his time there.
Rodgers’ one TD pass against the Dolphins on Christmas was a 1-yard pass to tight end Marcedes Lewis against linebacker Sam Eguavoen, who is a free agent. Rodgers finished 24 for 38 for 238 yards, one TD and one INT in that Packers’ 26-20 win.
Keep in mind that Rodgers is now 39 and last season posted his lowest passer rating (91.1) as a starter, with 26 TDs and 12 interceptions.
Presuming Rodgers joins the Jets, one of the two Dolphins-Jets games could end up in a national television window.
In addition to the two games apiece against Miami and Buffalo, the Jets have a bunch of marquee games, including at Dallas, at the Giants, at Denver and home against Kansas City, the Chargers and Philadelphia.
Here’s all the latest on our Day 3 Dolphins free agent blog, which we’re updating all day.