Rodgers: ‘I played wicked,’ however serene 16 games to switch

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — That will not be always if reality be told a stat line you explore from Aaron Rodgers on each day foundation: 15-of-28 passing for 133 yards with out a touchdowns and two interceptions.

That will not be always if reality be told a commentary you hear on each day foundation, either: “I played wicked.”

And no one on the Inexperienced Bay Packers saw it coming.

Coming off their 2d straight 13-settle season, a 2d straight NFC Championship Sport appearance and with Rodgers abet after his offseason of discontentment — and reputedly on place all over a spirited practicing camp — the reigning NFL MVP and his group bowed out of the new-season opener against the host New Orleans Saints with out noteworthy of a battle in a 38-3 loss on Sunday.

The 35-point loss suffered by the Packers is the worst in a season opener by a bunch that played in either the AFC or NFC Championship Sport the old season.

“They got here ready to play; fully embarrassed us as of late,” stated Packers coach Matt LaFleur, who also called the loss humbling.

Rodgers had a pretty various settle.

“I will let him exercise those phrases and I will exercise, ‘it be factual one sport,'” Rodgers stated. “We played wicked. I played wicked. Offensively we didn’t conclude totally. One sport. We now dangle obtained 16 to switch.”

Rodgers mature the “We-played-wicked-I-played-wicked” line twice all over his postgame comments.

With his total assortment of potential-situation gamers — plus a reunion that he initiated with receiver Randall Cobb — Rodgers didn’t even explore the carry out line. He exited with 10: 46 remaining in the sport and a 36.8 passer rating, giving ability to Jordan Admire for the 2d year quarterback’s first NFL new-season action.

And it wasn’t enjoy Rodgers didn’t dangle time to throw at the abet of an offensive line that featured two rookie starters (center Josh Myers and proper guard Royce Newman) plus their left guard (Elgton Jenkins) filling in for All-Professional left take care of David Bakhtiari (who will omit no decrease than the principle six games whereas recuperating from ACL surgery).

Rodgers completed factual 4-of-15 passes when he had bigger than 2.5 seconds to throw. Each and each of his interceptions got here with out a decrease than that noteworthy time — including the one in the purple zone when a touchdown would dangle made it a 17-10 sport — and it used to be his worst completion proportion on those throws since no decrease than 2016, when NFL Next Gen stats first started monitoring.

Rodgers discounted the absence of any preseason taking half in time as a reason at the abet of the efficiency, and no one even brought up the very fact that he skipped the total offseason program. But he would now not bargain the notion that the Packers got here into this just-situation sport — which featured a crowd of no decrease than half of Packers followers amongst the 35,242 at TIAA Bank Discipline — overconfident and underprepared.

“I contemplate there’s presumably some of that,” Rodgers stated. “We presumably felt enjoy we had been gonna lunge up and down the sphere on whoever that they had in the market and that obviously wasn’t the case as of late. I give [Saints defensive coordinator] Dennis Allen a quantity of credit ranking. I contemplate I’ve continually opinion he’s a truly factual defensive tips. They’d a factual realizing. It used to be to play a quantity of two-shell and gradual us down with the entrance. They did a factual job of that.”

Each and each Rodgers and LaFleur stated the counter to that defensive see is the trail sport, but their working backs carried factual 14 times (including simplest five for 14 yards by Aaron Jones).

“We didn’t trail the ball; we didn’t even strive and trail the ball adequate,” LaFleur stated. “So that is my fault.”

Within the tip, it went down as the worst lack of Rodgers’ occupation as a starter, new season or playoffs, and factual the third time the Packers dangle scored three or fewer functions in one of his begins. It used to be also factual his third occupation sport with out a touchdown passes and quite so a lot of interceptions.

All of that against a bunch they beat closing season 37-30 with out their No. 1 receiver Davante Adams, who on Sunday had a bunch-high five catches for 56 yards.

That it came about in the season opener could perchance dangle been a shock, however to Rodgers that used to be more straightforward to settle than if it came about down the road.

“I contemplate more straightforward,” he stated. “We’re coming off a pair NFC Championship Games and obviously feeling factual about the unit that we now dangle got on offense. … So here’s a factual kick in the you-know-where. Confidently uncover us going in the correct course going abet dwelling and taking half in a division opponent [Detroit] subsequent week.”