We are only two weeks into the NFL regular season schedule, but it already feels like the preseason playoff predictions need a makeover. Of course, it's never...
Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Packers Offense Put on 'Clinic' in SNF Win vs. Bears
Sep 19, 2022
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 18: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on September 18, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers famously declared last year that he "owns" the Chicago Bears, and he backed that up Sunday night by spearheading a 27-10 victory at Lambeau Field.
After a lackluster performance in the season opener last week, Rodgers was nearly pristine against the Bears. He went 19-of-25 for 234 yards and two touchdowns, but he also coughed up a fumble for the second straight game.
The turnover notwithstanding, Rodgers helped propel the Packers to their first win of the season. He had a string of 14 straight completions at one point, which tied a career high.
Green Bay running back Aaron Jones also had an outstanding game, carrying the ball 15 times for 132 yards and a touchdown and adding three catches for 38 yards and another score.
The Packers used a 21-point second quarter to put the game out of reach. The team scored just three points in the second half, but that was all it needed.
Much of the social media commentary featured praise for Rodgers, Jones and Green Bay's stellar first-half performance:
This is the exact offense you expected from the Packers. Big in the run game and using the short, quick passing game to creat run after catch opportunities. Going to have to do more to protect 12 to create some explosive plays at some point.
Vintage Aaron Rodgers there. Moving up in the pocket, hits Randall Cobb with a perfect ball for 20 yards. So subtle how quickly he sets to pass on the move, but few do it like him.
Sunday night's game was a cakewalk for Green Bay, which might explain the quiet second half after the fireworks in the second quarter. The Packers were on cruise control against a Bears team that was clearly overmatched.
However, Green Bay will have to play a complete game next Sunday when the team travels to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Packers surely are hoping to carry the momentum from Sunday night's victory into next week's matchup.
Aaron Rodgers Says He's 'Got to Play the Same Way' While Packers' Young WRs Develop
Sep 15, 2022
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 11: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers on the field against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Packers 23-7. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers knows he's not on the same page as some of the team's young receivers, but as far as he's concerned, he doesn't need to adjust his approach.
"I've got to play the same way," Rodgers told reporters Wednesday. "I don't play the way I played in 2011, [but] I've got to play on time and guys gotta get open, so no, I'm not gonna change the way I play. I have to realize who's out there, who we're throwing to and how we're gonna actually make some hay and score some points."
Rodgers and Green Bay's rookie receivers displayed a lack of chemistry during Sunday's 23-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. On the Packers' first offensive play of the game, Christian Watson dropped what would've been a 75-yard touchdown that Rodgers placed perfectly in his hands. Romeo Doubs, who was a star in training camp and the preseason, had a quiet performance.
Green Bay was missing fifth-year wideout Allen Lazard, who was expected to be the team's No. 1 receiver, because of an ankle injury. He was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, his first time getting on the field since suffering the ankle injury two weeks ago.
Both Packers starting offensive tackles, David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins, also missed Sunday's game with knee injuries, and it's not clear when either of them would be ready to return.
"I think he's done as good a job as we could possibly expect," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of Rodgers. "He's always hard on himself and I know there were a couple plays that he certainly would like to have back, just like there's some play calls that I would like to have back as well. ... But I think he's done a great job of demanding the urgency from those young guys, yet putting an arm around them as well at the same time."
Sunday's game was also the first Rodgers has played without star receiver Davante Adams in quite some time, as he was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. Still, he didn't think it was an excuse for his struggles that included a fumble and an interception.
"I didn't lose a fumble all last year and hadn't thrown a pick in a division game in, I don't know, a while, so that's kind of the standard that I hold myself to, regardless of who's out there with us," Rodgers said. "So that's why that's frustrating. I don't look at it as 'Tae's not here [so] I've got to do even more or play perfect football.' I've just always held myself to a standard of taking care of the football and that wasn't good enough on Sunday."
