Lions Are Mad at Rodgers For Saying Something

The war of words (or something like that) is on before the huge Packers-Lions showdown on Sunday night.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Jan 6, 2023 6:33 PM EST

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said something that has the Detroit Lions really mad headed into Sunday night’s must-win showdown at Lambeau Field.

“This means a lot, because I feel like they don’t respect us,” Lions safety DeShon Elliott told reporters in Detroit on Friday. “(Rodgers) doesn’t respect us, that team doesn’t respect us. We shouldn’t be an underdog, no matter what the record says. Going out there, I think we’re going to fight our ass off, play smashmouth football, just because of the respect factor.”

“Like, we all got here someway, somehow. Yeah, he’s a Hall of Famer, but I just don’t respect the way he’s been talking about my guys all year, and the way that team views us. So, we’re going to go out there and prove something.”

The Packers are 8-8 and need a victory to earn a spot in the playoffs. The Lions are 8-8, too. They’ve both come a long way since Detroit won in Week 9 at Ford Field.

At the time, the Lions were 1-6 and the Packers were 3-5. Detroit intercepted Rodgers three times and won 15-9. Asked what had gone wrong for a perennial championship contender, Rodgers said “a lot,” then concluded, “We had a couple chances for sure. Can’t lose a game like that against that team, though, so that’s going to hurt for a while.”

Who can blame the Lions for being upset that Rodgers didn’t expect to lose to a team that had a solitary win to that point?

Asked specifically what bothered him about Rodgers, Elliott said: “Shoot, whatever. The way he carries himself, I don’t like none of that (expletive). So, we got to go out there and show what we can do, and show who the big dog (is), back up all the talking we do. We’re going to go out there and do that.”

Three weeks ago, the Packers beat the Rams to improve to 6-8. With two victories in the books, they needed three more to have a shot for the playoffs. In an on-field interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salters after the game, Salters told Rodgers the Packers were set to finish the season against three teams with winning records.

“Well,” Rodgers said, one of them is at .500 right now.”

The Lions, who were 7-7 at the time, were upset that Rodgers dissed the team with his ability to do math in his head on live television.

“He was talking a little smack,” rookie edge rusher James Houston, who wasn’t even on the field that day, told MLive. “And when someone talks smack, you just lock that (expletive) up in the back of your brain and save that for Sunday. It’s right there in the back of my head.”

On Sunday night, after the Packers trounced the Vikings to get on the cusp of a playoff spot, Rodgers added fuel to the fire as he looked forward to the rematch against Detroit.

“It’s not the same old Lions,” Rodgers said. “They were 1-6 at one point and they’ve come all the way back to 8-8.”

The incendiary talk continued in front of his locker on Wednesday. It was the verbal equivalent of a gallon of gas lobbed into a Dumpster fire at a fireworks factory.

“I think they’ve got some guys healthy on offense. Jared (Goff has) been very consistent, they’ve got two good runners, they’ve got a lot of weapons in the outside,” Rodgers said in totally dismissing the Lions’ talent. “Defense, they’ve done some different things in the last, I don’t know, eight or nine games. But they’ve been playing a little bit more sound, and they’ve been playing with a lot of energy. I think our game kind of maybe galvanized them to turn it back in the right direction.”

Then came the ultimate trash talk from the quarterback.

“They’ve been playing really good football – as good as just about anybody in the league the last nine weeks.”

Ouch.

The Lions heard it all and are rightly irate headed into their last game of the regular season, one in which a victory could give them a 9-8 record and, if Seattle is upset by the Rams, a spot in the playoffs.

“There’s other things on the line as far as having a winning season, beating a division opponent that I feel like really doesn't respect us as much as, respect us that much at all,” cornerback Amani Oruwariye said this week. “So, there’s a lot of other motivating factors other than just, obviously, the playoff implications.”

“It’s been maybe one-sided for a long time, but I think this year, we flipped the script and I think everyone can kind of see that,” he added. “They might still feel like this is the old Lions.”

Well, Rodgers said these weren’t the same old Lions but, clearly, what Rodgers subliminally said was, “this is the same old shitty Lions.”

For what it’s worth – and it’s worth nothing – Rodgers is 18-7 for his career against Detroit with 53 touchdowns vs. eight interceptions. His 105.8 passer rating against Detroit is topped only by Kirk Cousins’ 117.5.

Athletes will find motivation under ever nook and cranny. Apparently the possibility of being put under the primetime lights with a shot to get into the playoffs isn’t enough.

“I just feel like overall, as a competitor, bro, you (should) respect everybody in this league,” Elliott said. “And for you to see something or hear someone say some wild stuff about you or your teammates or your brothers, shoot, what are you going to do? Are you going to lay down or stand up? So, we’re going to go out there and stand up.”

For Packers, Rise Really Was One Week at Time

Here is a week-by-week look at how the Packers went from the brink of elimination to leading the chase for the final playoff spot.

Through Week 12: Packers Were 4-8

After losing at the Philadelphia Eagles, the Packers were three games out of the No. 7 seed with five games remaining. Actually, with the Commanders and Giants holding the final two spots and owning head-to-head wins over the Packers, they were four games out.

