Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers pointed to the 3-3 starts by four of the favorites in the NFC as evidence for why there should be no panic in Green Bay despite a disappointing six-game stretch to open 2022.
“A lot of people, if you’re looking preseason at the NFC, four teams for sure in the conversation: San Fran, LA, Tampa and us,” Rodgers said Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “All four of us are 3-3. I don’t think there’s any panic at any of those four places.”
The Packers, 49ers, Rams and Buccaneers are all even at 3-3 entering Week 7, although the 49ers and Buccaneers are currently leading their respective divisions. The Packers are two games back of the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North.
Rodgers said he expected “growing pains” to open 2022. He also pointed to the “parity” of the NFL, and his belief that the Packers lost to “two good football teams” over the last two weeks. The New York Giants (who look like a “pretty real team,” per Rodgers) and New York Jets (“very well coached, they’ve got good players”) are currently 9-3 combined after six weeks.
The Giants just beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6.
Rodgers also said the Packers’ win over New England “looks a little better now” after the Patriots won in dominating fashion over the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns the last two weeks.
“The league is stronger across the board. The difference between winning and losing is so razor thin, and for us, our margin for error is thin as well,” Rodgers said.
If the season ended today, the Packers would be the No. 8 seed in the NFC and out of the playoffs.
Good thing there’s still almost three months of games left to be played.
“There’s a lot of football left. We have 11 games left,” Rodgers said. “We obviously have to play better, I think that’s understood by everybody, in all three phases, but there’s definitely no panic.”
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