Rodgers and the Packers will look to bounce back on Sunday against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 11: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) chat after an NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers on September 11, 2022 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
On Sunday, Aaron Rodgers told Justin Jefferson he was the "best player in the game today" after the Minnesota Vikings wideout torched the Green Bay Packers for nine catches, 184 receiving yards and two scores in his team's 23-7 win.
On Tuesday, he continued to praise Jefferson during his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show:
I said he was the best player on the field, and I meant it. I didn't say that tongue in cheek. I've been a fan of his since I watched him in college. He's a dynamic player who is an excellent route-runner. I'm sure as any good player should do and would do, he's probably watched the best at his position over the last couple years. And that would be probably Davante Adams, because a lot of his release stuff looks pretty similar to 17. And, you know, he was the difference-maker, I think, for the entire game.
Jefferson appreciated Rodgers' on-field compliment.
"It means a lot coming from him, just being the type of player that he is," Jefferson told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. "He's one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, so to hear that from him definitely is a little confidence-booster."
The 23-year-old has continued to ascend up the wideout rankings in his young career, becoming one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL. Even his divisional rivals have to acknowledge as much at this point.
Aaron Rodgers: Packers Have to 'Clean Up' Mental Mistakes After Vikings Loss
Sep 13, 2022
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 11: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers on the field against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Packers 23-7. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers fell to the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 in Sunday's season opener at U.S. Bank Stadium, and reigning MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers knows his team needs to clean things up entering Week 2.
"Drops are going to happen," Rodgers said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. "They suck more when it would've been a walk-in touchdown, but the ones that are most frustrating are the mental mistakes, and we made way too many of those on Sunday, and that's what we got to clean up."
Rodgers added:
"We can't have a bunch of robotic things going on out there. We need guys who are able to react in real time and to make adjustments on the fly and some of that is experience, for sure, and some of that is just in the preparation. It's not just understanding what you need to do, but why you need to do what you're doing and then what to expect, which will change what is drawn on the paper to what actually needs to show up in live time in the game.
"So, again, that's why we need to have patience. A lot of these guys have not played a ton of football and really it's not something that could have been figured out in training camp or some offseason throwing session. These are live rep things with the pressure of a regular season game, with the pressure of it counting. ... It all comes down to in the moment, can we make the right adjustment? Can we think quickly but have a slow mind? Can we play fast but be under control?
"And that's why I'm not too worried about it. There's a lot of talent on our side of the ball. We just got to execute a little bit better."
One of the plays Rodgers was referencing was when he dialed up a deep pass to rookie wide receiver Christian Watson on the first play of Green Bay's first drive of the game. The second-rounder ran a great route and left Minnesota cornerback Patrick Peterson in the dust, but he dropped the ball on what would have been a touchdown.
Watson went on to finish the game with two catches for 34 yards. A.J. Dillon, Romeo Doubs and Robert Tonyan all had more receptions than Watson, who entered Green Bay with some high expectations.
Considering the Packers traded star wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders over the offseason, the offense was expected to go through its growing pains.
Of course, the franchise would have liked to iron out the kinks in training camp, but as Rodgers said, playing in a game that actually counts with a lot more pressure is an entirely different experience.
Green Bay has some time to figure things out, but with the Vikings and Chicago Bears starting the season with wins, the franchise will need to get things under control quickly.
Last season, the Green Bay Packers claimed the NFC's No 1 seed with a January victory over the rival Minnesota Vikings. On Sunday, the Vikings got a little...
Assumptions are always dangerous. That's even more true when formulating hot takes after Week 1 of the NFL season. The opening Sunday of the NFL is one of the...
Green Bay Packers Failed Aaron Rodgers and It's Coming Back to Haunt Them
Sep 12, 2022
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 11: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) makes a throw during the second quarter an NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers on September 11, 2022 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers once famously told fans and reporters to "relax" in regard to the Packers' perceived struggles.
And to a large extent, he hasn't given Packers fans a reason to stress.
