Aaron Rodgers, the star quarterback of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, just returned from a darkness retreat in Oregon, where he planned to figure out whether he would play next season or retire.
Appearing on Aubrey Marcus’s podcast, Rodgers spoke for the first time about his journey into darkness for two days.
“I spent parts of a couple of days imagining what it would be like to retire and then imagining what it would be like to continue to play,” he said.
Last month, Rodgers checked into a sensory deprivation facility called Sky Cave Retreats for a prolonged stay in a room completely devoid of light. He had previously said that he was spending the time in isolation “have a better sense of where I’m at in my life.”
When asked if the darkness retreat shed any light on his decision, Rodgers said he still wasn’t sure but would know soon.
“I really wanted to contemplate some things with some relationships in my life, some family stuff, and then obviously career stuff, just kind of let whatever was gonna come in, come in. And it did. It definitely did,” Rodgers said.
He said he expected some people would not be satisfied with his answer.
“If you don’t like it and you think it’s drama, you think I’m being a diva or whatever, then just tune it out,” he said about this big decision. “That’s fine. But this is my life. It’s important to me, and I’ll make a decision soon enough, and we’ll go down that road and be really excited about it.”
Before entering the retreat, Rodgers told “The Pat McAfee Show” that he was going on the darkness retreat for four days. But according to reporting by ESPN, he cut his stay short by two days.
Scott Berman, who owns Sky Caves, said that Rodgers stayed in a 300-square-foot room that is partially underground structure and pitch black. His accommodations included a queen bed, a bathroom, and a meditation mat.
Rodgers admitted to Marcus that it was difficult to maneuver in the dark.
“The worst part was being disoriented, coming out of one of those like meditations where you think the bed’s over here. And that’s how I ran into things multiple times because I think, ‘I’m good,’ and bang — I ran into the wall, or dang, there’s the bathtub.”
But ultimately, he found the darkness valuable.
“All the answers are right inside me, and I touched many of them — and definitely the feelings — on both sides during the darkness. I’m thankful for that time,” he said.
For four days this week, home for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a pitch-black room. There were no phones, no television, no lights or distractions. Just Rodgers, alone with his thoughts, in a cabin built specifically for prolonged isolation in the dark.
When the four-time NFL MVP announced plans earlier this month to contemplate his NFL future in isolation at a “darkness retreat,” many were left scratching their heads.
“It’s just sitting in isolation, meditation, dealing with your thoughts,” Rodgers said earlier this month. “We rarely even turn our phone off or put the blinds down to sleep in darkness. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Rodgers is no stranger to alternative therapies. He credits psychedelics like psilocybin and ayahuasca for helping to alleviate his fear of death and deepening a sense of self-love. The football star said he has done “many meditation and yoga retreats” in the past and defended his decision to try darkness therapy as one of several practices “that have stimulated my mind and helped me get in a better headspace and have a greater peace in my life.”
But what exactly happens in a darkness retreat? And is it just another new-age fad or perhaps something that could benefit the rest of us?
A darkness retreat is exactly what it sounds like: a prolonged stay in a space completely devoid of light. One of the centers offering the practice is Sky Cave Retreats, nestled in the Cascade-Siskiyou wilderness, in Southern Oregon, near Klamath Falls.
“The reasons for doing this range from people wanting to know themselves more, to people who want to rest, reset and relax, to those who want to explore consciousness and deepen their meditation practice,” said Scott Berman, who owns Sky Cave Retreats along with his wife Jill, adding the darkness helps illuminate what really matters by stripping away the constant bombardment of sensory input and stimulation many people experience in their hectic modern lives.
“When someone goes into the darkness, all these things that were important to them like money, fame, power, status, being worthy – they all become insignificant and meaningless in the dark,” Berman said. “In the dark, all you have is the present moment which reveals what is truly meaningful – whether it’s love, forgiveness, peace – and it begins to transform you as you truly authentically touch what is most important to you.”
The center currently operates three stand-alone cabins built specifically for prolonged isolation in the dark – earth-sheltered caves, which on the outside are somewhat reminiscent of a Hobbit home. Each space contains a bed, a toilet, sink and a bathtub, as well as a low table for eating and a carpeted area for yoga and meditation. Participants can leave at any time – the doors are never locked – and there is a light switch for emergencies which is protected by a childproof guard so it isn’t flipped on by accident.
The cost includes three meals a day, which Berman delivers personally all at once in the evening (through a lightproof double-sided food box) to minimize the disturbance. This is when participants have an opportunity for a conversation, which could be 10 seconds or 30 minutes, according to Berman, depending on the person’s needs.
Participants typically spend three to four days in the darkness at a cost of $250 a night and are encouraged to take an extra day before and after to integrate the experience.
Burak Dalcik, a 27-year-old salesman from Arlington, Virginia, said the four days he spent in the dark at Sky Caves Retreats in January gave him clarity about his priorities. He found he no longer labeled experiences as positive or negative, but rather allowed them to come and to go, which led to less stress and anxiety at work and in his personal life. He also said he started calling his mom, who lives back in Turkey, more frequently.
“It just really trims all the unnecessary fat and allows you to focus on some of the most important things and really allows you to understand who you are,” said Dalcik. “There’s nothing New Age about this – it boils down to can you just sit by yourself with yourself? And if you can’t, you should probably get pretty curious about why.”
Berman cautions the retreat isn’t for everyone, nor should it be seen as a quick fix to one’s troubles.
“It’s not like this magical, mind-blowing, amazing experience – it can be extremely difficult and uncomfortable,” Berman said. “But in the darkness, discomfort is the door to transformation. There’s an acceptance and a profound love that people start to experience when they’re no longer resisting that part of themselves.”
For now, there is limited research on how darkness retreats impact the human brain and body. Some centers claim the experience can help heal traumas or activate the pineal glad, another claim is darkness therapy increases melatonin production in the brain.
“That’s totally false,” said Dr. David Blask, the head of the Laboratory of Chrono-Neuroendocrine Oncology at Tulane University School of Medicine. “There may be some psychological benefits that people derive from a darkness retreat that they feel are important for them, but certainly not from a strict endocrine neuroendocrine or biochemical physiological standpoint.”
Dr. Marek Malůš, a psychologist at the University of Ostrava in the Czech Republic who has been studying darkness therapies since 2010, sees the technique as a promising therapeutic tool.
“Your thoughts, memories, emotions, inner world and mental processes become much more balanced and integrated,” Malůš said.
While he and his colleagues are working to secure funding for additional studies, Malůš said preliminary research showed just four days in a darkness chamber was enough to help increase mindfulness and self-esteem, lower symptoms of depression and anxiety, while improving parasympathetic nervous system functions, which helps with stress management and lowering burnout symptoms. Subjects reported feeling the benefits three weeks after the experience.
Berman said he hopes to see more scientific research into the benefits of darkness retreats, but cautions against anyone seeking to use the retreat for some sort of natural high.
“If somebody’s coming here because they want to have a so-called DMT experience, you’ve come into the wrong place,” he said. “But there is a lot of benefit in not looking outside of ourselves for confirmation of our worth and using the darkness to illuminate our true nature.”
For those who aren’t able to commit the time or money for a darkness retreat but want a taste of some of the benefits, Berman suggests starting small at home.
“It’s about becoming accustomed to authentically slowing down, putting the phone away, turning out the lights, closing the blinds and just resting,” he said. “Not to get somewhere, not to heal but just to be curious about what’s actually happening within yourself.”
Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers led comeback wins and the Los Angeles Rams dominated Russell Wilson and the Broncos.
It was a triumphant Christmas for the Buccaneers, Packers and Rams as many figured it would be when the schedule was released in May. The NFC’s top three preseason Super Bowl favorites were expected to be jockeying for playoff positioning Sunday.
Instead, the Rams (5-10) are trying to avoid the most losses by a defending Super Bowl champion. The Packers (7-8) need help just to make the playoffs. The Buccaneers (7-8) lead the dreadful NFC South with a first-place showdown coming up against Carolina.
While the NFC is upside down, the AFC has lived up to expectations. The Buffalo Bills (12-3) and Kansas City Chiefs (12-3) entered the season as the top two Super Bowl favorites and they are 1-2 in the race for the No. 1 seed. The defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals (11-4) are third with a chance to move up when they host the Bills next Monday night.
Brady rallied Tampa Bay from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to a 19-16 overtime victory at Arizona following another poor offensive performance. The 45-year-old, seven-time Super Bowl champion threw two picks for the third straight game, the offense had no rhythm until it went into hurry-up mode late and the depleted offensive line lost another key player.
The Buccaneers would clinch the division title with a win over the Panthers (6-9) on New Year’s Day. They’d earn the No. 4 seed in the NFC and home-field advantage in a wild-card game with the most likely opponent being the Dallas Cowboys (11-4).
The Bucs opened the season with a 19-3 win in Dallas. These are two different teams now. If Brady and the Bucs play the way they have for most of the season, the Cowboys will beat them by double digits.
Brady doesn’t seem to trust his offensive line, so he’s getting rid of the ball at a faster pace than he ever has, and he appears to lack confidence in his receivers at times.
The offense has been out of sync all season and is averaging fewer than 18 points. But the defense has stepped up and Brady has engineered three comeback wins in the last seven games.
The Buccaneers had a lower seed in 2020 and had to win three road games in the playoffs on their way to a Super Bowl title in Brady’s first season in Tampa Bay. That offense was dynamic, averaging more than 30 points per game.
