Getty Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers runs with the ball in the fourth quarter of a game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 06, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers just scored nine points against a historically bad defense, but Aaron Rodgers is unwilling to give the Detroit Lions credit for that performance.
Rodgers made his weekly Tuesday appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on November 8 following the Packers’ fifth-straight loss. The defeat was even worse than it reads on the stat sheet considering it came within the NFC North Division to a 1-6 team in a game that Green Bay more or less needed to win in order to salvage the season.
Despite scoring just nine points on the day and throwing a career high three interceptions, including two in the red zone, Rodgers described the performance as one of the offense’s better outings this season. His interview with McAfee begins at the 1:19:15 mark of the video below.
“Look, no disrespect, but did they play great?” Rodgers said of the Lions defense. “I threw an interception off a helmet. I threw an interception about five yards short of Dave [Bakhtiari]. I didn’t play a great game, we still made a lot of mental mistakes, but I don’t think they really stopped us. We had three possessions in the first half and went up and down the field, so it’s more about us, I think, than them.”
“I thought our offense, it was one of our better games the way we moved the football,” he continued. “That game honestly shouldn’t have been that close. … We beat ourselves, as we have many times this season.”
Rodgers Defiant in Face of Criticism After 3-Turnover Game Against Lions
GettyQB Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers carries the ball against the Detroit Lions during the fourth quarter of a game at Ford Field on November 6, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
Rodgers backed up his claim that the offense played well by citing the nearly 400 yards of total offense that the Packers gained on their way to a nine-point performance. The quarterback himself was responsible for 331 of those yards, leading the team in both receiving and rushing.
However, he was also responsible for all three of Green Bay’s turnovers. Thus, Rodgers was the primary reason the Packers were in position to score, as well as the primary reason they often failed to do so, which led to a considerable amount of criticism following the loss.
Rodgers spoke about his interceptions, and the public’s reaction to them, during the interview with McAfee.
“Two of them weren’t great throws,” Rodgers said. “There’s some other parts to plays. It’s usually not just on one person … there’s a lot that goes into each play.”
“I don’t give a s*** what any of these experts on TV have to say,” he continued.
Rodgers Points to Injuries, Personnel as Reasons For Packers’ Struggles
GettyQB Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers scrambles during the fourth quarter of a game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 6, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
It didn’t help that the offense lost running back Aaron Jones and wide receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs to injuries during the game. But the latter two are among the same group of players Rodgers has pointed to — sometimes subtly and sometimes overtly — as being too inexperienced and lacking in talent to allow him to be the best version of himself.
The quarterback made more comments to that effect following the loss to the Lions when McAfee asked him if the Packers have the necessary talent in the locker room to turn their 3-6 season around and make a run to the playoffs.
“What am I supposed to say to that?” Rodgers responded. “I always believe in myself first and bet on myself first to go out there and impact the game. I still know I have that in me. Still the reigning, defending two-time MVP. … Regardless of who’s out there with me, if guys wanna come battle, they know where to find me.”
“We didn’t add anybody [at the trade deadline], and we still obviously have a young roster,” he continued. “Young guys are playing and are gonna play even more. We’ll see who’s healthy this week.”
The Packers host the Dallas Cowboys (6-2) at Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon, November 13.