After getting shellacked by the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 last year, the Packers went on to lose just two more games the rest of the way en route to a third straight 13-win season, an NFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
Despite all that, the season culminated in a disheartening loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round. That was followed by the stunning trade that sent star wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Packers made an effort to replace Adams, but rather than with an impact veteran or first-round pick, it was with Day 2 and Day 3 draft capital and journeymen.
It was a continuation of a trend. It has been two decades since Green Bay took a wide receiver in Round 1, and while the team hit big in Round 2 with Adams in 2014, the Packers did little to add talent around him in the interim.
On Sunday in Minneapolis, that longtime philosophy blew up in Green Bay's face. Facing a Vikings pass defense that was 28th in the league last year, the Packers could generate next to nothing on offense on the way to a lopsided loss.
It's just one week, but the Packers didn't look like a Super Bowl front-runner against the Vikings, let alone the best team in their division.
The Packers looked like a deeply flawed team—one that has failed their MVP quarterback.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is sacked by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Danielle Hunter, rear, during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Green Bay's new-look receiving corps was the talk of Titletown all through training camp. Rodgers admitted a month ago that youngsters like Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs had a way to go before they would be consistent NFL contributors.
"The young guys, especially young receivers, we've got
to be way more consistent," Rodgers said to reporters. "A lot of drops, a lot of
bad route decisions, running the wrong route. We've got to get better in that
area."
Rodgers also made it clear that if those young players weren't
ready, then veterans like Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb would
have to step up.
"We're going to play our best guys when the season starts. And whoever those guys are, those guys are going to get the reps," he said.
"It's the guys I trust the most and the guys the coaches trust the most. A lot of it is just the simple responsibility in the offense. Way before body positioning and movement and throw, and all that stuff, are you in the right spot at the right time? Are you running the right route?"
Against the Vikings, it really didn't matter if it was rookies or veterans. None of the Green Bay receivers were a factor.
For the game, Rodgers completed just 22-of-34 passes for 195 yards. He threw an interception against an NFC North opponent for the first time since 2019. His passer rating for the contest was 67.7—nearly 37 points below his career average.
As the game wore on and the Packers continued to struggle, it became plainly evident that Rodgers was not a happy camper.
All you need to look at to figure out why Rodgers was displeased is look at the team's receiving stats for the game. With Lazard sitting out with an ankle injury, Green Bay's leading receiver had five catches for 46 yards.
That receiving leader? Running back AJ Dillon.
The leading wide receiver for the Packers in the game was Doubs, who had four grabs for 37 yards. Watkins and Cobb combined for five grabs for 32 yards.
As for Watson, who the Pack drafted 34th overall in April out of North Dakota State?
Take out Dillon, fellow running back Aaron Jones and tight end Robert Tonyan, and every pass-catcher on Green Bay's roster combined for 151 receiving yards.
Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson had 184 yards and two scores by himself. And again, this wasn't the Buffalo Bills pass defense. Last year with Adams, Rodgers torched this same Vikings team for 673 yards and six scores without a pick.
Now, this is the point where Packers backers trying their level best not to freak out will point to the fact that Lazard wasn't out there. However, we aren't talking about a guy who was an early pick or has stacked a bunch of 1,000-yard seasons. He's an undrafted free agent who has never had more than 40 catches or 513 receiving yards in a season.
Lazard isn't scaring defensive coordinators. And even if he did, after witnessing Green Bay's offense flounder Sunday, all they would have to do is bracket him. None of Green Bay's other receivers are going to win one-on-one battles with any consistency.
Watkins and Cobb have big seasons on their professional resumes, but they are shells of the player they once were. Doubs and Watson looked very much like the raw rookies they are. Amari Rodgers is just a guy.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 11: Romeo Doubs #87 of the Green Bay Packers catches a pass during the fourth quarter in the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
It's a menagerie of meh. A basket of blah. And at this point, there probably isn't that much the Packers can do about it.
