Packers Daily Links: Rodgers Criticizes Rookies' Practice Habits

In his weekly radio interview, the Packers quarterback had some critical words for the Packers rookies. That and more in today's Daily Links...

On his weekly radio show with the ESPN Radio affiliate in Milwaukee, 540 AM WAUK, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers took to criticizing the rookies on the team and their role in helping the team practice. Rodgers' comments were in response to head coach Mike McCarthy's sentiments a day earlier that the Packers have to practice better. For whatever reason the rookies have not picked up what the practice tempo looks like, or the importance of the scout team looks as well as maybe it’s been in the past,” Rodgers is quoted as saying by host Jason Wilde at ESPNMilwaukee.com. “I don’t know if Mike said that in his press conference but he definitely mentioned that in our team meeting." At 2-3 and facing the undefeated Houston Texans on Sunday, something has to change with the Packers. Maybe this is the motivation they need.

Also garnering attention in the last 24-hour news cycle is the play of Aaron Rodgers this season and how it's not been up to the standards set in the past couple seasons. On his radio show, Rodgers said, "I'm not playing my best football right now." But as Jason Wilde points out, "On the season, Rodgers has completed 130 of 189 passes (68.8 percent) for 1,307 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions (a 2.1 percent interception rate) with 21 sacks for a passer rating of 97.0." It's not as if Rodgers is playing poor by any stretch of the imagination. But his regression combined with relatively poor play in other areas of the team are all part of the puzzle.

Other items Aaron Rodgers discussed include moving on from the Colts loss and the injury to running back Cedric Benson.

More on Aaron Rodgers including a statistical analysis of his play comes from ESPN.com NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert.

Looking for other reasons why the Packers are a below .500 team? Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines the effect of penalties. "Green Bay has the most penalty yards in the league with 390 and the fourth-most penalties with 40 in five games," writes Nickel. Certainly, penalties haven't helped the Packers this season. Cornerback Sam Shields in particular seems to have been the victim of some bad luck and bad officiating when it comes to penalties, and in the case of the touchdown in Seattle, the lack thereof.

A listing of every penalty incurred by the Packers this season accompanies the article at the Journal Sentinel.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com focuses on a quote on Nickel's article in which one anonymous Packers player is quoted as saying "I think the refs are out to get us this year."

An article by Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette shows that the odds are long that the Packers qualify for the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. "STATS’ research shows that 63 teams in NFL history started 2-3 and qualified for the playoffs," writes Dougherty. "Since 2000 that number is 19, and only one of those teams, New England in the 2001 season, advanced to the Super Bowl, which the Patriots won." If the Packers happen to lose to the Texans, those odds get even slimmer.

Linebacker Clay Matthews criticized the NFL and its regard for player safety in reference to the injury to Texans linebacker Brian Cushing, the Packers opponent this week, who tore his ACL on Sunday and is out for the season. "Cushing was leading Houston in tackles (38) before Monday night's game," writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com. "He was college teammates with Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, who criticized Slauson’s cut block on his Twitter account."

Scouting reports on the Houston Texans come from the Journal Sentinel and Press-Gazette.

A series of articles on the regression in play from the Packers wide receivers appears at Packer Report with a focus on Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, touchdowns and drops and a comparison of statistics.

In this week's Packer Plus, reporter Rob Reischel looks at how the Texans cut cornerback Tramon Williams and Packers players on Twitter.

Other items in Packer Plus include a column by Tyler Dunne on Tramon Williams and the Packers secondary, an article on former Packer Ken Ellis and a preview of the Texans game.

The Packers are now ranked 12th in the NFL in the AP's Pro32 poll.

The Press-Gazette has items on Dom Capers' defense and the Packers' slow start to games, halves.

Fox 11 in Green Bay reports on the Packers organization's Community Day and Mike Neal's return.

Mike McCarthy answers fan questions in his weekly feature at the Packers official website.

The loss of Greg Jennings is examined in an article by Paul Imig of Fox Sports Wisconsin.

NFC North blogger Andrew Garda of Bleacher Report takes a look at the injury to Cedric Benson and a struggling Packers offense.

AllGreenBayPackers.com has its weekly stock report and where the Packers go from here.

The loss of Cedric Benson is analyzed at Lombardi Ave.

Video: Former Packers safety LeRoy Butler breaks down some Xs and Os with Tom Silverstein at JSOnline...

Brian Carriveau is the author of "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and an editor at Cheesehead TV. To contact Brian, email [email protected].

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Comments (17)

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Evan's picture

October 10, 2012 at 09:49 am

Of those 390 penalty yards, it seems at least 100 of them are from BS calls on Shields.

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Evan's picture

October 10, 2012 at 09:53 am

The obvious rebuttal would be that there has been at least that many yards not called on Woodson, so it's probably all a wash.

