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Despite the fact that the Green Bay Packers have yet to officially qualify for the NFC playoffs, quarterback Aaron Rodgers is certainly gloating as if they’ve already done so.
During his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show earlier this week, Rodgers discussed the Packers’ recent hot streak and somewhat smugly predicted that people will start saying “no one wants to see the Packers” in the playoffs.
“We’ve been playing in these really important win-or-go-home type scenarios for a while. A lot of people said it started in Dallas when we won, then we lost to Tennessee, and we’re out, then we lost to Philly, and we’re out. I always feel like as long as we’re mathematically alive, then we’re in it. And even at 4-8 I said that if we just get this one, you never know what can happen,” Rodgers said.
“And then we get another one, you never know what can happen. ‘Oh, you’re playing Miami, there’s no way you’re going to be Miami.’ Then we beat them. ‘Oh, well you’re playing Minnesota, they’re still playing for the top seed, they’re a really good football team, they’ve won 11 one-score games, you’re not going to beat them.’ And then we beat them. And now, it’s like, well what are you going to say?” he continued.
Rodgers then said the new narrative will be that teams don’t want to match up with him and the hot Packers — who have now won four straight games and need just one more victory to qualify for the postseason — come playoff time:
“Okay, now you’re going to change the whole narrative: ‘Okay, now nobody wants to see the Packers in the playoffs.’ So if you follow along with the narrative, you really ride this crazy roller coaster throughout the season.”
While Rodgers is correct in a certain respect, it’s undeniably bold of him to be speaking like this considering that the Packers still need to beat the Lions this weekend in order for his assessment of the Packers’ season to become true. He’s also willingly handing Lions head coach and master motivator Dan Campbell free bulletin board material. Otherwise, should they lose Sunday, they’ll just be an 8-9 team that *almost* made the playoffs in one of Rodgers’ final seasons.
Rodgers and the Packers will take on the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field on Sunday, January 8 at 8:20 p.m. EST.