“Obviously, when you lose games, you’re putting yourself farther out there,” Rodgers said after the game. “We have a five-game stretch. We’ve got to win all five and probably need a little bit of help.”

With Rodgers dealing with injured ribs, the questions weren’t about the playoffs. They were about inserting Jordan Love into the lineup.

“Aaron’s the starting quarterback,” coach Matt LaFleur said a day after the game, echoing what he said the night before. “He’s battled through a lot throughout the course of his career. It’s pretty well documented and I think he’s been able to play at a pretty high level through a lot of different situations. So, we’ll take it one game at a time and make the best decision moving forward.”

Playoff Standings

1: Philadelphia Eagles (10-1, NFC East leader)

2: Minnesota Vikings (9-2, NFC North leader)

3: San Francisco 49ers (7-4, NFC West leader)

4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6, NFC South leader)

5: Dallas Cowboys (8-3)

6: New York Giants (7-4)

7: Washington Commanders (7-5)

---

8: Seattle Seahawks (6-5)

9: Atlanta Falcons (5-7)

10: Detroit Lions (4-7)

11: Green Bay Packers (4-8)

12: Arizona Cardinals (4-8)

13: New Orleans Saints (4-8)

14: Carolina Panthers (4-8)

15: Los Angeles Rams (3-8)

16: Chicago Bears (3-9)

Through Week 13: Packers Were 5-8

The Packers were perilously close to falling all the way to the bottom of the NFC standings but outscored the Chicago Bears 18-0 in the fourth quarter to escape Soldier Field with a 28-19 victory.

“A win against the Bears is always a little more special,” Rodgers said after the game. “There were other things involved: the all-time win total was cool, another fourth-quarter comeback. I told the guys in the locker room we’ve played good enough to beat anybody in the league and at times played poor enough to lose to just about anybody. Our highs have been pretty solid.”

In other games, the Giants and Commanders tied, and Atlanta and New Orleans lost as Green Bay moved from 11th to 10th.

Playoff Standings

1: Philadelphia Eagles (11-1, NFC East leader)

2: Minnesota Vikings (10-2, NFC North leader)

3: San Francisco 49ers (8-4, NFC West leader)

4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6, NFC South leader)

5: Dallas Cowboys (9-3)

6: New York Giants (7-4-1)

7: Seattle Seahawks (7-5)

---

8: Washington Commanders (7-5-1)

9: Detroit Lions (5-7)

10: Green Bay Packers (5-8)

11: Atlanta Falcons (5-8)

12: Arizona Cardinals (4-8)

13: Carolina Panthers (4-8)

14: New Orleans Saints (4-9)

15: Los Angeles Rams (3-9)

Through Week 14: Packers Were 5-8 at Bye

The Packers were on their bye but got a bit of help when Carolina went into Seattle and knocked off the Seahawks and the Giants were trounced at home by the Eagles. Still, they remained stuck in 10th place and two-and-a-half games out of the playoffs with four games to go.

Before those games were played, general manager Brian Gutekunst talked to reporters. Asked if he regretted committing to Rodgers via a contract extension, he said: “No regrets, not at all. Obviously, heading into the season, being the No. 1 seed the last two seasons leading into this season, a lot of high hopes, right? We were certainly expected to be competing for a championship, and we are still in it. If we’re able to dig our way back into this thing, we still feel like we have the ability to do that.”

Playoff Standings

1: Philadelphia Eagles (12-1, NFC East leader)

2: Minnesota Vikings (10-3, NFC North leader)

3: San Francisco 49ers (9-4, NFC West leader)

4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7, NFC South leader)

5: Dallas Cowboys (10-3)

6: Washington Commanders (7-5-1)

7: New York Giants (7-5-1)

---

8: Seattle Seahawks (7-6)

9: Detroit Lions (6-7)

10: Green Bay Packers (5-8)

11: Carolina Panthers (5-8)

12: Atlanta Falcons (5-8)

13: Arizona Cardinals (4-9)

14: New Orleans Saints (4-9)

15: Los Angeles Rams (4-9)

Through Week 15: Packers Were 6-8

The Packers came back from their bye and put together a strong second half to beat the injury-ravaged Los Angeles Rams and eliminate the defending champs from playoff contention.

With that Monday night victory, the Packers remained in 10th place in the NFC but moved within one-and-a-half games for the final spot in the NFC after the Giants marched into Washington and knocked off the Commanders. Plus, the 49ers went into Seattle and beat the Seahawks. So, two teams ahead of Green Bay lost.

“I do. I do,” Rodgers said when asked if he believed the team could run the table. “Now, we’re going to play three better football teams, but I do. Definitely.”

Why? “You win a game, vibes are pretty good and we’ve just been practicing a little bit better. The energy’s been a little bit better. It’s hard to put your finger on it. We’ve played a couple of teams we should have beat, so, that being said, it’s still tough to win in the league. And I’ve said it earlier, I think we can beat anybody. We can also lose to anybody. But when you win a couple in a row, it starts to give you some confidence. Now we’re playing against some better football teams down the stretch that we can go to Miami and win.”