The best free agent available (Odell Beckham) tore his ACL in the Super Bowl, and by the time he's ready to make any kind of impact, the season could already be circling the drain. Adding another mediocre free agent or swinging a trade for another team's cast-off is just re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
To be fair, Green Bay's receivers weren't the team's only issue Sunday. With tackles Elgton Jenkins and David Bakhtiari both out with injuries, Minnesota's pass-rushers were in Rodgers' face in a hurry to the tune of four sacks and five QB hits. But with the line banged up, it's all the more important that the receivers help them out by getting open quickly.
Green Bay just couldn't do that against the Vikings. And if they can't do it against Minnesota, good luck doing it against Tampa in Week 3. Or at Buffalo on October 30. Or against any quality opponent.
For several reasons (including paying Rodgers $50 million a season), Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst rolled the dice that the two-time reigning MVP would be able to elevate a moribund group of pass-catchers. But if Sunday's loss was any indication, some things are beyond even Rodgers' abilities.
Those dice Gutekunst rolled appear to have come up snake-eyes. And in counting on Rodgers to spin straw into gold rather than surrounding him with weapons for one more run at the Super Bowl, the Packers have set the stage for the final chapters of Rodgers' career to be a disappointing one.
Aaron Rodgers, Packers Offense Called Out by Twitter for Struggles in Loss to Vikings
Sep 11, 2022
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 11: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers on the field during the first quarter in the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Life in the post-Davante Adams world did not get off to an ideal start for Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers fell to 0-1 on the season with a 23-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Sunday's NFC North showdown. Rodgers, who also didn't have presumed No. 1 wide receiver Allen Lazard because of an ankle injury, expressed visible frustration on the field and the sidelines throughout the game.
He finished 22-of-34 for 195 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception.
Social media certainly noticed Green Bay's struggles:
Mahomes giving Juju the thumbs up after a drop, one series after Juju gave up a fumble. Contrast that with whatever Rodgers is doing in GB right now lol.
I see a lot of “Blame” being tossed around on the Packers sideline and between the players. Truth is they are brutally unprepared and that is on the leaders of this football team (Matt LaFleur, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Barry)
Things got off to a brutal start for Rodgers when Christian Watson dropped what would have been a 75-yard touchdown on the Packers' first play from scrimmage. It was part of a scoreless first half for the visitors, who also saw AJ Dillon stuffed on 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
While Green Bay got on the scoreboard in the second half thanks to a touchdown run from Dillon, Rodgers also lost a fumble on his first possession after halftime and didn't look like the typically dominant version of himself that took home the last two MVP awards.
It also didn't help the Packers' chances that their defense was completely overwhelmed by Justin Jefferson, who finished with an astounding stat line of nine catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns.
Green Bay has plenty of work to do ahead of its Week 2 showdown with the rival Chicago Bears.
Packers' Aaron Rodgers Shades Teams Thinking They Have a Chance to Win NFC North
Sep 8, 2022
KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 25: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers participates in pregame warmups prior to the preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on August 25, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers have owned the NFC North for three straight seasons, and Aaron Rodgers does not expect that to change anytime soon.
“All the other teams in the NFC North, it seems like every single year, I think their fanbase and their teams feel like, ‘This is our year to win the North.’ Hasn’t really been the case during my time, for the most part,” Rodgers told reporters.
Rodgers has led the Packers to eight division championships over his 14 years as a starting quarterback. Green Bay has won 13 regular-season games for three straight years, a first in franchise history.
If the Packers look a little weaker than their predecessor, it's because they are on paper. Rodgers lost his top target, Davante Adams, to an offseason trade to Las Vegas and the team cut two-time Pro Bowl linebacker, Za'Darius Smith. Making matters worse, Smith immediately signed with rival Minnesota Vikings and seems motivated to prove his old team wrong.
Still, Rodgers has plenty of reason to believe in his Packers. The Bears look like one of the worst teams in football, the Detroit Lions were one of the worst teams in football a year ago, and the Vikings underwent an organizational overhaul this offseason.
The Packers may have a new look in 2022, but they're still the overwhelming favorite for a fourth straight division crown.
