GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Aaron Rodgers went 586 passes between Lambeau Field interceptions. His second streak lasted just six.
The Green Bay Packers quarterback isn’t likely to do either again.
Yes, the streak is over. Rodgers threw his first home interception in nearly three years in Sunday's 24-10 win over the St. Louis Rams when safety Mark Barron tipped a slant pass intended for tight end Richard Rodgers in the first quarter. The ball shot into the air, which allowed linebacker James Laurinaitis to snag it.
Rodgers had gone 586 straight passes (including playoff games) and had thrown 49 touchdown passes (including one Sunday to rookie Ty Montgomery) since Vikings safety Harrison Smith picked him off on Dec. 2, 2012 -- a play Rodgers said he doesn’t even remember.
He'll probably remember the two he threw in the first half on Sunday -- and the fumble he lost on a strip-sack, giving him his first three turnover game since Week 9 of the 2009 season.
"Well, I mean, Aaron is human," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "I think, just like any time you have a takeaway on the defense or you have a giveaway on offense, you break it down, you evaluate it and you go through it and you learn from it. The unfortunate one on the fumble was the ball was snapped early and we thought we were in a potential free-play mode and David gave up the edge and created the sack-fumble. We benefitted from free plays so many times this year and that one kind of bit us."
As much as Rodgers no doubt loved the streak -- he prides himself on taking care of the ball -- he will no doubt be more upset that he threw a second interception just seven passes later.
And he couldn't blame that one on a tipped passed. Rodgers was going for James Jones in the second quarter when Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson jumped the route and picked it off.
"He’s still a remarkable player," McCarthy said. "What happened today doesn’t change that. I think as you look back, I think history will be very kind and respectful and will acknowledge that streak. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of anything like that."
Rodgers threw only five interceptions all of last year in the regular season, and four of those were just like his first one on Sunday -- off a tipped ball. All, of course, were on the road.
This was Rodgers’ first multi-interception game at Lambeau Field since Week 7 of the 2010 season against the Minnesota Vikings.
It was only the fourth time in Rodgers’ career that he has thrown two interceptions in a home game.
Rodgers said this week he didn’t think it was possible to go through an entire season without an interception, but he probably didn’t think he’d throw two in a half, either.
"He plays it cool, but I’m sure he’s extremely frustrated," Packers left guard Josh Sitton said of Rodgers' interceptions. "I was just thinking today, man I wonder if we can go all year without an interception? I know I shouldn’t have even thought that."