There’s that no respect card again. Aaron Rodgers says the Green Bay Packers are an under-the-radar team this season because everyone is talking about San Francisco and Seattle.
Oh, and he like it.
“I love it. I love being under the radar. For sure, we’re a contender. For sure. I mean, we’re going to put ourselves in position to win a lot of games. Our goal is to win our division and get to the playoffs. And anything can happen. And then hopefully we can take care of business like we did in 2010 when we get back there. The NFL didn’t do us any favors with the schedule, but we don’t need them to.”
This was part of another one of those meandering Q&A’s everyone is doing with Rodgers these days. We’re not sure if the Packers are really under the radar, but whatever.
The other interesting part of the interview was Rodgers agreeing that the team has more urgency this year.
“I think the coaches in general are demanding more, and I think that’s a good thing. Mike always talks about the roles of coaches and players. Coaches are to demand and teach and communicate, and players are to prepare, perform and communicate. The players are doing a better job of preparing; we performed better in the OTAs. The coaches are doing a better job of demanding more. There’s a higher level of getting on guys and making sure guys are doing the right things. There was guys flying around at the OTAs a lot more, and I think the teaching level – we have an incredible staff – has gone up noticeably as well. But the biggest thing that may have changed to get this thing going the way we want it to go is the communication. I think Mike really laid out how he wanted this thing to go from Day 1 of the offseason and Day 1 of OTAs. And the guys have bought into it. There hasn’t been any complaining or dissenting opinions during OTAs. It’s been very refreshing seeing guys get on board and be leaders. Especially guys like T.J. and Josh and Evan Dietrich-Smith and Bryan (Bulaga) and Marshall (Newhouse). When your offensive line is leading by example in practice and in the meeting rooms and on the field, the rest of your team is going to follow. I believe that, and I know Mike does as well. And those guys have done a good job of that.”
Good to know they’re not running a country club there anymore.