They’ll need to play far better than they’ve shown to have a shot at winning a playoff game.
Rodgers and the Packers were headed toward elimination a few weeks ago after a 4-8 start. But they’ve won three straight games and now can make the playoffs with two more wins plus a loss by Washington (7-7-1) or two losses by the Giants (8-6-1).
Green Bay trailed Miami 20-10 in the second quarter on Sunday before outscoring the Dolphins 16-0 the rest of the way. The defense picked Tua Tagovailoa three times in the fourth quarter to help secure the 26-20 upset on the road.
The Packers haven’t resembled the team that won 13 games in each of the three previous seasons. But they’re starting to come together down the stretch.
In 2010 when Rodgers won his only Super Bowl, the Packers made the playoffs as the sixth and final seed in the NFC. They host the Vikings (12-3) and Lions (7-8) in the final two games with a chance to sneak in.
The Rams already have been knocked out of the playoff race, but Baker Mayfield has made them interesting. He was excellent in a 51-14 win against Denver, completing 24 of 28 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Mayfield has led Los Angeles to two victories in three games since he joined the team two days before leading a comeback win over Las Vegas on Dec. 8.
The Rams, Buccaneers and Packers each won in the same week for only the second time this season and the first since Week 2.
Despite their struggles, Brady and Rodgers still have a shot. Don’t count them out until they’re eliminated.
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Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi
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Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers led comeback wins and the Los Angeles Rams dominated Russell Wilson and the Broncos.
It was a triumphant Christmas for the Buccaneers, Packers and Rams as many figured it would be when the schedule was released in May. The NFC’s top three preseason Super Bowl favorites were expected to be jockeying for playoff positioning Sunday.
Instead, the Rams (5-10) are trying to avoid the most losses by a defending Super Bowl champion. The Packers (7-8) need help just to make the playoffs. The Buccaneers (7-8) lead the dreadful NFC South with a first-place showdown coming up against Carolina.
While the NFC is upside down, the AFC has lived up to expectations. The Buffalo Bills (12-3) and Kansas City Chiefs (12-3) entered the season as the top two Super Bowl favorites and they are 1-2 in the race for the No. 1 seed. The defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals (11-4) are third with a chance to move up when they host the Bills next Monday night.
Brady rallied Tampa Bay from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to a 19-16 overtime victory at Arizona following another poor offensive performance. The 45-year-old, seven-time Super Bowl champion threw two picks for the third straight game, the offense had no rhythm until it went into hurry-up mode late and the depleted offensive line lost another key player.
The Buccaneers would clinch the division title with a win over the Panthers (6-9) on New Year’s Day. They’d earn the No. 4 seed in the NFC and home-field advantage in a wild-card game with the most likely opponent being the Dallas Cowboys (11-4).
The Bucs opened the season with a 19-3 win in Dallas. These are two different teams now. If Brady and the Bucs play the way they have for most of the season, the Cowboys will beat them by double digits.
Brady doesn’t seem to trust his offensive line, so he’s getting rid of the ball at a faster pace than he ever has, and he appears to lack confidence in his receivers at times.
The offense has been out of sync all season and is averaging fewer than 18 points. But the defense has stepped up and Brady has engineered three comeback wins in the last seven games.
The Buccaneers had a lower seed in 2020 and had to win three road games in the playoffs on their way to a Super Bowl title in Brady’s first season in Tampa Bay. That offense was dynamic, averaging more than 30 points per game.
They’ll need to play far better than they’ve shown to have a shot at winning a playoff game.
Rodgers and the Packers were headed toward elimination a few weeks ago after a 4-8 start. But they’ve won three straight games and now can make the playoffs with two more wins plus a loss by Washington (7-7-1) or two losses by the Giants (8-6-1).
Green Bay trailed Miami 20-10 in the second quarter on Sunday before outscoring the Dolphins 16-0 the rest of the way. The defense picked Tua Tagovailoa three times in the fourth quarter to help secure the 26-20 upset on the road.
The Packers haven’t resembled the team that won 13 games in each of the three previous seasons. But they’re starting to come together down the stretch.
In 2010 when Rodgers won his only Super Bowl, the Packers made the playoffs as the sixth and final seed in the NFC. They host the Vikings (12-3) and Lions (7-8) in the final two games with a chance to sneak in.
The Rams already have been knocked out of the playoff race, but Baker Mayfield has made them interesting. He was excellent in a 51-14 win against Denver, completing 24 of 28 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Mayfield has led Los Angeles to two victories in three games since he joined the team two days before leading a comeback win over Las Vegas on Dec. 8.
The Rams, Buccaneers and Packers each won in the same week for only the second time this season and the first since Week 2.
Despite their struggles, Brady and Rodgers still have a shot. Don’t count them out until they’re eliminated.
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Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy greet … [+] each other during warmups before Sunday’s game.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Mike McCarthy threw his headset in disgust.
Aaron Rodgers jumped as high as a 38-year-old can, pumped his fist and flexed.
McCarthy’s return to Green Bay had been spoiled. The Packers’ losing streak was over.
Kicker Mason Crosby drilled a 28-yard field goal with 3:09 left in overtime Sunday, lifting the Packers to an improbable 31-28 win.
Green Bay improved to 4-6, ended its first five-game losing streak since 2008 and saved its season for the time being. Dallas, which let a 14-point second half lead slip away, fell to 6-3.
Here’s the good, bad and ugly from Green Bay’s win over the Dallas.
THE GOOD
CHRISTIAN WATSON: The Packers’ rookie second round pick has been a major disappointment most of his first season, struggling with injuries and drops.
Watson missed much of training camp after undergoing knee surgery. He’s missed three games with a hamstring injury — and was knocked out of the last two games with a concussion and a chest injury. And he entered Sunday’s game with just 10 catches.
But Watson had his coming out party Sunday, scoring the first three touchdowns of his career and giving the Packers’ passing game life for the first time in 2022.
Watson beat single coverage and hauled in a 58-yard TD pass from Aaron Rodgers with 4:54 left in the second quarter that tied the game, 7-7. Early in the fourth quarter, Watson got loose and hauled in a 39-yard TD from Rodgers that pulled the Packers within 28-21.
And Watson ran a crossing route with 2 ½ minutes left and nabbed a 9-yard TD from Rodgers that tied the game, 28-28.
Watson had a couple of early drops that proved costly. But he more than redeemed himself with three touchdowns that kept Green Bay in the game.
After being invisible for months, Watson showed why Green Bay traded up into the second round and used the 34th overall pick in April’s draft on the wideout from North Dakota State.
RUDY FORD: Ford entered the day having played just 12.48% of the defensive snaps this season. But with cornerback Eric Stokes on injured reserve, Ford moved into the starting lineup and shined.
The Packers moved slot man Rasul Douglas to cornerback, safety Darnell Savage into the slot and Ford to safety. Ford proceeded to have the biggest game of his career with a pair of interceptions that led to 14 points.
With Dallas leading, 7-0, midway through the second quarter and facing a third-and-goal from Green Bay’s 11, Ford intercepted Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott and returned it 34 yards.
The Cowboys were in scoring range at the time and about to take a two-score lead. But Ford’s huge play changed that — and momentum of the game.
Just three plays later, Aaron Rodgers hit Christian Watson for a 58-yard touchdown that tied the game, 7-7.
Then with 2:30 left in the half, Ford intercepted Prescott a second time and returned it 34 yards to the Cowboys 24. Three plays later, Aaron Jones had a 12-yard touchdown run to give Green Bay a 14-7 lead.
PAYING THEIR RESPECTS: The Packers paid their respects to Mike McCarthy before the game, putting a picture of their former head coach on the JumboTron next to the heading, ‘Welcome Back.’
McCarthy led the Packers to a Super Bowl championship in the 2010 season. And McCarthy, who coached in Green Bay from 2006-18,was the second-longest tenured coach in team history behind only Earl “Curly” Lambeau (1921-’49).
But McCarthy wasn’t the only former Packer coach or player now working in Dallas that was recognized before the game.
The others included offensive line coach Joe Philbin, coaching assistant Scott Tolzien, defensive backs coach Al Harris, assistant special teams coach Rayna Stewart, assistant head coach Rob Davis, linebackers coach Scott McCurley, defensive passing game coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., assistant offensive line coach Jeff Blasko and quality control coach Ryan Feder.
THIS AND THAT: Green Bay ran for 207 yards on 39 carries — an impressive 5.3 yards per attempt. The Packers set the tone early with 13 rushes for 65 yards in the first quarter (5.0) and pounded away throughout the day. … Isaiah McDuffie, filling in for the injured De’Vondre Campbell, had a team-high 13 tackles. … Aaron Rodgers had his best game of the season, completing 14-of-20 passes for 224 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Rodgers also finished with a 146.7 passer rating. … Allen Lazard had a 36-yard catch in overtime that set up Crosby’s game-winning kick.
THE BAD
COVER THAT MAN: Green Bay had no answers for Dallas wideout CeeDee Lamb.
Lamb finished with 11 receptions for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns. That marked the first time this season Lamb hit the 100-yard mark in a game.
Lamb had a three-yard TD reception in the second quarter that gave Dallas a 7-0 lead. Then late in the third quarter, Lamb whipped cornerback Jaire Alexander for a 35-yard TD that put the Cowboys ahead, 28-14.
Lamb is one of the more dangerous wideouts in the league. But the Cowboys aren’t particularly gifted after that, and the Packers should have made slowing Lamb their top priority.
