Aaron Rodgers

The Green Bay Packers are once again considered playoff contenders after Aaron Rodgers led the team to a come-from-behind 31-28 overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

"They are the dead fish that's washed ashore, except they have Rodgers, so now there is a twitch of life," an NFL executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic. "All they need to do is stack some wins. None of it erases the fact it is going to take time to get his weaponry built up, but the fact remains, when he suits up for your team, you are never out of it. They came back against Buffalo, they came back against Dallas."

The Packers entered Week 10 on a five-game losing streak, the latest coming against the Detroit Lions with Rodgers throwing three interceptions. The team looked finished at that point.

Green Bay trailed by 14 points in the fourth quarter versus Dallas, but Rodgers led the team to victory behind three passing touchdowns, all to rookie Christian Watson.

After a miserable stretch, the Packers resembled the team that won 13 games in each of the past three seasons. And despite being 4-6, they still have a reigning back-to-back MVP under center as they get ready for the 6-3 Tennessee Titans on Thursday night.

Christian Watson finally had his breakout game Sunday, with the rookie wideout hauling in four passes for 107 yards and three touchdowns in the Green Bay Packers' 31-28 overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys.

According to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Watson also exorcised "energetic demons" along the way.

"We had a lot of plays designed for him, so I don't think there was any other option," Rodgers told reporters. "I think that (first touchdown) probably on the atomic level shifted a lot of different things for him, exorcising some energetic demons. I'm proud of him. He made some plays."

Watson, a second-round pick in April's draft, came into Week 10 with just 10 receptions for 88 yards over his first six NFL games. He has spent much of his rookie campaign dealing with injuries dating back to the offseason, which impacted his ability to develop chemistry with Rodgers.

Sunday's game got off to anything but a good start for Watson, who dropped two passes on the Packers' opening possession. He said the faith exhibited in him by Rodgers and coach Matt LaFleur helped keep him in the right frame of mind.

"Yeah, 12 and Matt both said early, 'We're going to come back to you,'" Watson told reporters. "And I mean, obviously, that hit me at home. I know that those are plays I can make. Those are plays that I make every day at practice and something I know I'm capable of. So, obviously, just having that to fall back on, knowing that we're still in it, we're still good, they've still got faith in me means the world."

The Packers will have to hope Watson is able to keep the momentum going as they host the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night. Green Bay's come-from-behind victory arguably saved the 4-6 Packers' season, but their margin for error is almost nonexistent the rest of the way—especially with the Minnesota Vikings holding a 4.5-game lead at the top of the division.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers told reporters that he's more thankful now for his years with his ex-head coach and play-caller Mike McCarthy, who now leads the Dallas Cowboys into Lambeau Field on Sunday for a showdown with his former team.

"I think as time goes by, the gratitude for that time as you look back on the journey of your career goes up a little bit," Rodgers said, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky.

"I appreciate the little things a little bit more because really this game and life is about the journey. I'll always be tied with him because of the connection that we had and the years we spent together. Obviously my longest-tenured coach, my longest-tenured play-caller. I'm thankful for those years and thankful maybe a little bit more now as the years go by."

McCarthy was the Packers' head coach from 2006 to 2018. Rodgers was the Packers' starter for all but the first two years, when Brett Favre called signals.

With Rodgers at the helm and McCarthy calling the shots, the Packers went to the playoffs eight straight years from 2009 to 2016. That stretch included three trips to the NFC Championship Game and a Super Bowl XLV win in February 2011.

The Packers also sported a 15-1 record in 2011, when Rodgers won his first NFL MVP award en route to leading the team to the top-scoring offense in the league. In addition, the Packers were never lower than eighth in scoring any time from 2008 to 2014.

Rodgers expanded upon his thoughts looking back at his time with McCarthy during the press conference, saying in part:

"It's probably normal in any relationship you have, when you're able to take time away and you have that separation, it's natural to look back and have a greater sense of appreciation and gratitude and thankfulness for that time," Rodgers said.

"I think it's normal to be able to think about the things you really loved about that relationship, that style or that program and just contemplate on how special some of those moments were, how the journey is really the most important thing and the ups and downs. I'm thankful for the incredible moments, the highs we had, and there were many of them, and even for the low moments too because it gives you perspective on life. Life is not all about the beautiful ups. It's the downs that you learn the most lessons in."

McCarthy was fired in 2018 after a 4-7-1 start. Two years later, he became the Cowboys' head coach. Dallas went just 6-10 in 2020 but improved to 12-5 with an NFC East title in 2021. The Cowboys are looking strong again in 2022 with a 6-2 record.

The Packers are now led by head coach Matt LaFleur, who won 13 games in each of his first three seasons, which included two NFC Championship Game appearances.

However, this year has been a struggle for the Pack, who have lost five straight games to drop to 3-6.

Sunday's game will kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET.

The Green Bay Packers' wide receiving corps is apparently tired of being scapegoated for the team's offensive struggles.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported the criticism of the receivers "isn't sitting well" given Aaron Rodgers' decision to not attend voluntary offseason workouts.

The Green Bay offense has been completely lacking in chemistry all season, with Rodgers going from back-to-back MVP to one of the worst starting quarterbacks in football. Rodgers currently sits 27th among starters in QBR, and his seven interceptions are already the most he's had over a full season since 2016.

