The Ravens won't have to face one of the NFL's premier quarterbacks at Lambeau Field, but they will take on his copycat.
Baltimore sees a lot of Rodgers, a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time NFL MVP, in Packers replacement quarterback Brett Hundley, who will make his fourth career start this Sunday against the Ravens.
"When you look at him without the number on him, he has a lot of the same characteristics as Aaron Rodgers," safety Eric Weddle said Wednesday.
"Just his pocket presence, the quick throws, his mannerisms. It is almost like his last three years, he has looked at [Rodgers] and tried to do everything to be like him. I would do the same thing if I was in his position."
Despite fans giving Baltimore a leg up when handicapping games because it will take on a string of backup quarterbacks down the final seven-game stretch, the Ravens themselves are not taking any of the signal-callers lightly – especially Hundley.
Hundley took over for Rodgers in Week 6 after Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone against the Minnesota Vikings. Since then, Hundley has completed 74 of 121 passes for 701 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.
Those aren't sparkling numbers overall, but Hundley has improved each week and had his best performance yet last Sunday on the road against a strong Chicago Bears defense.
Hundley led the Packers to a 23-16 win and went 18-of-25 for 212 yards, one touchdown and zero turnovers. Green Bay had lost three straight games after Rodgers went down, but Hundley, in large part, pulled the team out of the slide.
"He's improved with every opportunity," Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy said.
"The guy is coming off a win. Momentum and confidence is everything, especially in this league," outside linebacker Terrell Suggs added.
The Ravens have had an up-and-down record against backups or inexperienced quarterbacks so far this season, which Suggs pointed to as evidence that nobody should take them for granted.
The Ravens beat Raiders backup quarterback EJ Manuel in Week 5. But Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky won in Baltimore during his first career road start, and Case Keenum topped the Ravens in Minnesota the following week. Baltimore shut out backup quarterback Matt Moore and the Dolphins offense four days later.
"There is nothing more important than the team you are playing and the guy that is under center. I don't think it really so much matters that they were backups before. They are starting now," Suggs said.
"Unless it is the guy up in Boston [Tom Brady], that would be a big difference [if his backup played]. There are some other premier quarterbacks. Other than that, everybody else, it is just like, 'They can play.' They have been conditioned to play NFL football, so it really doesn't matter."
Suggs knows Rodgers is also undoubtedly one of the best in the league, though they only see each other in live action once every four years.
Interestingly, Rodgers got the first extensive snaps of his career in Baltimore as a rookie backup in 2005. In blowout relief of Brett Favre, Rodgers completed 8-of-15 passes for 65 yards, was sacked three times, intercepted once and fumbled once, which was returned for a touchdown.
In Rodgers' two games against the Ravens since then, however, he won both meetings and had strong performances. Taking him on would have been a massive challenge for Baltimore's stout secondary and overall defense.
Hundley presents his own challenges in that the Ravens have less tape to work with. Even though the UCLA thrower is in his third season, he hasn't seen much action behind Rodgers. Though being in his third season, he knows McCarthy's offense well.
And Hundley, as Weddle stated, is looking more and more like Rodgers.
"He makes plays inside the pocket, outside the pocket," Weddle elaborated. "He has a great feel in the pocket. It is almost as A-Rod does; he is like a magician back there."
Head Coach John Harbaugh sees the similarities too.
"He has operated the offense very well," Harbaugh said. "You can see that he emulates Aaron Rodgers a lot in the way that he handles himself and the way that he plays the game. How could you not? It has been good for him."