TURNOVER WOES: Green Bay had just 13 turnovers the entire 2021 season. They already have 15 in 2022.
Midway through the second quarter Rodgers was sacked by DeMarcus Lawrence and Jayron Kearse recovered. That was the third time Rodgers fumbled this season and the Packers have lost all three.
Then in the third quarter, return man Amari Rodgers fumbled and lost a punt (more on that below).
The 2022 Packers have little room for error, and the turnovers have proven extremely costly.
THIS AND THAT: Safety Johnathan Abram, a player Green Bay signed this week, was called for holding on a second quarter kickoff. That penalty forced the Packers to start a drive at its own 10-yard line. … Dallas running back Tony Pollard had 115 rushing yards, as Green Bay’s struggles against the run continued.
THE UGLY
AMARI RODGERS: Green Bay’s second-year wide receiver has been one of the Packers’ most disappointing third round draft picks in recent memory. Rodgers has just eight career catches and lost his job as Green Bay’s kick returner earlier this year. But the Packers have continued to trot Rodgers out on punt returns, even though he entered the game averaging just 7.0 yards per return and has struggled mightily with ball security.Green Bay’s loyalty to Rodgers proved costly — again — on Sunday.
Midway through the third quarter, Rodgers fumbled a punt for the fifth time this season and Dallas’ Sean McKeon recovered at the Packers’ 45. Four plays later, Tony Pollard shot up the middle for a 13-yard touchdown run that gave Dallas a 21-14 lead.
Keisean Nixon replaced Rodgers on punt returns for the rest of the game. By then, though, the damage was done.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw three interceptions in a 15-9 loss to Detroit on … [+] Sunday.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Aaron Rodgers had played his worst game of the season. And in a year where the Green Bay Packers’ quarterback has been remarkably mediocre, that’s saying something.
With two minutes left, though, and the Packers in a 15-9 hole against host Detroit, Rodgers had the perfect opportunity to right his afternoon of wrongs.
Thanks to a tremendous stop from its defense, Green Bay took over at its own 43 with 2 minutes remaining and all three timeouts.
Throughout history, this is where the great ones shine.
Peyton Manning led 43 fourth quarter comeback wins, the most in NFL history. Tom Brady ranks second with 42.
Rodgers?
He sits down in 34th place with 19 such drives, looking up at players such as Jay Cutler (23) and Kerry Collins (21).
Captain Clutch he is not.
So it should come as no surprise that when Rodgers had a chance to come up big, he wilted. Rodgers drove the Packers to the Detroit 17-yard line, then threw four straight incompletions against the NFL’s worst defense.
The Lions escaped with a 15-9 win, snapped their five-game losing streak and improved to 2-6 overall. That marked the first time Detroit held an opponent to single digits since Dec. 9, 2018.
Rodgers finished his miserable day with three interceptions and a dreadful 53.5 passer rating as Green Bay’s losing streak hit five games. That marks the Packers’ first five-game skid since 2008, when Rodgers was a first-time starter.
Those 2008 Packers finished 6-10. These Packers fell to 3-6 and seemingly have little chance of reaching the postseason for a fourth straight year.
“I played (expletive), but I never gave up,” Rodgers said. “I feel like we never gave up. We moved the ball well in the first half, and I threw a couple picks in the end zone, took points off the board. That obviously came back to hurt us down the stretch.”
Here’s the good, bad and ugly from Detroit’s win over the Packers, beginning with the ugly.
THE UGLY
ARON RODGERS: Green Bay’s future Hall of Fame quarterback looked nothing like a player destined for a trip to Canton.
Rodgers threw three interceptions for the first time since Dec. 17, 2017. And Lions’ safety Kerby Joseph intercepted Rodgers twice, becoming just the fourth player to get multiple picks against Rodgers in a single game.
“Just too many mistakes,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “Turnovers. I thought the guys played hard. It wasn’t for a lack of effort. Obviously I think everybody’s very, very, very disappointed right now.”
Green Bay drove 88 yards on its opening drive, moving from its own 7-yard line to the Lions’ 5. On first and goal, Rodgers had Allen Lazard open on an inside slant.
But Rodgers threw a low pass off Detroit defensive lineman Derrick Barnes. The ball flew high into the air and Joseph skied to snare the interception.
“Obviously the bounces haven’t gone our way the last couple weeks,” Rodgers said.
On the Lions’ next possession, Rodgers threw an interception in the endzone on a trick play intended for left tackle David Bakhtiari. And midway through the third quarter, Joseph undercut a route for Robert Tonyan and intercepted Rodgers again.
Rodgers had gone four straight games without an interception against Detroit, and this marked the first time the Lions picked off Rodgers since Dec. 29, 2019. Rodgers now has seven interceptions this year, his most in a season since 2016.
Through it all, Rodgers yelled and screamed and showed his noticeable displeasure. In the end, though, his horrendous decision making was the No. 1 reason the Packers’ losing streak continued.
“There’s still a lot of games left,” Rodgers said. “We’ll be counted out, probably, by many, and we’ll see how we respond.”
RODGERS TO BAKHTIARI??!! REALLY??: Green Bay had perhaps its strangest — and worst — offensive call in years on the first play of the second quarter.
Green Bay faced a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, and left tackle David Bakhtiari reported eligible.
The Packers lined up with wideout Sammy Watkins on the left and Allen Lazard flanked right. Running back Aaron Jones then released into the right flat.
Instead of going in one of those directions, though, Rodgers rolled right and threw back to the left for Bakhtiari — a man with zero career receptions.
Rodgers badly underthrew the pass and rookie defensive end Aiden Hutchinson intercepted.
“There was only two options on the play, but I probably should have given him a chance,” Rodgers said. “I’ll definitely have to live with that throw for the rest of my life with our friendship.”
That was Rodgers’ second interception of the game, and marked the first time in his career he threw two interceptions in the red zone.
It seemed almost surreal that the Packers’ once high-powered offense would resort to trick plays for their left tackle at the goal line. But this is the reality of Green Bay’s offense in 2022.
“We’ve got to do something different obviously because we’re not throwing and catching to the level that is conducive to winning football,” LaFleur said.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE: The Packers’ next three games are home with Dallas (6-2) and Tennessee (5-2) and at Philadelphia (8-0).
When this stretch is over, this lost season in Green Bay could have completely derailed.
“I definitely think we can turn it around,” Green Bay running back Aaron Jones said. “We have everything we need in this locker room. I feel like all these guys are capable. We just got to really nail the details and finish when it comes down to it. And execute in situations that are in our favor.”
Packers tight end Marcedes Lewis agreed.
“It’s a playoff mentality from here,” Lewis said. “Can’t afford to keep dropping games, so just going to keep chipping away at it. It’s all you can do.”
THE BAD
INJURY CENTRAL: The Packers entered the game with just one preferred starter out — inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. But that changed dramatically during the game.
Green Bay lost wideout Romeo Doubs (ankle), left tackle David Bakhtiari (knee), cornerback Eric Stokes (ankle/knee), wideout Christian Watson (concussion), outside linebacker Rashan Gary (knee), running back Aaron Jones (ankle) and guard Jon Runyan (knee).
Bakhtiari and Runyan returned later in the contest, while the others did not.
“Yeah, it just seems like that’s been the theme of the year in a sense,” Lazard said of the injuries. “But it’s the game of football. It’s the thing we signed up for. You’ve just got to bounce back from adversity.”
SAMMY WHO?: Green Bay’s only free agent addition at the wide receiver position was veteran Sammy Watkins. On Sunday, Watkins had just one catch for nine yards, and over the past two weeks, he has just two catches for 12 yards.
Green Bay was hoping Watkins would help make up for the loss of Davante Adams. Instead, he has just nine catches through nine games.
DARNELL SAVAGE: The Packers closed within 8-6 late in the third quarter, and for the first time all day, had some momentum.
But the Lions answered with a 13-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to surge ahead, 15-6. Detroit capped the march when Goff hit rookie tight end James Mitchell for a 3-yard TD on third down.
Mitchell worked free in a zone that Savage was supposed to be manning. Instead, Savage drifted too far to his right, leaving a wide open window for Goff to hit Mitchell.
THIS AND THAT: The Packers had eight penalties for 81 yards. … The Packers lost the turnover battle, 3-1.
THE GOOD
DEFENSE: Detroit entered the game averaging 35.8 points per game at home this season. Green Bay held the Lions to 42% of that total as its defense held up its end of the bargain.Detroit managed just two scores in its nine drives. The Packers held Lions quarterback Jared Goff to 137 passing yards and a 78.5 passer rating. And Green Bay limited the Lions to 3.8 yards per rush.It should have been plenty for Green Bay to win the game. “I thought our defense battled and did a really good job,” LaFleur said. “To not take advantage of that performance is certainly disappointing.”
ALLEN LAZARD: Green Bay’s wide receiver group was decimated by injury. But Lazard did all he could to give the Packers a semblance of a passing game.Lazard caught four passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. He had a season-long 47-yard reception and averaged 21.8 yards per catch.BIG STOPS: The Lions marched down the field on their opening drive and faced a fourth-and-1 from the 7. Detroit had run the ball at will, but went to an empty backfield.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff dropped to throw and was quickly under pressure from outside linebacker Rashan Gary. Goff had wideout Tom Kennedy open in the middle of the endzone, but Gary hit the quarterback as he threw and the pass came up short.