No Packers wideout is currently on pace to top 1,000 receiving yards. Allen Lazard leads the team with 427 yards on 30 receptions, but he's been nowhere near a consistently reliable target. Rookies Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson have dealt with injuries and have not been particularly impressive when they've been on the field.

While there may be some merit in criticizing Rodgers for skipping out on OTAs, the Packers had an entire training camp and more than two months of a regular season to fix things. They scored nine points against the Detroit Lions defense on Sunday.

Much of the fault here lies at the feet of the front office, which traded Davante Adams without a clear plan on how to replace him. The Packers had two first-round picks and selected a pair of defensive players before taking a gamble on Watson at the top of the second round. It's fair to wonder whether the front office should have used those two firsts to move up and select Chris Olave or Garrett Wilson.

Watson was always going to be a project after playing at FCS North Dakota State, and Rodgers turns 39 in December. He's not exactly on a patient timeline.

Regardless, following more silence from Lambeau at the trade deadline, it's clear the offensive misfires lay mostly at the feet of the people making roster decisions.

In the midst of a five-game losing streak, many are starting to wonder whether the Green Bay Backers would benefit from a change at quarterback.

However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that it doesn't look like the Packers will replace Aaron Rodgers with Jordan Love anytime soon as they still vie for a playoff spot in the NFC.

"I don't get the sense Green Bay plans to turn to Jordan Love," Fowler wrote. "There's a very real chance a sub-.500 team sneaks into the NFC playoffs, which provides a glimmer of hope."

At 3-6, the Packers are running out of time to turn their season around. The team faces a difficult second half, with games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans remaining on the schedule.

ESPN's Dan Graziano stated that if the Packers' woes persist, it could be worth it for the team to look ahead to the future.

"There aren't a lot of signs a turnaround is coming in Green Bay, and you do start to wonder when it might be time to get a look at Jordan Love on the off chance Rodgers decides not to come back in 2023," Graziano wrote.

Rodgers hasn't played at the level we're accustomed to seeing from him this season. The back-to-back reigning NFL MVP has failed to throw for over 300 yards in any of the team's nine games. In last Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions, Rodgers completed just 53.5 percent of his passes for 291 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.

Many have speculated that Rodgers' unfamiliarity with his new crop of young receivers is the cause of the team's struggles on offense. However, Fowler also pointed out that Rodgers' prolonged absence during OTAs over the summer "isn't sitting well with some there."

A first-round pick in 2020, Love has not had much of a chance to prove himself as an NFL-caliber quarterback. In eight career appearances, he's thrown for 484 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. While the Packers are set to stick with Rodgers for the time being, there's a chance Love gets some more opportunities if the team's struggles continue.

Green Bay will look to get back on track when it hosts the Dallas Cowboys (6-2) on Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers was among the many people shocked to see Jeff Saturday named the Indianapolis Colts interim coach after Frank Reich was fired on Monday.

"I was very surprised, definitely," Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday. "Just it's so rare that somebody, I think he was coaching high school, right? Definitely no NFL coaching experience, I don't believe."

Saturday has no coaching experience at either the NFL or college level, becoming the first person since Norm Van Brocklin in 1961 to become an NFL head coach without coaching at these levels, per Pro Football Talk.

"It's different," Rodgers added. "Usually you just appoint someone from the staff, right? I'm just surprised. It's rare. Hopefully it works out for them."

The Colts have a lot of room for improvement after falling to 3-5-1 on the season with Sunday's 26-3 blowout loss to the New England Patriots. The squad ranks dead last in the NFL with just 14.7 points scored per game.

Saturday, who spent three years as a coach at Hebron Christian Academy in Georgia, is best known for his playing career as an All-Pro center. He helped the Colts win the Super Bowl after the 2006 season and earned six Pro Bowl selections across 14 NFL seasons.

Rodgers played with Saturday on the Packers in 2012, with the team going 11-5 before losing in the divisional round.

Even knowing the 47-year-old as a former teammate, Rodgers still doesn't know what to expect from Saturday as a head coach. The quarterback expected the Colts to take the usual route in promoting from within, but the bold move could pay off for the squad after a rough start.

Green Bay will try to navigate its own poor start to the season after falling to 3-6.

The Green Bay Packers are in the midst of a five-game losing streak, but head coach Matt LaFleur isn't ready to hit the panic button just yet.

When asked Monday if there were any changes coming to his coaching staff, LaFleur told reporters, "No," and added that the entire staff, including himself, needs to do a better job.

The Packers are coming off a disappointing 15-9 loss against the Detroit Lions on Sunday that dropped them to 3-6 this season. Green Bay, which finished with the best record in the NFC a season ago, was defeated by a one-win team that entered the game allowing a league-high 32.1 points per game.

It was particularly jarring to see Packers star quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers struggle so much against a team he usually dominates, as he finished 23-of-43 for 291 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. All three of his picks were thrown deep in Lions territory, with two of them coming in the red zone.

To make matters worse, Green Bay suffered some notable injuries during the loss. Receivers Romeo Doubs (ankle) and Christian Watson (concussion protocol) were forced to exit the game early, as was star running back Aaron Jones (ankle). The offense was already without veteran slot receiver Randall Cobb, who is on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

The team's biggest loss came on the defensive side of the ball, as linebacker Rashan Gary suffered a torn ACL and is out for the remainder of the season. Gary leads the Packers with six sacks and seven tackles for loss.

Things won't get much easier for the Packers in Week 10, as they will host the Dallas Cowboys (6-2) next Sunday.