Getty Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers reacts to a fumble against the New York Jets at Lambeau Field on October 16, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Buffalo Bills (5-1) are coming back from a bye week to play against the Green Bay Packers (3-4) on Sunday Night Football, a primetime matchup that many NFL analysts believe will be an embarrassing blowout for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
While NBC Sports commentator Cris Collinsworth laughed out loud when asked about Rodgers’ chances of turning things around when the Packers travel to Buffalo on Sunday, October 30, Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is not sleeping on the four-time MVP.
Years before joining the Bills franchise in 2017, Frazier had to face Rodgers as an opponent all the time as a coach for the Minnesota Vikings. During those 12 regular season matchups between 2007 and 2013, Rodgers threw 26 touchdowns with just four interceptions and earned a QB rating of 117.9 per Bills reporter Alec White.
GettyDefensive coordinator Leslie Frazier of the Buffalo Bills looks on before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium on October 31, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York.
Frazier addressed the media via video conference on Monday, October 24, and sent a strong message of support to Rodgers ahead of their Week 8 matchup. You can never count out “a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback,” Frazier said, even amid Green Bay’s three-game losing streak.
“He’s more than capable of leading this team and putting this team on his back. So it starts there,” Frazier said. “And they have a football team that’s had success in the past. I know they’ve hit a bump in the road of late, but it’s still so early in our season. They have enough time to right the ship and they’ve got the right guy leading them to get that done. We’re going to have to play our best game of the season to have success.”
Rodgers was Slammed for His Comment About Beating Buffalo
Aaron Rodgers says he’s looking forward to facing the #Bills:
“this week nobody is going to give us a chance, we’re going to Buffalo on Sunday night football with a chance to get exposed…shoot, might be the best thing for us.”
In Week 6, the Packers took a 27-10 loss to the Jets, which came on the heels of their 27-22 loss to the Giants in Week 5. During the Packers’ 23-21 loss to the Commanders on Sunday, October 23, Green Bay’s offense failed to complete a single third or fourth down while Rodgers averaged just 3.3 yards on complete passes.
“You’re goddamn right it does,” Rodgers, 38, said when asked if the Packers can turn things around, per ESPN‘s Rob Demovksy. “I’m not worried about this squad. In fact, this might be the best thing for us. This week, nobody’s going to give us a chance, going to Buffalo on Sunday Night Football, with a chance to get exposed. Shoot, this might be the best thing for us.”
Rodgers was subsequently slammed on Twitter for what many deemed to be delusional comments considering the Bills have the No. 1 defense in the NFL and an explosive offense led by quarterback Josh Allen.
While it seems like the Packers’ season is slipping away, Green Bay ranks 18th in the NFL in passing (221 yards per game) and 23rd in points (18.3 points per game), per New York Upstate, Frazier refuses to buy into that rhetoric when they have such an experienced superstar leading the charge.
“I don’t know how often I’m gonna be able to trick him,” Frazier said of Rodgers. “It’ll come back for us to fundamentals and technique and our being able to execute at the end of the day. So it won’t be a lot of trickery. Just don’t know if there’s anything he hasn’t seen. But if we can execute our defense and really play with good fundamentals and good technique that gives us a chance.”
Quarterback Josh Allen Will Bring His A-Game Against Green Bay
Josh Allen has scrambled eight times on third and fourth downs.
He’s converted first downs on all eight tries.
Allen, who entered the bye week with a 92.9 career passer rating, the best in Bills history, made it clear that he takes each week’s opponent seriously, no matter their record or stats.
“We’re just trying to be playoff caliber and it’s the standard that coach McDermott sets, Allen said after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6. “Every game is big in the NFL. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing a team that’s 4-1 or 1-4. Any given Sunday, Monday or Thursday any team can win when you’re on the field. These guys are professional football players for a reason. Everybody’s good. So yeah, it’s on to the next one again. We’ve got to turn our attention towards the next week.”