Then in the fourth quarter, the Lions had a fourth-and-3 from the Green Bay’s 43 while clinging to a 15-9 lead. Goff tried throwing for Amon-Ra St. Brown, but the Packers’ coverage was terrific and the Lions were denied.
That gave Green Bay one last chance on offense, but that unit couldn’t do anything with the opportunity.
JAIRE ALEXANDER: Very little went right for the Packers most of the day, but Alexander’s third quarter interception gave them a brief spark.
Alexander jumped a route for St. Brown near midfield and returned the ball 29 yards to the Lions’ 23. Unfortunately for the Packers, though, Rodgers threw an interception two plays later.
THIS AND THAT: Green Bay’s Keisean Nixon had a 33-yard kickoff return. … Krys Barnes, playing for the injured De’Vondre Campbell, had eight tackles. … Rodgers ran for a team-high 40 yards. He entered the game 20 rushing yards in the first eight games. … Green Bay had more total yards (389-254), yards per play (5.6-4.5) and had the ball 9 ½ minutes more than Detroit — yet still lost.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen scrambles during the first half of the Bills’ 27-17 win over the … [+] Green Bay Packers on Sunday night.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Aaron Rodgers, now in his 18th NFL season, was just a season-year pro.
Current rookies Quay Walker and Romeo Doubs were just six years old. And head coach Matt LaFleur was a quarterbacks coach at Northern Michigan.
The year was 2006 — and it’s the last time the Green Bay Packers were 3-5. Until Sunday night.
The reeling Packers went to Buffalo — arguably the NFL’s best team — and were drilled by the mighty Bills.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen threw for a pair of touchdowns, Green Bay’s defense struggled again and the Bills posted a 27-17 win.
Buffalo improved to 6-1 and has the best record in the AFC. The Packers (3-5) lost their fourth straight game for the first time since 2016 and fell 3 ½ games behind Minnesota (6-1) in the NFC North.
Here’s the good, bad and ugly from Buffalo’s win over the Packers.
THE GOOD
RUN GAME: The Packers did everything they could to establish the run, possess the ball and keep it away from Allen. And Green Bay did that extremely well.
The Packers ran for a season-high 208 yards and averaged 6.7 yards per carry. And if the defense had played better, this offensive approach might have been good enough to spring a massive upset.
Aaron Jones ran for a season-high 143 yards on 20 carries and also caught four passes. Jones had a long run of 32 yards and averaged an impressive 7.2 yards per carry.
A.J. Dillon also ran for 54 yards on 10 carries (5.4), and both backs did much of their damage after contact.
Green Bay had 83 rushing yards in the first half, which helped it control the ball for nearly 17 minutes. The Packers then ran for 125 yards in the second half despite the fact their passing game was inept until the final minutes.
If Green Bay follows this blueprint in future weeks, perhaps it can still salvage this disappointing season.
ROMEO DOUBS: No one needed a confidence booster more than Doubs, the rookie wideout who didn’t have a catch last week on his four targets.
Doubs should have gotten just that with a 19-yard, circus catch for a touchdown midway through the second quarter that pulled the Packers within 14-7.
Doubs spun cornerback Taron Johnson around, then Doubs had to spin back himself to make the nifty catch. Doubs did a brilliant job to get down both feet, kept control of the ball and made one of the Packers’ most impressive catches of the season.
Doubs also had a 26-yard catch in the fourth quarter and finished the night with four catches for 67 yards.
THIS AND THAT: Cornerbacks Rasul Douglas and Jaire Alexander both had fourth quarter interceptions. Allen had thrown just four interceptions in the first six weeks of the season. … Rookie Samori Toure had his first career touchdown, hauling in a 37-yarder from Rodgers in the fourth quarter.
THE BAD
CHRISTIAN WATSON: Green Bay’s second round draft choice has had a frustrating year.
Watson missed much of training camp after undergoing knee surgery. He’s also missed three games with a hamstring injury — including the last two contests.
Watson returned Sunday, but lasted just eight plays.
On a third-and-15, Rodgers hit Watson on a middle screen for 12 yards. But Watson suffered a concussion on Tremaine Edmunds’ tackle and didn’t return.
“I think in any offense, you want a fast player on the field, at least at one of your receiver positions, to open things up,” Packers wide receivers coach Jason Vrable said of Watson last week. “People naturally respect his speed. He’s strong, he’s big. You guys can all see that stuff.
“Obviously, when you’re watching the tape and you’re the defense, you have to respect that speed because he’s going to run by people. He’s done a great job rehabbing and getting back and feeling great, so I’m excited to see where he’s at going into this game.”
Watson was good to go before the contest. But like too many times this season, Watson was in rough shape when the game ended.
LOSING LINEBACKERS: Green Bay rookie linebacker Quay Walker was hit with an unsportsmanlike penalty and thrown out of the game after pushing Buffalo practice squad tight end Zach Davidson tight end on the Bills’ sideline.
It was a senseless, selfish decision as it appeared Davidson was trying to keep Walker from falling.
Just minutes later, Packers inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell exited with a right knee injury leaving Green Bay remarkably thin at the position.
Without Walker and Campbell, the Packers played Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson at inside linebacker in the second half.
FOURTH DOWN FAILURE: Trailing, 27-10, early in the fourth quarter, the Packers drove to Buffalo’s 26 and faced a fourth-and-1.
Green Bay had run the ball at will all night, and sent Jones up the middle. Buffalo defensive end Von Miller blew up the right side of the Packers’ offensive line, though, which cleared the way for cornerback Taron Johnson to race in untouched and dump Jones for a 1-yard loss.
UNDER PRESSURE: Buffalo had terrific pressure all night, particularly up the middle.
Tackles Ed Oliver and Tim Settle had enormous impacts all night. And while Rodgers was only sacked twice, he was under duress on many of his dropbacks.
Green Bay played without left guard Elgton Jenkins (foot), who was a late scratch. And rookie Zach Tom, who replaced Jenkins, was overpowered at times.
THIS AND THAT: … Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw his fourth interception of 2022. Rodgers had just four interceptions in all of 2021 and 2019, and only two INTs in 2018. … Sammy Watkins, who spent the first three seasons of his career in Buffalo, had a disappointing homecoming. Watkins caught just one pass for three yards. … Keisan Nixon had a 49-yard kickoff return to start the second half that was erased by a holding call on Innis Gaines. … Green Bay fell to 0-7 all-time at Buffalo.
THE UGLY
DEFENSE: Green Bay’s defense has seven first round draft picks, including six starters. In a season where the offense is transitioning, the Packers planned to lean on their defense in 2022.
Well, that plan hasn’t worked out.
Green Bay desperately needed its defense to shine early if it hoped to hang around with the mighty Bills. Instead, the opposite happened.
Buffalo had three straight touchdown drives in the first half on its way to taking a 24-7 halftime lead.
Allen hit tight end Dawson Knox for a 1-yard TD, found Stefon Diggs for a 26-yard score, and Isaiah McKenzie had a 7-yard touchdown run.
Buffalo finished the half with 234 total yards and averaged 9.0 yards per play. The Bills also ran for 107 first half yards and averaged 8.2 yards per carry.
Green Bay’s defense was better in the second half. By then, though, it was too little, too late.
“How good are we going to be on defense?” Packers outside linebacker Preston Smith said last week. “We want to be great and this is going to be a game to prove how good we can be and how great of a defense we can be and show our potential and what we’re made of. We’re up to the challenge.”
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The most precarious lead in the NFL these days might be a double-digit one over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Mahomes engineered his 12th comeback from a deficit of at least 10 points in the past four seasons on Sunday when the Chiefs rallied for a 44-23 victory over the San Francisco 49ers after falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter.
The Chiefs have won 12 of 17 games since the start of 2019 with Mahomes at quarterback after falling behind by at least 10 points, including all three games in the 2019 postseason.
Kansas City is just as likely to win by double-digits after facing the early deficit like they did against the Niners as the Chiefs are to lose the game.
It’s a far cry from the rest of the NFL. While the Chiefs have a .706 winning percentage in these scenarios, the rest of the league has a mark of just .154. No other QB who has faced at least three double-digit deficits has won even half, with Drew Brees’ 6-7 mark the second best.
In fact, the only other QB besides Mahomes to win more than 70% of his starts since 2019 is Aaron Rodgers, who has a .733 winning percentage in all starts.
Mahomes reached a few more milestones on Sunday when he won for the 55th time, tying Hall of Famer Ken Stabler for the most in a QB’s first 70 starts in the Super Bowl era. Otto Graham is the only quarterback in NFL history with more with 56.
Mahomes also had his eighth career game with at least 400 yards passing and at least three TDs. Only Brees (12), Peyton Manning (11), Dan Marino (11) and Tom Brady (8) have more. Those QBs have all started at least 242 games, while Mahomes has only 70.
STRUGGLING STARS
Two of the most accomplished quarterbacks in NFL history are off to rough starts with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers both at 3-4 after back-to-back losses.
This marked the second time that Brady and Rodgers both lost in consecutive weeks with the only other coming in the final two weeks of the 2015 season.
Rodgers has a losing record through seven games for the first time as a starter and Brady’s only previous losing record at this juncture came in 2002 — the only healthy season that he failed to make the playoffs.
Their 19 combined TD passes are their fewest at this point in a season when both started, the 19.4 points per game average for their teams are more than six points lower than the previous low of 26 points per game through seven games in 2013, and their 93.7 passer rating is the lowest at this point since 2013 when it was 90.6.
