Packers' Aaron Rodgers emphasizes 'great relationship, communication' with Mike McCarthy
-- A "rift" between Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy? Don't count on it.
It seems as if this same story circulates every year -- or, every year that the Green Bay Packers endure a slow start to their season -- involving the Packers' starting quarterback and his head coach of 13 seasons.
Rodgers left Lambeau Field on Sunday after air-mailing 298 passing yards en route to the Packers' first shutout victory since 2010. In the process, he recorded a passer rating of 76.9, marking just the fourth time since the beginning of the 2016 that his passer rating fell below 80.0 and his lowest at home since week four of 2016 against the New York Giants.
Despite the Packers' 423 yards of total offense, Rodgers expressed his blatant displeasure with the offense's performance following the win, calling it "not acceptable for us."
"423 yards looks pretty good in comparison to some of the games we've put forward the first three weeks, but it should have been about 45 points and 600 yards," Rodgers said.
He also said that wide receiver Davante Adams should've had at least 20 targets, which led many skeptics to believe Rodgers was taking an underhanded shot at McCarthy's gameplan on offense. But Rodgers' comments after Wednesday's practice ensured that these are typical run-of-the-mill conversations between himself and his coach.
"Mike and I talk all the time. We have a great relationship," Rodgers told Packers.com. "There’s always been great communication between us. Even if there is some things that we need to talk about that are tough subjects, we’ve never had a problem finding the time and talking. And that's’ the way it’s been for 10-plus years.
"Communication is the basis for a good relationship, wouldn’t you say? I think it is. For any relationship, it starts with good communication and being able to be honest with each other. Then hug it out afterward."
There's undoubtedly a sense of frustration brewing within Rodgers after a win like the one that came on Sunday. Sure, a tally in the "W" column is nice, but it isn't the standard that he or McCarthy are used to.
The Packers currently rank 17th in total offense but this was virtually expected in the process of grooming a trio of young, recently-drafted receivers. Rodgers has also been gutting out his play on one leg after suffering a left knee injury in the season opener against the Chicago Bears.
"There’s frustration in this business. That’s what Mike always says; conflict is good. You gotta keep the conversation going, we gotta find ways to be more efficient on offense. Sunday afternoon, the numbers might’ve looked good: 420 yards, 50 percent-plus on third down. The execution wasn’t where it needs to be.
"I’m always going to hold myself and this offense to a higher standard. I gotta play better and we gotta play better because last week was unacceptable."
Venturing into Detroit this week for their third divisional meeting of the regular season, the Lions sport arguably the league's worst run defense. That could pave the way for the Packers to feature all three of their multi-talented tailbacks and take the ball out of Rodgers' hands -- something he isn't opposed to.
"We gotta run the ball consistently and be able to move the ball down the field in the play action game. We haven’t been able to hit a ton of that stuff and I think it starts with moving the sticks and giving us more run opportunities."
__________________________
Zachary Jacobson is a staff writer/reporter for Cheesehead TV. He's the voice of The Leap on iTunes and can be heard on The Scoop KLGR 1490 AM every Saturday morning. He's also a contributor on the Pack-A-Day Podcast. He can be found on Twitter via @ZachAJacobson or contacted through email at [email protected].
Comments (43)
Lphill
October 04, 2018 at 05:28 am
Make the Lions respect the run then it should open up receivers downfield. This should also be a good test for the Packers secondary because Stafford likes to air it out .
splitpea1
October 04, 2018 at 11:36 am
The secondary needs to tackle well (as always), and they also need to be alert, along with the LBs, for those little sidearm passes. You hate to see those things go for big gains because of poor tackling.
Royalty Free GM
October 04, 2018 at 05:50 am
Pregame rant:
Execute. Chip on the shoulder. Better each week. Do your job. Focus. Building process. Fundamentals.
Postgame excuse:
Execute. Chip on the shoulder. Better each week. Do your job. Focus. Building process. Fundamentals.
croatpackfan
October 04, 2018 at 05:55 am
I'm happy to find out that Aaron Rodgers has mirror at his home...
I did not expect otherwise...
I love how that Man plays. He is the best player in whole NFL today... Just need to put that chip on his shoulder and even sky is not the limit...
