Aaron Rodgers said after Sunday’s game that he needs to do a better job telling Pittsburgh Steelers coaches what is and isn’t working on the field, following a 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots in which the Patriots dominated and hit Rodgers repeatedly.
Rodgers, speaking to reporters after the game, declined to make excuses for the team’s performance but suggested there was room for better communication between himself and the coaching staff, including head coach Mike McCarthy.
“Can’t feel sorry for ourselves. Can’t point fingers. We’ve all got to play better,” Rodgers said. “I think we can all give a little more. The best teams are player-led teams. We’ve got to keep taking the ownership. In a game like today, where there wasn’t a lot of flow to it, we need to be better, and that starts with me making sure Mike knows what’s working, what’s not working, and our coaches know, so we can call stuff that we feel like has a better chance.”
Rodgers said he did not believe the Steelers’ play calls were the problem, but that the game plan may have included too many options.
“It’s not that big of a sample size, but I thought we didn’t execute very well at all,” he said. “The plays were fine. We had opportunities, and we’ve got to dig into the details on some of this stuff. If there’s too much stuff in the plan, we’ve got to cut it back. I always like to push the envelope. If I see guys doing it the right way in practice, then I feel good about it, but we’ve got to practice the practice to the game, obviously, and all the details that come with it.”
The comments mark a change in tone from Rodgers’ prior stint with the Steelers under former head coach Mike Tomlin, when he did not publicly suggest that coaching or game-planning decisions needed adjustment.
Rodgers and McCarthy previously won a Super Bowl together with the Green Bay Packers, though their time there ended amid tension, fueled by rumors that Rodgers had pushed for McCarthy’s departure to bring in Matt LaFleur. Those rumors were never substantiated, and both men have said the past is behind them since reuniting in Pittsburgh.
With the loss coming in Week 2 of the season, Rodgers’ remarks suggest that the working relationship between quarterback and coaching staff is already facing early strain.
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