COMEBACK KIDS
The surprising New York Giants had their fifth second-half comeback of the season so far, rallying for a 23-17 win over Jacksonville to improve to 6-1.
The Giants joined the 2015 Falcons and 2007 Titans as the only teams to win at least five of their first seven games after trailing in the second half.
New York also became the first team since the 2016 Lions to win at least four of their first seven games when trailing in the fourth quarter.
The four wins so far this season for the Giants when trailing in the fourth quarter are more than they had in the previous five seasons combined when they went 3-58 in games they trailed in the fourth quarter.
The Giants’ success has helped the NFC East post a 20-7 (.741) combined record for the best for any division through seven weeks since the merger. The previous best winning percentage was .714 for the 1984 AFC West.
ROOKIE WATCH
Pittsburgh rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett is off to a rough start to his career.
Pickett has thrown seven interceptions and only two touchdown passes in his first four career games. The only other QB since 1990 with at least seven interceptions and two or fewer TD passes in his first four games was Ryan Leaf, who had eight interceptions and one TD pass in his first four games in 1998.
FAMILY AFFAIR
The trade that sent Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers linked the McCaffrey and Shanahan families once again.
When McCaffrey took the field Sunday for coach Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers it marked the fourth instance of a father-son duo coaching a father-son duo in NFL history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Christian’s older brother, Max, already played for Kyle Shanahan in 2018 after their father, Ed, played for Mike Shanahan from 1995-03 in Denver
The other times it happened came with coaches Bum and Wade Phillips. Rob Carpenter played for Bum Phillips and Bobby Carpenter playing for Wade Phillips, while Ted Washington Sr. played for Bum Phillips and Ted Washington Jr. played for Wade Phillips.
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Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t like most of what he saw Sunday.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
One week ago, after the Green Bay Packers suffered a humbling home loss the New York Jets, quarterback Aaron Rodgers tried calming folks down.
“The biggest thing is to guard against the freak out, to guard against the feeding into the wobbliness and to let that creep into your mind,” Rodgers said.
Well, let the freak out begin.
For the first time in the Matt LaFleur-era — and the first time since 2019 — the Packers have lost three games in a row.
Host Washington scored 20 consecutive points, held off a late Green Bay rally and toppled the Packers, 23-21. Green Bay is under .500 after seven games for the first time since Mike McCarthy’s rookie season in 2006.
“Our guys are extremely disappointed,” LaFleur said afterwards. “I don’t think anybody thought we’d be in this spot that we’re in right now. We’re going to find out what we’re made of.”
Green Bay tight end Marcedes Lewis agreed.
“Whether it’s expectations or just standards, our standard is much better than what we’ve put out there thus far,” Lewis said. “Only way we’re going to be able to get out of it is to work. It’s no secret.”
Things only get tougher for the Packers, too, as they head to Buffalo (5-1) next week.
“I’m not worried about this squad,” Rodgers said afterwards. “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.”
We shall see.
Here’s the good, bad and ugly from the Commanders’ win over the Packers.
THE GOOD
AARON JONES: When the Packers lean on their most dynamic offensive player, good things happen.
On Sunday, Jones only had eight carries. But he was featured in the pass game and shined.
Jones had a team-high nine receptions and a pair of touchdown catches. Jones had a 4-yard TD catch midway through the first quarter to give Green Bay a 7-0 lead. Then he caught a 21-yard touchdown with 3:26 left that pulled the Packers within 23-21.
Jones, who is now tied for the team lead with 26 catches, remains optimistic.
“Just gotta get consistent execution,” he said. “We show it here. We show it there. We just don’t put it all together. It may be one mental error on a play and then the next play another person has another error. All 11 have to be locked in together. We continue to work and we’ll get it done.”
DE’VONDRE CAMPBELL: Green Bay’s inside linebacker, who was arguably the Packers’ best defensive player in 2021, had been relatively quiet the first six weeks.
But Campbell was remarkably loud early in the second quarter when he intercepted Washington’s Taylor Heinicke and returned the pick 63 yards for a touchdown. It was just the second interception of the year for Green Bay.
Campbell did a terrific job outmuscling running back J.D. McKissic for a ball in the right flat. Campbell then had nothing but green grass in front of him, and beat all of the Commanders to the pylon to give Green Bay a 14-3 lead.
ALLEN LAZARD: The Packers did very little well in the passing game. But Lazard did what he could to give Green Bay a lift.
Lazard caught six passes for 55 yards. And for 3 ½ quarters Lazard was the only Green Bay receiver with a catch.
The fact the Packers had little to nothing in the passing game besides Lazard re-emphasized how badly Green Bay needs to add a wide receiver before the trade deadline on Nov. 1.
THIS AND THAT: Rookie outside linebacker Kingsley Enagbare had a sack for the second consecutive week. Enagbare also had three tackles and two quarterback hits. … Rookie inside linebacker Quay Walker had his most impactful game of the season with 13 tackles and two quarterback hits
THE BAD
DAVID BAKHTIARI: The mystery of Bakhtiari’s surgically repaired left knee continues.
And Sunday marked the 20th time the Packers were without their former Pro Bowl left tackle since the start of the 2021 season.
Bakhtiari, who’s had three knee surgeries since tearing his ACL on Dec. 30, 2020, was inactive against the Commanders with a knee injury.
Bakhtiari played just 27 snaps in 2021, with those coming in the regular season finale against Detroit. When the Packers faced San Francisco in the NFC divisional playoffs two weeks later, Bakhtiari still wasn’t ready to go.
Bakhtiari was inactive the first two games of this season, then split time at left tackle with Yosh Nijman in Week 3. That day, Bakhtiari played 56% of Green Bay’s offensive snaps.
Bakhtiari’s snap count rose to 96% in a Week 4 win over New England, dipped to 40% in Week 5 when the Packers traveled to London, and jumped back to 95% in a Week 6 loss to the New York Jets.
“Dave’s done a great job,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Friday. “Certainly, you could feel his presence out there in terms of not only the play — I think his play has gotten better and better each and every week, as well.
“But it’s nice, it’s comforting, I think, for Aaron (Rodgers), for the rest of the guys in the huddle. Dave’s played a lot of ball. Hopefully, we can keep building him up and building him up, where you don’t worry about it.”
Bakhtiari was limited in practice all week. Then on Saturday, his status on the injury report was changed to questionable with his knee injury.
Green Bay allowed four sacks and nine quarterback hits in a loss to the New York Jets last week. The Packers were planning for an offensive line makeover this week, and even without Bakhtiari they stuck with that plan.
Rookie fourth round draft pick Zach Tom replaced Bakhtiari at left tackle. Nijman moved to right tackle, Elgton Jenkins sild inside to left guard and Jon Runyan moved from left guard to right guard.
That meant center Josh Myers was the only offensive lineman starting at the same spot he did last week.
Green Bay’s revamped line played relatively well and Rodgers wasn’t sacked. But losing Bakhtiari — again — was a blow.
“Yeah, it’s disappointing,” Rodgers said of Bakhtiari not playing. “When Dave couldn’t go, we adjusted to it and kind of changed a lot of things around to try to give Zach some help. But we’re a better football team when 69’s out there.
RUN DEFENSE: The Packers entered the game ranked 27th in rushing defense, allowing 135.2 yards per game. Green Bay also ranked 25th in yards allowed per carry (4.9).
Things only got worse Sunday.
Washington ran for 167 yards on 38 carries, an average of 4.4 yards per attempt.
FOUR-MINUTE DEFENSE: The Packers closed within 23-21 with 3:26 left and implored its defense to make a stop. Instead, they wilted.
Washington picked up a pair of first downs, and when the Packers got the ball back, they had just 23 seconds to work with.
Green Bay’s much ballyhooed defense hasn’t lived up to the hype, and allowed 364 total yards Sunday against a pedestrian Washington offense. And when the Packers’ defense needed to make a stand, they couldn’t.
THIS AND THAT: Green Bay had a season-low 38 rushing yards. … Packers right tackle Yosh Nijman had two holding penalties. … Green Bay cornerback Jaire Alexander was beat by Washington’s Terry McLaurin for a 37-yard touchdown in the third quarter. “Heinicke made a really good throw and he made a really good catch, so ain’t much I can do about that,” Alexander said. … Green Bay ranked eighth in the league through Week 6 with just 31 penalties. But the Packers had nine penalties for 69 yards against Washington. … Wideout Romeo Doubs was targeted four times, but didn’t have a catch.
THE UGLY
PASSING OFFENSE: Green Bay’s passing offense has been remarkably mediocre through six games, ranking 16th in the league with 225.8 passing yards per game.
On Sunday, the passing offense was downright dreadful.
Rodgers had just 46 passing yards in the first half and averaged only 3.3 yards per attempt. Rodgers had just 82 passing yards through three quarters before beefing up his numbers late and finishing with 194 passing yards.
LaFleur was asked what he can do to get Rodgers playing at the level he did in 2020 and 2021 when he won league MVP honors.
“I think it takes everybody,” LaFleur said. “It takes everybody around him. You’ve got to have the protection in front of you to be able to hold up. You’ve got to have the guys making plays too. I feel like we had a ton of drops. We had a lot of penalties that put us back behind the sticks. Those are tough situations to climb out of.”
Green Bay has no vertical threat right now. Teams are sitting on the short and underneath routes. And Washington didn’t feel the need to blitz, instead choosing to rush with four and let the Packers “dink and dunk down the field” as LaFleur put it.
Rodgers was asked how he interpreted the fact the Commanders didn’t blitz.
