Sports Radio Interviews

Aaron Rodgers: “I am very confident in those guys up front to be able to get it fixed and move forward and being successful in the passing game.”

The Green Bay Packers haven’t gotten off to the kind of start they envisioned during the offseason and after their tremendous preseason. With relatively the same offense they had last year, which ranks 10th in scoring, the Packers are putting up some points on the board but Aaron Rodgers is getting no help from his offensive line. Rodgers has been sacked 25 times on the season and is on pace to be sacked over 80 times. Even after all of that, he refuses to throw his offensive line under the bus. To counter the poor play up front, the Packers need to roll Rodgers out of the pocket and get back to their west coast offense roots and throw shorter passes and dump to the running backs more often. If they are to hit the high expectations they had going into this season, this offensive line will need to step up their game as they are the key to success. This weekend would be a good start going up against the horrible Cleveland Browns.

Aaron Rodgers joined Fox Sports Radio to talk about how they adjust the passing game with a beat up offensive line and all of the pressure the defense is going to put on him, whether if he has confidence in his ability to make something happen in that extra second or two of scrambling to avoid a sack, whether he doesn’t mind scrambling and throwing the ball on the run, and whether he can treat the game against the Vikings as just another game in the division.

On how they adjust the passing game with a beat up offensive line and all of the pressure the defense is going to put on him:

“We are just going to continue to find ways for me to throw the ball on time and get the ball out of my hand quickly.  When we have an opportunity to take a pass down the field, we are going to have to make sure that we leave a back in or just win those one-on-one match-ups up front and take our shots when we can.  It is a combination of a number of things with the protection issues we have had but I am very confident in those guys up front to be able to get it fixed and move forward and being successful in the passing game.”

On whether if he has confidence in his ability to make something happen in that extra second or two of scrambling to avoid a sack:

“Well maybe it needs to be more of a conscious effort on my part to just not take any sacks.  There are times where you got to trust your time clock and at times I have probably held onto the ball too long and put those guys in difficult situations to protect for three-plus seconds.  You know but sometimes the plays do warrant that and sometimes I do need to get the ball out of my hands a little quicker but as a quarterback with a little bit of mobility…Once I get through my progressions, as long as I feel the rush I lie to move the pocket a little bit.  I think I can make a conscious effort on my part to continue to decrease those sacks and to continue to try and get the ball out of my hand as quickly as possible and I know those guys up front are going to continue as long as they can.” 

 On whether he doesn’t mind scrambling and throwing the ball on the run:

“No, I love it I really do.  I feel like its always been an underrated part of my game and it is something that I tease Mike (McCarthy) about because out of college he didn’t think I was real athletic but it is something that I think adds another dimension to our offense at times when used properly I feel like that being a pass first guy outside the pocket it kind of makes myself and out offense very dangerous because as much as I enjoy getting out of the pocket and moving out of the pocket I have a good sense of where the line of scrimmage is and still try to keep my eyes down field where the big plays are going to be made.”

On how many different plays area actually part of the Packers playbook:

“Mike really jokes about how we could play doubleheaders every week and we kind of tease him about.  But we do have a very large extensive playbook.  The West Coast offense or our version of it at least, you know it is very conceptual with the base content already installed early in the training camp and continuing to make changes off of those to keep the defense honest…You know it is an extensive playbook and Mike puts a lot on my plate as far as stuff that I could do at the line of scrimmage.  This league is all about being self-motivated and putting the time in with your job and I feel like I like to be as prepared as anybody.  I feel like usually I am the most prepared guy on the field on Sundays and feel like I can make some good checks at the line of scrimmage because of the film study I put in and how much time I put in this offense in the last few offseasons.  As much as mike puts on my plate I feel like its something that I can handle.”

Aaron Rodgers on with Chris Myers and Steve Hartman on Fox Sports Radio

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