<
>

Aaron Rodgers: Packers were 'terrible on offense' despite victory

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- When does the starting quarterback of a team that won 22-0 at home leave the stadium with a bad taste in his mouth?

When it's Aaron Rodgers after Sunday's win over the Buffalo Bills at Lambeau Field.

Among the things the dour-sounding Green Bay Packers quarterback said after the game were:

• "We were terrible on offense."

• "We were a championship defensive-level and non-playoff team offensive-level today. That was not great by any stretch of the imagination. We need to find ways to get our playmakers in position to get some more opportunities.

"You know, a game like today ... Davante [Adams is] a tough cover for anybody, but he should have had 20 targets today. They couldn't stop him. They dared to play one-high a few times. So, we have to find ways to get him the ball and Jimmy [Graham] as well."

• "No, I'm happy. I'm excited to go home and have a scotch or two. But I'm also a realist. That's just not acceptable offense for us. Four hundred and twenty-three 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."

He didn't stop there.

In comments that will be perceived as critical of the Packers' plan and the playcalling against the Bills, Rodgers, when asked how to get the ball more to his No. 1 receiver, Adams, said: "It's by the plan. Find ways to get him in No. 1 spots."

Coach Mike McCarthy used a variety of personnel groups and has remained committed to a running back-by-committee approach even after the return of their most explosive runner, Aaron Jones, from his two-game suspension.

When asked if all the moving parts could be a factor, Rodgers said: "I mean, that's not a question for me."

Still, the Packers managed 423 yards of total offense and Rodgers threw for 298 and a touchdown -- Graham's first since he joined the Packers. Adams caught eight passes for 81 yards and Geronimo Allison six for 80 before he left in the second half because of a concussion. The Packers also dropped at least five passes -- three by Allison and one each by Graham and Lance Kendricks.

"It was as bad as we've played on offense with that many yards in a long time," Rodgers said.

The Packers rushed for 141 yards, including 65 and a touchdown on 11 carries by Jones.

"On offense, we started fast, probably one or two plays that weren't clean," said McCarthy, who spoke before Rodgers in the Packers' media auditorium. "It was a grind-it-out second half for us offensively."

Rodgers practiced twice last week, including Thursday's full-pads session, marking the first time since his Week 1 knee injury that he took part in anything other than the Saturday workout that typically lasts about an hour. McCarthy said Rodgers' injury has not had a significant impact on his game planning and playcalling.

Typically, Rodgers and McCarthy meet at least twice during the week to discuss the game plan -- something Rodgers said has continued.

"Yeah, I mean, Coach puts the plan together, I tell him what calls I like, and we go," Rodgers said.