“I think you know what it tells you. They didn’t need to,” Rodgers said. “That’s what they thought. They thought their rush could get home and they could cover it up on the back end.”
And for the most part, that’s exactly what they did.
Unless the Packers get healthy or make a move before the trade deadline, things may not change for Rodgers and his band of subpar pass catchers.
AMARI RODGERS: The Packers’ 2021 third round draft pick fumbled a punt for the second time in three weeks and continues to be a liability.
Rodgers, who lost his job as Green Bay’s kick returner in Week 5, fumbled a punt late in the first quarter and the Commanders recovered at the Packers’ 17. That set up a short Washington field goal that took away Green Bay’s early momentum.
Rodgers is buried on the wide receiver depth chart and has killed the Packers as a returner. If Rodgers wasn’t a third round draft pick, he’d probably already have been released.
Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari won’t play against Washington Sunday due to ongoing … [+] issues with his left knee.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The mystery of David Bakhtiari’s surgically repaired left knee continues.
And today will mark the 20th Sunday the Green Bay Packers will be without their former Pro Bowl left tackle since the start of the 2021 season.
Bakhtiari, who’s had three knee surgeries since tearing his ACL on Dec. 30, 2020, was declared inactive for Green Bay’s game today at Washington.
Bakhtiari played just 27 snaps in 2021, with those coming in the regular season finale against Detroit. When the Packers faced San Francisco in the NFC divisional playoffs two weeks later, Bakhtiari still wasn’t ready to go.
Bakhtiari was inactive the first two games of this season, then split time at left tackle with Yosh Nijman in Week 3. That day, Bakhtiari played 56% of Green Bay’s offensive snaps.
Bakhtiari’s snap count rose to 96% in a Week 4 win over New England, dipped to 40% in Week 5 when the Packers traveled to London, and jumped back to 95% in a Week 6 loss to the New York Jets.
“Dave’s done a great job,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Friday. “Certainly, you could feel his presence out there in terms of not only the play — I think his play has gotten better and better each and every week, as well.
“But it’s nice, it’s comforting, I think, for Aaron (Rodgers), for the rest of the guys in the huddle. Dave’s played a lot of ball. Hopefully, we can keep building him up and building him up, where you don’t worry about it.”
Bakhtiari was limited in practice all week. Then on Saturday, his status on the injury report was changed to questionable with his knee injury.
Green Bay allowed four sacks and nine quarterback hits in a loss to the Jets last week. The Packers were planning for an offensive line makeover this week, and even without Bakhtiari, appear ready to stick with that plan.
Rookie fourth round draft pick Zach Tom appears likely to replace Bakhtiari at left tackle. Nijman will move to right tackle, Elgton Jenkins will slide inside to left guard and Jon Runyan will move from left guard to right guard.
That means center Josh Myers is the only offensive lineman starting at the same spot he did last week. Making Green Bay’s challenge even tougher is Washington ranks fourth in the NFL in sacks.
“They just wreck havoc on an offensive line and the teams they’ve played and certainly a really talented group,” LaFleur said about the Commanders’ defensive line. “I think they’re well coached, they give great effort. So it’s going to be a great test for us.”
At this point, Rodgers said the Packers need to try something. And it’s not just because of Sunday’s 27-10 loss to the New York Jets during which they were repeatedly booed at Lambeau Field.
It has been six weeks’ worth of offensive struggles. The Packers have scored 107 points (or 17.8 per game) so far this season. That’s their fewest in any six-game span with Rodgers as their starting quarterback, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Sunday’s loss, which left the Packers at 3-3, marked the first time in coach Matt LaFleur’s four seasons that the Packers have lost consecutive regular-season games.
“I’m not attacking anything,” Rodgers said. “I just think that based on how we’ve played the last two weeks, I think it’s going to be in our best interests to simplify things for everybody — for the line, for the backs, for the receivers, especially with [Randall Cobb’s] injury. Just simplify some things, and maybe that’ll help us get back on track.”
Cobb, last week’s leading receiver, left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury and was emotional after he was carted off the field. Rodgers said that was because Cobb thought it was a season-ending broken ankle, but it turned to be less severe. Still, Cobb will likely miss the game next Sunday at Washington and perhaps more. The Packers also played Sunday without Sammy Watkins and Christian Watson — both out with hamstring injuries.
The Jets hit Rodgers nine times, including four sacks. The Packers dropped six passes, their most in a game since 2017. Rodgers was off the mark on what had been routine throws. And other than a couple of throws to Allen Lazard (who had Green Bay’s only touchdown on a 25-yard catch and added a 35-yarder), Rodgers couldn’t get anything going down the field.
“I don’t think there’s many things we’re leaning on very well right now,” LaFleur said.
When asked to evaluate his own performance, Rodgers said he needs to raise his game “probably a little tick.” He also called the offense inconsistent.
“That’s why we need to simplify things because on the couple drives that we did move the ball, it was very simple things,” Rodgers said. “Very simple plays, no motion, so we need to look at everything and the guys that we’ve got and what we can accomplish with them and let’s be smart about moving forward.
“Nobody works harder than Matt on the plan each week, and nobody comes with better ideas than him and his staff. But if it’s not working, it’s not because those guys aren’t grinding. It’s because we’re not executing. If you think we have the right players, then we need to simplify things. If you don’t, then that’s a whole other conversation.”
When it comes to personnel, life after Davante Adams has not been easy. In six games, the Packers have had six different leading receivers. On Sunday, it was tight end Robert Tonyan with 10 catches for 90 yards.
Rodgers stopped short of making a plea for general manager Brian Gutekunst to make a move, but if he does, it will have to come soon. The NFL’s trade deadline is Nov. 1.
“I trust him and his staff; if they feel like they need to add that they will,” Rodgers said. “I think there’s enough on this team to be a successful team. There’s the possibility, if certain guys emerge, of us having a chance to make a run. I know Brian believes the same thing. But if there’s an opportunity, I would expect that Brian will be in the mix.”
“It’s going to be interesting to see how we all respond to this tomorrow and this week,” Rodgers said. “I feel like we had a great week of practice, so this performance today was surprising. We’ve got to watch our language and the kind of energy that we’re manifesting, but I’m going to be steady with the guys and I expect our leadership to do the same.”
Meanwhile, it’s up to LaFleur to figure out why the Packers can’t put together a full game on offense.
“That’s a fair question,” LaFleur said. “I don’t know. I mean, obviously if I knew we wouldn’t be in this spot, right? We’re in a pretty bad predicament right now.
“We’re going to have to take a good hard look at everything and really do some great evaluations from a coaching perspective in terms of what’s working, what’s not working and try to find a different avenue because today was not good enough.”
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers could use another weapon or two at wide receiver.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
On Nov. 19, 1996, the Green Bay Packers went to Dallas, couldn’t find the endzone and dropped a 21-6 decision to the defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys.
Green Bay’s preferred starters at wide receiver — Robert Brooks and Antonio Freeman — were both injured at the time. So the following day, general manager Ron Wolf signed former Pro Bowler Andre Rison off the street.
Two months later, those Packers won the 31st Super Bowl with Freeman and Rison as their starting receivers.
Today, the Packers are in a similar pinch.
Green Bay played without Sammy Watkins (hamstring) and Christian Watson (hamstring) in its 27-10 loss to the New York Jets Sunday. Then during the game, the Packers lost Randall Cobb to an ankle injury that could be serious.
“Certainly it hurts our offense when he’s not out there,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of Cobb. “I hope he’s all right, but I don’t know.”
Green Bay’s wide receiver room was already mediocre, at best, when the season began after it traded away Davante Adams. Now, the Packers are razor thin.
That means it’s time for general manager Brian Gutekunst to trade for a receiver as soon as possible.
The NFL’s trading deadline is Nov. 1, but Gutekunst should get busy as soon as possible.
The Packers have lost two straight games, are 3-3 and need as much time as possible to get their struggling offense fixed. The longer a new wideout would have to develop chemistry with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the better.
Here are three wideouts who could make sense for Green Bay — both on the field and financially.
Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh
The Steelers are in a mini-rebuild in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. And Claypool could be had for the right price.
Claypool had 121 receptions, 1,733 yards and 11 touchdowns his first two years in the league. But his numbers have dropped significantly (23-225-1) with Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky under center this year.
Pittsburgh extended the contract of wideout Diontae Johnson last summer, then took receivers George Pickens in the second round and Calvin Austin III in the fourth this spring.
Claypoool, who’s in year three of his four-year rookie deal, has a base salary of just $1.1 million this year. So Green Bay — which is $8.03 million under the cap according to Spotrac — would have plenty of room to add Claypool.
Jakobi Meyers, New England
The Patriots have won two straight games, improved to 3-3 and have a soft schedule coming. But if Bill Belichick decides to be a seller at the deadline, Meyers would have value.
Meyers leads New England in catches (24) and yards (321) despite playing in just four games.
Meyers signed a one-year, $3.986 million deal with New England this season, but will become a free agent after the year ends. So if the Patriots don’t see him in their long-term plans, they could move him now and get back draft capital.
Robbie Anderson, Carolina
The Panthers will be in full rebuild mode this offseason, following the recent firing of coach Matt Rhule. And Anderson is on the outs with the organization after being sent to the locker room Sunday following an argument with his position coach.
Anderson is a talented player who had 95 catches for nearly 1,100 yards just two seasons ago.
Anderson’s base salary is just $1.03 million, which makes him attractive to teams.
