GREEN BAY – Jarrett Bush is in his ninth season in Green Bay as a special teams maven and a reserve cornerback. In his weekly preparation, you could argue he’s seen it all when it comes to an opposing offense.

He’s lined up across Super Bowl champion quarterbacks like Kurt Warner and Eli Manning in the playoffs; intercepted Ben Roethlisberger in the Super Bowl. He’s backpedaled against Tom Brady. He’s practiced with, and played against, Brett Favre.

And, over the last seven seasons, he’s squared up against Aaron Rodgers, day in and day out, in practice.

He knows a little bit about preparing for, and defending, the elite of the elite under center.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said that what separates the truly great quarterbacks is "the way they see the game, their anticipation, and their eye discipline, is something that’s always stood, out to me, the great ones. They see the things before they happen. They’re anticipating. The game really slows down for them."

And not only does it slow down, but it can become a puppet show where they hold all the strings.

"They can pretty much control you," Packers safety Sean Richardson said.

The Packers head to New Orleans Sunday night to take on another Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback in Drew Brees, and Brady and the New England Patriots head to Green Bay at the end of November.

Linebacker Julius Peppers, who faced Brees twice a year from 2006 through 2009 as a member of the Carolina Panthers, said Brees takes a picture of the defense and knows where he’s going to go with the ball, and when to deliver it – even if his eyes are looking in another direction.

It’s part of the inherent advantage of an offense – they know where they’re going, and a quarterback knows where the spaces in the defense are supposed to be.

"It’s a mind game," Richardson said. "Like everybody says, the game is 90 percent mental, and 10 percent physical. You’ve just got to be on top of your deal. A quarterback like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, all them guys, they’ve been in the league so long, they know all the tricks of the trade, so it’s going to be tough."

For defensive backs, they can’t help but look at the quarterback, to get a feel for where that receiver – and the ball – might end up.

But when that passer can wait until the last possible moment to deliver a pass, and sometimes deliver to a completely different are of the field, it requires additional discipline.

"Those guys are very crafty, so you’ve have to be sound in your technique and be good with your eyes," Packers safety Morgan Burnett said. "Those guys can do things as far as look you off and have you get off your landmark. Those type quarterbacks, they only need a little bit of space and they can fit the ball right in there."

But not all quarterbacks possess that talent. It seems obvious – a passer shouldn’t stare down his target – but Bush says that isn’t so, and it’s why McCarthy made a point to mention that it’s a separating factor.

"It’s attention to detail," Bush said. "That’s what some quarterbacks lack. They just want to see the receiver and the route develop and if he’s open, I’m throwing. So, when you get more experienced quarterback and more attention to detail, anticipate their routes, anticipate the coverage on certain downs, that’s when you get your more elite quarterbacks. Your Tom Brady’s, your A-Rod’s, go down the list, Peyton (Manning)."

The members of the Packers secondary say it’s a huge benefit to practice against Rodgers on a day in, day out basis, because of his knowledge of coverages, and their tendencies. He forces them to stay honest with their coverage.

And despite the fact that a veteran like Bush has been on the field, on game day, against a who’s who of elite passers in his near decade-long career, he says Rodgers is the very best he’s seen at it.

Just this week, Rodgers caught Bush looking with a true no-look pass.

"That’s not natural for a quarterback," Bush said with a laugh. "But it makes us better."