PAPackerbacker
October 04, 2018 at 06:27 am
Rodgers says they have to run the ball more consistently to be able to move the ball down field in the play - action game and they haven't been able to do a lot of it. I think the running game has been successful, when they do run the ball. The problem is to make play - action work you have to run the ball more. With the Lions poor run defense this would be a great time to do just that. Will the game plan include more running plays? Only time will tell. The Packers overall rating is pretty darn good for having so many injuries. I think I read somewhere that their overall rating was #8, if this is accurate? Imagine how good they can be if they get on track and start running on all cylinders.
porupack
October 04, 2018 at 06:30 am
[eyeroll] Glad he put all of the Jr. high girls gossipers on this site to rest about throwing shade on MM, and nonsense drama. Now we can return to talk about football among professionals.. [eyeroll and hairflip]
Royalty Free GM
October 04, 2018 at 06:34 am
"Mike and I talk all the time. We have a great relationship" -Rodgers
This is something you can also say when incompetent coach is gone.
flackcatcher
October 04, 2018 at 06:34 am
My guess is somebody fairly high up at 1265 told Rodgers to suck it up. Would not be surprised if former team mates like John Kuhn or Nelson gave him call. For someone who is really media savvy, there are times when QB1 loses self awareness. But that good for us fans!
Royalty Free GM
October 04, 2018 at 06:49 am
What has Rodgers said to upset you so? :)
And give me exact quote, full sentence.
He hasn’t said anything controversial. Prove me wrong.
Media is playing people like you.
flackcatcher
October 04, 2018 at 08:21 am
idiot. Like all elite athletes Rodgers loses self awareness, and forgets that he is also speaking for the team as a whole. Leaders sometimes have to be kicked in the rear end from time to time when they forget their roles. Rodgers needed a wake-up call, and someone either close to him, or someone higher up the chain remained him. It's screaming at you if you read the statement. Fair amount of packer speak. You that clueless huh.
Royalty Free GM
October 04, 2018 at 08:18 am
Username checks out.
Such a typical hillary voter... when asked to present facts.
flackcatcher
October 04, 2018 at 08:22 am
Oh I checked back in troll.
Royalty Free GM
October 04, 2018 at 08:29 am
Name caller edited his/her post afterwards, nice back pedalling!
Shut up or give me the exact quotes and you will see yourself; there is nothing there.
flackcatcher
October 04, 2018 at 09:13 am
Actually, I read your nasty little comment and realize that you had a point. Which was like a second after I had posted. My point stands. Aaron Rodgers set the tone as one of the leaders of this team. He is very media savvy, but there are times when he needs to be reminded that is not just speaking for himself, but the entire organization. That's the burden Rodgers carries for being one of the leaders on this team. And if you weren't constantly trying to provoke, you would see that too.
Royalty Free GM
October 04, 2018 at 09:21 am
I know this is worthless to even ask.
Shut up or give me the exact quotes and you will see yourself; there is nothing there.
You don’t have anything, just nonsense.
flackcatcher
October 04, 2018 at 10:54 am
If you followed the Packers you would know that this a known pattern with Rodgers. He gets angry, blows off stream, gets pulled back and makes a Packer speak statement saying everything is fine. End of story. Notice, no one playing your game here. Your going to have to redefine your 'style' if you want to stay around. I wish you luck.
porupack
October 04, 2018 at 01:48 pm
teenage drama queens looking for gossip, omg, I can't believe he dissed mikey….blah, blah, blah drama, suddenly mikey and ariel might break up, and who is flirting now on the side...., and my big bro Gute is gonna tell him off....blah blah and call up Ariel's old bossom buddy to tell her to chill...
You just gotta hear yourself man, you just gotta hear yourself.
dobber
October 04, 2018 at 08:26 am
Can we please avoid the political stuff? This site had a bad run of that recently and I would appreciate if we can stay away from that and just talk football.
Royalty Free GM
October 04, 2018 at 08:34 am
dobber: I remember that this particular site has been a VERY political... especially let’s say about two years ago?
Hypocrite.
dobber
October 04, 2018 at 01:31 pm
There have only been a few people who have pushed posts here heavily in that direction in recent history. Two years ago is geological time on the internet.
SpudRapids
October 04, 2018 at 10:12 am
I'm with Dobber, keep it to football
Bert
October 04, 2018 at 02:43 pm
Agree 100%. Football and rooting for the Packers is one thing we can all agree on. No sense getting us fans mad at each other over political views.
fastmoving
October 04, 2018 at 11:20 am
…...I bet this free guy dont know what facts mean. just like his hero, not really mart, no morals but loud. they have other facts every day because they cant remember what they said in here last sentence. but he...smart is bad and dumb is cooool...so sad, so sad.
but at least he is funny, just like the wig….in a weird way.