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers were routed by the New York Jets Sunday, 27-10.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Matt LaFleur had been a perfect 10-0 coming off a regular season loss.
That streak is over.
The Packers were 24-2 at Lambeau Field under LaFleur.
They’re now 24-3.
LaFleur’s Green Bay Packers are a mess. And Sunday was further proof.
The Packers dropped their second straight game, falling to the New York Jets, 27-10, at Lambeau Field. Green Bay is now 3-3 and trails first place Minnesota (5-1) by two games in the NFC North.
Here’s the good, bad and ugly from the Jets’ win over the Packers, beginning with the ugly.
THE UGLY
OFFENSE: Six games into the season, Green Bay has scored just 107 points — a paltry 17.8 points per contest. And over the last six quarters, the Packers have just 10 offensive points.
Things were as ugly as ugly gets on Sunday.
Green Bay averaged just 4.0 yards a play. The Packers had only 278 total yards.
Green Bay managed only 60 rushing yards. And Aaron Rodgers was sacked four times and had a remarkably uneven game, averaging just 6.0 yards per attempt and finishing with an 88.1 rating.
“I expect that typical stretch coming up at some point where we get really hot,” Rodgers said last week. “Hopefully it starts this week. But I think that’s right around the corner.”
Not quite.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Green Bay’s special teams, which has been largely abysmal since 2005, had shown signs of progress this season under new coordinator Rich Bisaccia. That changed Sunday.
The Jets Michael Clemens blocked a Pat O’Donnell punt in the third quarter, Will Parks recovered and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown that gave New York a 17-3 lead.
In the second quarter, the Jets Quinnen Williams blocked Mason Crosby’s 47-yard field goal.
New York’s Braxton Berrios also averaged 29.0 yards per kick return and 11.3 on punt returns.
Green Bay’s Eric Wilson did block a Braden Mann punt. Overall, though, Bisaccia’s units were whipped by the Jets’ special teams.
“I’d like to think that if we can find a certain consistent balance into what we’re trying to do, then I think you have a chance to improve and get better every day in the fundamentals and technique we’re asking you to do,” Bisaccia said last week. “I think our job is to put them in position just to do what they really do well, and then individually can be successful which means collectively we all have a chance to be successful.”
The Packers were anything but successful Sunday.
DEFENSE: Green Bay believed it had one of the NFL’s elite defenses when the season began.
That hasn’t been the case — and the Packers’ defense was completely overwhelmed in the second half Sunday.
Green Bay needed its defense to step up in what was a 3-3 game at halftime. Instead, the Jets dominated after intermission, scored 17 points on their final three offensive possessions and pulled away.
First, Braxton Berrios had a 20-yard touchdown run on a reverse. Then, Breece Hall ripped off a 34-yard touchdown run. And lastly, the Jets marched 57 yards and kicked a field goal that stretched their lead to 27-10 and ended things.
The Jets ran the ball for 179 yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry. And the hot seat under defensive coordinator Joe Barry is now scorching.
“We already know it’s going to come,” Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas said this week. “We just can’t press it. I think everybody knows how good we can be and everybody sees the names, so it’s like, ‘We expect so much of these guys.’ Right now, it’s not happening but it’s still early. It’s still early.”
Perhaps. But Green Bay continues to look for answers it can’t find.
THE BAD
OFFENSIVE LINE: Green Bay’s group was atrocious throughout the day and was consistently whipped by the Jets’ defensive front.
Rodgers was sacked four times and was hit nine more times. Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams dominated inside with two sacks and three quarterback hits.
Struggling right guard Royce Newman was benched in the second quarter and replaced with Jake Hanson. Hanson quickly suffered a biceps injury, though, and Newman re-entered the game.
Right tackle Elgton Jenkins was flagged three times during a rocky performance. And the entire line was overwhelmed throughout.
THE AARON JONES MYSTERY: Jones, Green Bay’s most dynamic offensive playmaker, had just three carries in the first half and only one reception.
He finished with nine carries for 19 yards and three catches for 25 yards.
Jones entered the day averaging a whopping 6.4 yards per game, but now has just 70 carries this season (11.7 per game).
“It’s hard to sit up here and justify that to everybody, to our team,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said last week of Jones’ limited workload.
Jones entered the year as one of only three players in NFL history to post 4,000-plus rushing yards (4,163) and 40-plus rushing TDs (41) with an average of 5.0-plus yards per carry (5.06) in their first five seasons. The other two? Oh, just Hall of Famers Jim Brown (1957-61) and Jim Taylor (1958-62).
Among running backs with at least 750 career carries, Jones ranks fifth all-time in yards per carry at 5.16. This year, Jones is averaging a ridiculous 6.39 yards per attempt.
And from 2019-21, only two running backs have posted 1,000-plus yards from scrimmage and 10-plus scrimmage touchdowns each year: Jones and Tennessee’s Derrick Henry.
But Jones continues to be the most under-utilized player in the league. That didn’t change on Sunday, and it’s one of the biggest mysteries in Green Bay right now.
RANDALL COBB: Green Bay’s veteran wide receiver suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter, then left on a cart. While exiting Lambeau Field, Cobb teared up and put a towel over his head.
What that means for his future remains to be seen.
Cobb entered the day tied for second on the team with 17 catches and tied for second in targets (25).
In Green Bay’s loss to the New York Giants last week, Cobb caught seven passes for 99 yards.
“I feel great,” Cobb said last week. “I’ve been telling you all that for the past couple of weeks. I feel great.”
Unfortunately for Cobb and the Packers, he wasn’t feeling so good on Sunday.
THE GOOD
ROBERT TONYAN: Green Bay’s tight end has been quiet through five games with just 17 catches for 129 yards (7.6 average) and one touchdown. But Tonyan had his best game of 2022 against the Jets.
Tonyan had six catches for 61 yards in the first half and finished with a team-high 10 catches for 90 yards.
Less than a year after suffering a torn ACL, Tonyan is starting to resemble his old self.
THIS AND THAT: Green Bay’s Eric Wilson blocked a punt in the second quarter. … Green Bay rookie fifth round draft pick Kingsley Enagbare notched his first career sack. Enagbare, an outside linebacker, dumped Wilson for a 4-yard loss in the second quarter. … Rashan Gary had a sack and has now posted sacks in five of six games this year.
Week 6 of the NFL season is upon us. The Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears got things started with a mundane, er — low-scoring affair on Thursday. Sunday promises to spice things up.
Before Sunday’s competitors take their talents to the gridiron, they’re showing out with their pregame fits.
From Joe Burrow‘s nod to his favorite target, Ja’Marr Chase, and their LSU college glory — as they return to the Superdome for the first time since their national championship triumph — to Aaron Rodgers‘ neutral chic ensemble, here’s a look at some of the most fashionable Week 6 arrival choices:
Von Miller this week: “Derrick Thomas was my favorite player to ever play the game. I molded my game after him. He was the reason why I wore 58 in Denver. So every time I’m on that field and I’m warming up, I’ll look for that 58 that’s on the ring of honor …” (1/2) https://t.co/PZ3iRWzQfb
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers may have to tape his right thumb for the Sunday game against the New York Jets. But even if he does, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur doesn’t think it will prevent his quarterback from making any throws.
Rodgers, who injured the thumb on his throwing hand on the final play of the loss this past Sunday to the New York Giants, practiced with it wrapped in tape Thursday and Friday. He was listed as a full participant in both sessions and was removed from the injury report Friday. He did not practice at all Wednesday, when he said he received treatment from the medical staff.
“He threw the ball really well yesterday,” LaFleur said Friday, “so he’s confident.”
When asked if Rodgers will have play with his thumb taped, LaFleur said, “No idea.”
Rodgers won’t have rookie receiver Christian Watson. He was ruled out after aggravating a hamstring injury against the Giants. LaFleur said the Packers are considering shutting him down for a while because of the recurring nature of the injury. That could mean a stint on injured reserve.
The Packers’ best pass-rusher, Rashan Gary, was listed as questionable after he sustained a toe injury in practice this week. Gary practiced in a limited capacity Friday.
“Definitely a little concerned about that,” LaFleur said of Gary.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The hit that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers took on the final play of Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants in London kept him out of practice on Wednesday but should not affect his status for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.
Giants linebacker Oshane Ximines sacked Rodgers on a Hail Mary attempt. He hit Rodgers’ throwing arm and forced a fumble. Rodgers could be seen flexing his right hand as he walked off the field.
“In the moment, you’ve still kind of got the adrenaline going,” Rodgers said Wednesday of the hit. “Once the adrenaline wore off and got on the bus, got back to the airport, got on the plane, I knew it was banged up a little bit but it’s gotten better every day.”
“He’s not going to practice today,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said before Wednesday’s practice. “But I don’t think we have much concern as far as game day.”
Rodgers said he spent most of the practice time doing rehab work on his thumb.
“I’ll try and get back out there and practice tomorrow and see how it feels and be fine by Sunday I’m sure,” Rodgers said.
Jordan Love handled the starting quarterback snaps in practice.
Rodgers is 3-0 in his career against the Jets but is off to a slow start. His QBR of 44.6 is the lowest through the first five games of a season that it has been in his career.
“Well, I think I’m playing as well as I can at times. I expect that typical stretch coming up at some point where we get really hot. Hopefully it starts this week. But I think that’s right around the corner,” Rodgers said, when asked whether he has played up to his standards.
