Through one quarter of play Sunday, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers were rolling against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Green Bay led 10-0, had the ball, and Rodgers was dealing. And then, all of a sudden, he wasn’t.
Rodgers threw interceptions on back-to-back possessions, including a 32-yard pick-six by Jamel Dean. It was 14-10 in a flash – and then the floodgates opened. Green Bay trailed 28-10 at halftime and lost 38-10 to fall to 4-1 on the season.
What happened to Green Bay on Sunday, especially after a dominant first month of the season?
“I think they just were off, and I can’t really put my finger on it,” former NFL GM Randy Mueller said on The DA Show. “They just seemed listless, but sometimes Aaron Rodgers is like that. He sometimes just gives you that feel of disinterest, and his body language sometimes can be negative. Those are things that would concern me, but I also know what he’s capable of.”
Rodgers finished 16-of-35 for 160 yards, two picks and four sacks. The Packers, shut out over the final three quarters, will look to rebound against the Texans (1-5) this Sunday in Houston.
“I don’t think it’s a big lightning rod for the future, but I do think they’ve got to figure out a way to combat blitzes, especially protections,” Mueller said. “It’s a copycat league and other teams are going to figure this out, what Tampa Bay did, just from a blitz standpoint. They really confused Aaron Rodgers.
“So I think it’s a good sharpening tool for them going forward,” Mueller continued. “I still like the Packers’ chances at the end of the day, but I just don’t like the negativity sometimes. Aaron gives you that vibe of, ‘Oh boy, it’s one of those days.’ Definitely Tampa had their way with them.”