Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers knows he's not on the same page as some of the team's young receivers, but as far as he's concerned, he doesn't need to adjust his approach.
"I've got to play the same way," Rodgers told reporters Wednesday. "I don't play the way I played in 2011, [but] I've got to play on time and guys gotta get open, so no, I'm not gonna change the way I play. I have to realize who's out there, who we're throwing to and how we're gonna actually make some hay and score some points."
Rodgers and Green Bay's rookie receivers displayed a lack of chemistry during Sunday's 23-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. On the Packers' first offensive play of the game, Christian Watson dropped what would've been a 75-yard touchdown that Rodgers placed perfectly in his hands. Romeo Doubs, who was a star in training camp and the preseason, had a quiet performance.
Green Bay was missing fifth-year wideout Allen Lazard, who was expected to be the team's No. 1 receiver, because of an ankle injury. He was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, his first time getting on the field since suffering the ankle injury two weeks ago.
Both Packers starting offensive tackles, David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins, also missed Sunday's game with knee injuries, and it's not clear when either of them would be ready to return.
"I think he's done as good a job as we could possibly expect," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of Rodgers. "He's always hard on himself and I know there were a couple plays that he certainly would like to have back, just like there's some play calls that I would like to have back as well. ... But I think he's done a great job of demanding the urgency from those young guys, yet putting an arm around them as well at the same time."
Sunday's game was also the first Rodgers has played without star receiver Davante Adams in quite some time, as he was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. Still, he didn't think it was an excuse for his struggles that included a fumble and an interception.
"I didn't lose a fumble all last year and hadn't thrown a pick in a division game in, I don't know, a while, so that's kind of the standard that I hold myself to, regardless of who's out there with us," Rodgers said. "So that's why that's frustrating. I don't look at it as 'Tae's not here [so] I've got to do even more or play perfect football.' I've just always held myself to a standard of taking care of the football and that wasn't good enough on Sunday."
Rodgers and the Packers will look to bounce back on Sunday against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.
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