OAKLAND – Aaron Rodgers wasn't satisfied.
"We weren't very effective. We had less than 300 yards and had a terrible first half," Rodgers said when asked for his thoughts on his and his offense's performance in the Packers' 30-20 win over the Raiders.
Rodgers' coach, Mike McCarthy, had just left the postgame interview room, where he had told reporters the Packers were "right where we need to be." When informed of his coach's remarks, Rodgers asked exactly what McCarthy said.
"I don't want to speak for him. I think we have 10 wins and we're in the playoffs," Rodgers said, trying to find a middle ground between his thoughts and his coach's remarks.
McCarthy spoke of wanting to avoid "all the negativity." Rodgers' remarks demanded more from himself and his offense.
So, exactly what is the middle ground between McCarthy's remarks and his quarterback's?
At 10-4 and in the playoffs, the Packers are where they need to be, but they also need to be better to make a run at the Super Bowl. That would seem to be the middle ground.
This much is for sure: On this day, Rodgers was far from impressed or satisfied.
What about that interception he threw late in the game?
"I was trying to get it to Wood (Raiders safety Charles Woodson). I underthrew it a little bit," Rodgers said.
Zing!
Yeah, Rodgers zinged himself.
How well did the Packers play?
"Good enough to win. It was against a team that had some good wins this year, and it was in a wet environment. Next week will be a good test for us," he said, referring to the upcoming game in Arizona. Rodgers was suggesting the Packers will find out how good they are against the Cardinals, currently the No. 2 team in the NFC.
The Green Bay Packers returned to the road for a matchup in Oakland against the Raiders on Sunday. Photos by Jim Biever, Packers.com.
"We just don't have a clear-cut direction. We were too inconsistent," Rodgers added of his and his offense's performance against the Raiders.
He completed 22 of 39 passes for 204 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a 68.8 passer rating. Those aren't Rodgers-like numbers, but it's important to note Rodgers was at his best when the game was on the line.
It was during the 19-play, 92-yard drive that extended the Packers' lead to seven points.
How good was that drive, he was asked?
"I think we got three points out of it, so it wasn't very productive," Rodgers said.
Nothing seemed to be good enough for Rodgers on this day. He wants better. He wants more. How can the Packers make that happen?
"Execute better," he said.
"I'm happy. We're going to the playoffs. I'm very happy," he added.