And I thought only his football wisdom is that strange.
dobber
October 04, 2018 at 08:27 am
I would guess it was probably his agent.
flackcatcher
October 04, 2018 at 09:18 am
Yeah. I mean we sometimes forget, he is one of the faces of the NFL.
SpudRapids
October 04, 2018 at 10:13 am
I think he talked to McCarthy and ironed it out... I don't think anyone else in the organization talked to him.
Lare
October 04, 2018 at 11:45 am
With what the Packers have invested in him, I would be surprised if Mark Murphy didn't talk to him.
stockholder
October 04, 2018 at 11:52 am
Game film! Show me! Execution. Danica.
Since'61
October 04, 2018 at 08:28 am
This episode with AR and MM is not a rift it's a joke.
During the 1963 season when Don Shula was coaching the Baltimore Colts and they had a 4th down and short, late in a game. Shula sent in the FG unit for a game tying FG. There wasn't any OT in those days, games ended at the end of regulation, win, lose or draw.
Unitas says to the FG kicker "what heck are you doing here?" "Coach wants to kick a FG". Unitas says, "get the hell out of here, tell the coach we're going to make a first down and then score and win this f**king game".
From the book Johnny U by Tom Callahan.
Sure enough the Colts made the first down and eventual game winning TD. Just try to imagine the post-game pressers if that ever happened between AR and MM.
I think this is all about Rodgers expecting better of himself and the offense and maybe trying to justify his huge contract. First he needs to realize that his knee needs to heal up. Until then, take the wins however they come. Thanks, Since '61
Royalty Free GM
October 04, 2018 at 07:34 am
Since - That was so good story that I will not challenge you to admit that we made a big mistake in the draft... during the next 24 hours ;)
Thegreatreynoldo
October 04, 2018 at 07:04 pm
That is indeed a great story but I don't know what I think about the substance. I suspect that I'd be writing nasty things about Unitas, regardless of the outcome of the play. Don Shula was a good coach: perhaps he smiled and acquiesced.
4thand1
October 04, 2018 at 07:11 am
Everyone expected the Pack to roll on offense. I think AR did and does. Practice and games are 2 different things and he hasn't done either. 2 new TE's, young WR's and Cobb out. The running back by committee doesn't help IMO, Jones needs to be the featured back. Ok done with excuses, just play the dam game, your professionals.
Packer_Fan
October 04, 2018 at 08:12 am
I think the tension is good and needed. Both of them need to be on the edge. AR needs to play better. MM needs to call better plays. The offense needs to get into a rhythm early in the game. That takes both AR and MM to perform well
TKWorldWide
October 04, 2018 at 01:07 pm
Ok, I’m going to betray some confidences here for the good of this site:
I was able to get my hands on the enormous, color coded play sheet MM used in a recent game this season. To my amazement and chagrin, the headings were “crappy plays”, “predictable plays”, “good plays”, and a VERY TINY section with the heading “better plays”. My recommendation would be to choose more from that last section.
Packer Dave
October 04, 2018 at 08:31 am
I cannot believe how much energy is spent on this subject. How about discussing how Josh Jones fell off the face of the earth or how Fackrell is leading in sacks while Perry and CM3 rake in 20+ million in salary cap? Those are actual problems.
Royalty Free GM
October 04, 2018 at 09:04 am
Relax... he is just running the table while giving live pep talk to the coach.
Royalty Free GM
October 04, 2018 at 09:06 am
Perry and CM3 are actual problems. But people here seems to like them?
scullyitsme
October 04, 2018 at 09:17 am
Wow, nothing like one troll taking over a whole thread and ruining everything for everybody. I think he even hates Christmas!
Royalty Free GM
October 04, 2018 at 09:28 am
So... scully, What do you think about Perry and CM3?
dobber
October 04, 2018 at 01:26 pm
Have you been reading the posts here over the last 18 months?
splitpea1
October 04, 2018 at 12:36 pm
Great point. If Fackrell shows he can keep it up, we might only have to spend one high pick on an OLB.
Tundraboy
October 04, 2018 at 10:34 pm
One or two dropped passes are caught ,and we are not having this discussion. Found nothing wrong with ARod being frustrated with anything. He's a human being. Only said what everybody else was thinking anyway.
splitpea1
October 04, 2018 at 12:40 pm
Finally some sense, except maybe five or six is the correct number.