Packers’ Aaron Rodgers: ‘The pressure is all on that side’
Jan 14, 2016, 2:52 PM | Updated: Jan 15, 2016, 2:04 pm
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrates after running back Eddie Lacy scored during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md., Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016. (AP Photo/Mark Tenally)
(AP Photo/Mark Tenally)
Pressure.
While it’s an unquantifiable in the world of sports, it generates a lot of discussion heading into and reacting to games.
When two teams are heading into the second weekend of the NFL Playoffs like the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are, there is a healthy amount of pressure on both sides.
Just don’t expect Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers to buy into that line of thinking.
On Wednesday, Rodgers addressed reporters about the subject of pressure and believes it’s all on the home team.
“The pressure is all going to be on them,” the league’s reigning MVP said. “They’re coming off a tough loss to Seattle. Before that, they blew us out. They’re the Super Bowl favorites and obviously the favored team on Saturday night, so we’ve just got to go out and be loose and let it all hang out because the pressure is all on that side.”
The Packers’ confidence was boosted by a road playoff win last Sunday. After starting slowly and digging an early 11-point hole, the Packers fought back to beat the NFC East Division champion Washington Redskins 35-18 to earn a return trip to Glendale.
According to Rodgers, it wasn’t just an offensive turnaround for the Packers.
“Our defense is playing so well and they are getting a lot of sacks,” he said. “When we go up two scores on a team, it really makes it difficult on them. So we are going to try the same thing and be efficient on offense.”
The Green Bay defense got to Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins six times, including 2.5 by linebacker Nick Perry and two by defensive tackle Mike Neal.
Of course, Saturday presents a different challenge for Rodgers and the Packers. The pro-Cardinals crowd at University of Phoenix Stadium has built a reputation for being one of the loudest in the league. Rodgers and his experienced Packers teammates will rely heavily on the fact that this isn’t their first postseason rodeo in hopes of counteracting the “Red Sea.”
“We have played these kinds of games before. We have won these kinds of games and we are going to rely on that experience and that passion and hopefully that will carry over,” Rodgers said. “We are going to play up-tempo like we did last week and try and get as many plays off as we can and as quick as possible and make them adjust.”
Rodgers will be making his 14th postseason start Saturday night. With him at the helm, Green Bay has gone 8-5 in playoff games.
While the Packers are feeling good about returning to the desert to the play the Cardinals, the reality is Glendale hasn’t been too kind to the Packers.
In their last two trips to UoP Stadium, the Packers are 0-2, including a 51-45 overtime Wild Card playoff loss in 2010.
“We have to do a better job at field position and get some drives into their territory — start fast and try and take their crowd out of it,” Rodgers said. “They are obviously very confident from the first time we played them. But they had a rough one their last home game and they have had a week off to think about those things.
“We had a rough one at home at the end of the season but we have come together and put a good product on the field last week. We are confident after getting our first playoff win and going into a hostile environment where we feel a lot more confident than what we felt like at the end of that game last time.”