The Packers are looking to avoid their first 3-3 start since 2012 in a game that pits LaFleur against his brother, Mike (the Jets’ offensive coordinator), and one his best friends in Jets coach Robert Saleh.
Carson Wentz takes enough hits on and off the field that short rest is just another obstacle.
Fresh off his coach running him over figuratively, Wentz leads the Washington Commanders (1-4) against the Chicago Bears (2-3) on Thursday night with each team trying to snap a losing streak.
Commanders coach Ron Rivera caused quite a stir this week when he blamed the team’s four-game skid and last-place standing in the NFC East on his quarterback. Rivera later explained his response was misconstrued but the damage was done.
For Wentz, it’s just another shot. He’s been taking plenty of them since his days in Philadelphia when nothing seemed to go right after he helped the Eagles start 13-3 in 2017, tore two knee ligaments and watched backup Nick Foles become a Super Bowl MVP.
“I learned very early on you gotta just find a way to get out there Thursday,” Wentz said. “Your recovery is definitely expedited. … It’s very tough, very challenging, but it’s also prime time and guys get fired up to go play and hopefully put on a put on a good performance.”
The Bears have lost two in a row after a 2-1 start. Second-year quarterback Justin Fields is the league’s third-lowest rated passer and has only 17.6 attempts per game.
Chicago is a 1-point favorite, according to FanDuel. In a week with seven road favorites, Pro Picks likes the slight underdog Commanders to rally around Wentz.
UPSET SPECIAL: COMMANDERS 23-19
New York Jets (plus 7) at Green Bay
The Jets (3-2) are improved but Aaron Rodgers and the Packers (3-2) can’t lose to New York teams two straight weeks.
BEST BET: PACKERS 30-17
Tampa Bay (minus 8 1/2) at Pittsburgh
The Steelers (1-4) were embarrassed in Kenny Pickett’s first career start. The Buccaneers (3-2) still haven’t played up to their lofty standard after barely holding on to beat the Falcons.
BUCCANEERS 24-17
Jacksonville (plus 2 1/2) at Indianapolis
Matt Ryan and the Colts (2-2-1) seek to get even for a 24-0 shutout in Week 2. The Jaguars (2-3) have stumbled lately.
COLTS 23-16
Cincinnati (minus 1 1/2) at New Orleans
The defending AFC champion Bengals (2-3) try to even their record after another late loss. The Saints (2-3) look to do the same. Joe Burrow is the difference-maker in this one.
BENGALS 24-20
New England (plus 3) at Cleveland
The Browns (2-3) gave up 238 yards rushing to the NFL’s worst rushing team. Facing that kind of run defense, the Patriots (2-3) don’t need Mac Jones.
BROWNS 23-21
Minnesota (minus 3) at Miami
The Vikings (4-1) facing the Dolphins (3-2) and third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson seems like a mismatch.
VIKINGS 23-17
Baltimore (minus 5) at New York Giants
After knocking off the Packers in London, the Giants (4-1) get no respect from oddsmakers. The Ravens (3-2) should be undefeated if they could hold big leads.
RAVENS 33-20
San Francisco (minus 5 1/2) at Atlanta
Jimmy Garoppolo is the DJ Khaled of the NFL. All he does is win.
49ERS 24-20
Carolina (plus 10 1/2) at Los Angeles Rams
Welcome back to head coaching duties, Steve Wilks.
RAMS 34-6
Arizona (minus 2 1/2) at Seattle
Kyler Murray and the Cardinals (2-3) are far better on the road than at home under coach Kliff Kingsbury.
CARDINALS 28-17
Buffalo (minus 2 1/2) at Kansas City
A potential preview of the AFC title game that could determine who hosts the game in January. Bills (4-1) look to get even for their playoff loss in Kansas City last season. The Chiefs (4-1) have a short week after a Monday night win.
BILLS 30-27
Dallas (plus 5) at Philadelphia
The Eagles (5-0) face their toughest test as they aim to remain the only unbeaten team in the NFL.
EAGLES 23-20
Denver (plus 5 1/2) at Los Angeles Chargers
Russell Wilson hasn’t given the Broncos (2-3) and their fans what they expected. Justin Herbert and the Chargers (3-2) are back on track.
CHARGERS 24-20
2022 RECORD
Last Week: Straight up: 11-5. Against spread: 6-9-1.
Season: Straight up: 49-31. Against spread: 40-39-1.
Best Bet: Straight up: 1-0. Against spread: 1-0.
Season: Straight up: 4-1. Against spread: 4-1.
Upset Special: Straight up: 0-1. Against spread: 1-0.
Season: Straight up: 2-3. Against spread: 3-2
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Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi
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More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL
LONDON — Quarterback Aaron Rodgers may still be breaking in some young receivers, but he knows where to go to find the end zone. For the third time in the past four games, Rodgers threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Allen Lazard. This one on a 4-yard screen to give the Packers a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Lazard caught it from the slot right and with rookie receiver Romeo Doubs blocking on the outside.
It was Rodgers’ seventh touchdown pass of the season. Lazard has three of them despite missing the season opener with an ankle injury.
A 33-yard pass interference penalty on Giants safety Xavier McKinney against tight end Robert Tonyan got the Packers to the 4-yard line.
Including an opening field goal, it was the first time the Packers have scored at least 10 points in the first quarter of a game since Week 3 of last season — 18 games in between them.
LONDON — Maybe a trip across the pond will be what Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers need to get the potency back in their passing game.
While Sunday’s game against the New York Giants in London is long on running backs with the NFL’s leading rusher in Saquon Barkley on one side and the Packers’ combination of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon on the other, Rodgers is still the star attraction — even if his numbers have been off his usual pace through the first four games.
Rodgers drew the biggest crowd of reporters during the Packers media session Friday at The Grove Hotel and when he was asked if he’d like coach Matt LaFleur to turn him loose and let him air it out, Rodgers didn’t hesitate.
“Hell yeah, of course,” Rodgers said. “Matt’s kind of in a grumpy mood right now. When he gets a little bit of rest and will be in a better mood, we’ll talk about airing it out a little bit more.”
Rodgers was referring to the fact that LaFleur hasn’t really hid his less-than-excited attitude about the travel and logistics of playing in London.
In fact, before LaFleur took questions from reporters on Friday in London, he said: “What time is it? I’m trying to figure it out right now?”
It was 6 a.m. on his body clock, considering the Packers did not leave Green Bay’s Central time zone until Thursday evening for an overnight flight, but it was noon BST.
When asked whether he got any sleep on the flight, LaFleur said: “A little bit. I don’t know. Am I coming across as cranky?”
The Packers have managed a 3-1 start — and Sunday’s game against the 3-1 Giants is the first in 32 London games between two teams with winning records — despite some unusual numbers from Rodgers. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Rodgers’ 43.1 QBR this season is his worst in the first four games of a season since he became a starter in 2008. His 6.2 air-yard average per attempt is also his fewest through four games in that same span, which is a reason big plays have escaped him.
Rodgers said after last Sunday’s overtime win over the New England Patriots that he did not think the way they were winning was sustainable.
“We’ve had halves of certain games where we’ve really played well and the other half has usually been pretty bad,” Rodgers said Friday. “We’ve got to try to put together four quarters and put on a show for the fans in the stadium. Hopefully it will be predominately green and gold.”
LONDON — Ten weeks after conquering Europe, England women proclaimed themselves ready for even more after beating the world champion United States 2-1 in a friendly at Wembley Stadium on Friday.
Lauren Hemp and Georgia Stanway scored to help England beat the U.S. for the first time since 2017 and less than 10 months before the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Stanway’s penalty in the 33rd minute put the hosts in front for good before 76,893 fans. Victory extended England’s unbeaten run to 23 games under coach Sarina Wiegman. England stopped the Americans’ 13-game winning streak and 21-match unbeaten streak dating to a 1-0 defeat to Canada in a 2021 Olympics semifinal.
“It was a great result,” Hemp told broadcaster ITV. “There’s a lot of preparation now for the World Cup. It’s important that we stay grounded.”
England, which won the European championship in late July, took the lead in the 10th when Beth Mead sent a low cross into the box. Defender Alana Cook tried to make a sliding block but the ball wiggled through to Hemp, who finished from close range.
The Americans equalized just before the half-hour mark. Millie Bright tried to pass out of the back to a tightly covered Stanway, and Lindsey Horan poked the ball forward to Sophia Smith, who turned and fired low to the left corner past a diving Mary Earps.
Stanway made amends from the spot, though, shooting the ball into the right corner as goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher went the wrong way.
Minutes later, the visitors thought they tied the game again but Trinity Rodman’s strike was ruled out for offside after a video review.
England and the U.S. wore teal armbands in solidarity with sexual abuse victims and together held a banner that read “Protect the Players” just before kickoff. A report this week into the scandals that erupted in the National Women’s Soccer League last season found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic in the league.
There was also a moment of silence for the victims of the deadly crush of fans at a soccer match in Indonesia.
Forward Alyssa Thompson entered in the 84th minute and at 17 years, 334 days became the youngest to debut for the U.S. since Mallory Pugh in January 2016. Thompson was the 70th teenager to appear for the Americans.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Allen Lazard were among the stars in attendance. The Packers play the New York Giants on Sunday in an NFL game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. “Ted Lasso” actor Jason Sudeikis was also on hand.
U.S. wing Crystal Dunn went on as a second-half substitute — less than five months after giving birth to her son. It was her 124th international appearance and first in nearly 13 months.
The draw for the World Cup will be in Auckland on Oct. 22.
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