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Justin's picture

October 10, 2012 at 09:56 am

I don't think the refs are out to get the Packers and players shouldn't be thinking that, but come on. One unnamed player. So one player out over 60 guys made one comment. This is TMZ stuff and non news. Mike Florio loves to start stuff like this.

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QOTSA1's picture

October 10, 2012 at 10:06 am

So the offense stinks this year because the rookies are not practicing hard enough?

Seems like a strange excuse considering their are really no rookies on offense seeing any playing time. And saying the defensive rookies not practicing hard enough is effecting the offense seems like an even bigger stretch.

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CSS's picture

October 10, 2012 at 10:08 am

You need to hear what he said in context. Sounded more like he was criticizing the rookies and players on the scout team. Every week the scout team gives them opposing defensive/offensive looks. Rodgers, McCarthy and the offense are big on tempo. Sounds like the criticism was aimed more at the scout team on both sides of the ball for not pushing the opposition looks and playing them harder.

He wasn't remotely close to making excuses, said it was merely one component of many related to their lack of timing.

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Tarynfor12's picture

October 10, 2012 at 10:31 am

Where is the veteran leadership to get these guys going on the scout team or is their leadership being questioned by some when they don't perform to a certain level themselves.

I mentioned on a Jersey Al post that this team doesn't seem happy,enthusiastic for each other or in the mirror guy as in the past.There are issues that possibly have not been shelved till after the season and are affecting the mental side of this comraderie.

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CSS's picture

October 10, 2012 at 10:56 am

Rodgers addressed that on the Wilde show, he was clear that he and the other veterans need to up the assertiveness and dictate the pace. He didn't abdicate responsibility at all.

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razor's picture

October 10, 2012 at 11:32 am

And who runs the scout team offense - GH. Goofball loser. And where are the coaches when the rookies are not practicing up to AR standards. And why does AR feel it is ok to comment on this? I don't think AR has his head fully in the game. I think he needs to step up his leadership. If its 110% now it needs to be 120%. What he lacks compared to Tom Brady and Peyton Manning is intensity.

BTW I had the opportunity to sit next to AR at a chamber lunch right before the season started. I asked him if MM ever yelled at the team because MM doesn't show a lot of emotion on the sidelines. AR said that he yells a lot at practice, halftime, postgame but said "we are all adults, not college players just tell us what we need to do and we will do it". Really! So when do you think you and the rest of the team will start?

Another thing. I was admiring how TT and MM seem to be very patient with players that are "learning and getting better". I don't think they have that luxury now. I say get rid of the chronic underperformers. I personally would rather see a new player get a chance than to continue to be disappointed by players who can't get the job done.

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CSS's picture

October 10, 2012 at 11:42 am

When you listen to Rodgers in interviews and listen to his extended show with Wilde he's very open and very analytical, details don't escape him in the least. I can't imagine coming to the conclusion of, 'his head isn't in the game' after listening to the guy. Actually, he's taking more heat than he deserves and self-deprecating to the point it's almost not believable. He's knowingly taking an excess of heat because he knows it goes with the territory of being an NFL QB.

He's been intentionally non-demonstrative knowing cameras are all over him waiting to analyze his body posture ala Jay Cutler. It's ridiculous.

Interesting that all players are great leaders when teams are winning, than they must be awful when a team isn't playing to their abilities. Fans really resent losing, huh?

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Chad Toporski's picture

October 10, 2012 at 12:03 pm

CSS, it must be hard to be the voice of reason in a sea of lemmings.

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Tarynfor12's picture

October 10, 2012 at 12:35 pm

@Chad,
Don't knock the lemmings...their needed as much as a bite of lemon after the Tequilla shot,it's what makes the drink as the posts better.

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Chad Toporski's picture

October 11, 2012 at 05:35 am

I never tire of your analogies, Taryn.

+1

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woodson4president's picture

October 10, 2012 at 12:54 pm

Ranked 12th..wow. i figured us more in the 20- 22nd range.

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Cole O's picture

October 10, 2012 at 02:29 pm

Pretty good read on Grantland about the Packers offense
http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/39457/is-this-real-...

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Evan's picture

October 10, 2012 at 08:49 pm

I read that earlier. He misses a few seemingly important points. First, I don't believe he ever mentions the absence of Jennings. And two, he seems to put all the blame for the sacks on the o-line when I'd say maybe 35% of them are on A-Rod.

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Pack Morris's picture

October 10, 2012 at 06:04 pm

"Maybe this is the motivation they need."

I live more or less across from the Don Hutson Center and can always hear noise from practice. In the 3 seasons I've lived here, today's practice was almost definitely the loudest I've heard.

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tundraboy's picture

October 11, 2012 at 12:06 pm

Isnt Boykins what we need with Jennings out, good hands?

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