Playoff Standings

1: Philadelphia Eagles (13-1, NFC East leader)

2: Minnesota Vikings (11-3, NFC North champion)

3: San Francisco 49ers (10-4, NFC West champion)

4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8, NFC South leader)

5: Dallas Cowboys (10-4, wild card)

6: New York Giants (8-5-1)

7: Washington Commanders (7-6-1)

---

8: Seattle Seahawks (7-7)

9: Detroit Lions (7-7)

10: Green Bay Packers (6-8)

11: Carolina Panthers (5-9)

12: New Orleans Saints (5-9)

13: Atlanta Falcons (5-9)

Through Week 16: Packers Were 7-8

It was a Merry Christmas for the Packers, who not only went to Miami and earned a pivotal win over the Dolphins but got every bit of help imaginable in what could be the defining outcomes of the season.

The sixth-place Giants? Lost at Minnesota on a 61-yard field goal. The seventh-place Commanders? Routed at San Francisco. The eighth-place Seahawks? Lost at powerhouse Kansas City. The ninth-place Lions? Upset at Carolina.

So, while the Packers remained in 10th place, they moved within a half-game of the Commanders for the final playoff berth. Plus, Green Bay had the conference-record tiebreaker over eighth-place Seattle and the opportunity to pull ahead of ninth-place Detroit in Week 18. All it needed was Washington to stumble once in its final two games.

“I’d like to be, you know, 10-5, 11-4 but, considering where we were a few weeks ago, a lot of has happened in our favor,” Rodgers said. “All the games that needed to go a certain way went a certain way. Now, there’s obviously much left, but we’ve played meaningful games in December, we won all three of those. Now we’re playing meaningful games in January, and we’ve got to win those.”

Playoff Standings

1: Philadelphia Eagles (13-2, NFC East leader)

2: Minnesota Vikings (12-3, NFC North champion)

3: San Francisco 49ers (11-4, NFC West champion)

4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8, NFC South leader)

5: Dallas Cowboys (11-4, wild card)

6: New York Giants (8-6-1)

7: Washington Commanders (7-7-1)

---

8. Seattle Seahawks (7-8)

9. Detroit Lions (7-8)

10. Green Bay Packers (7-8)

11. Carolina Panthers (6-9)

12. New Orleans Saints (6-9)

Through Week 17: Packers Were 8-8

Once again, the Packers won – a 41-17 manhandling of Minnesota for a signature win – and got help. To have a chance, the Packers needed to win their final two games and the Commanders needed to lose one. With Washington coach Ron Rivera going back to Carson Wentz (for some reason), the Commanders lost at home to the Cleveland Browns. Deshaun Watson threw three touchdown passes and Wentz threw three interceptions.

Incredibly, the Packers had gone from four games out of the final wild-card spot to controlling their playoff destiny, even while still in ninth place in the NFC, because of the conference-record tiebreaker vs. seventh-place Seattle and the opportunity to beat eighth-place Detroit on Sunday night.

“It just takes one sometimes,” Rodgers said after the Minnesota game. “Kind of strange, but when we were sitting at 3-6 and I looked at the next three, at the time Tennessee was playing really well, obviously the Cowboys play well and Philly was No. 1 in the league. And I just felt like if we get one of those, we can win the next five and 9-8 was going to get in. I couldn’t really go around saying that because you don’t really want to say, ‘Hey, if we can just get one of these next three, we can make the playoffs.’ But in my head, that’s what I was thinking.

“Felt like we were going to beat the Bears; Rams at home was a good matchup for us; Miami was a wild card, I thought, and the last two at home, I thought, would be winnable even though Minnesota, obviously, has had a really good season. [Two] dome teams in the winter and just the way we’ve played over the years in December and January, our record is pretty damn good with me starting. Things you don’t count on: Keisean Nixon. I knew he was talented but maybe didn’t see game-breaker. Christian Watson. You know, at 3-6 he wasn’t a big part of the offense. So, that’s what you don’t account for and on paper it happens.”

Playoff Standings

1: Philadelphia Eagles (13-3, NFC East leader)

2: San Francisco 49ers (12-4, NFC West champion)

3: Minnesota Vikings (12-4, NFC North champion)

4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8, NFC South champion)

5: Dallas Cowboys (12-4, wild card)

6: New York Giants (9-6-1, wild card)

7: Seattle Seahawks (8-8)

---

8: Detroit Lions (8-8)

9: Green Bay Packers (8-8)

Packers vs. Lions Preview

Packers, Lions and big-game experience

Packers-Lions Wednesday injury report

Packers make another big move in Super Bowl odds

Packers grapple with Damar Hamlin tragedy

Packers vs. Lions: Insider perspective

Packers vs. Lions: Previewing Detroit’s offense

Packers vs. Lions: Previewing Detroit’s defense

Packers add touchback-producing kicker to practice squad

It’s one more one-game season for the Packers

Packers-Lions saved for Sunday night

Packers Report Card: Which unit gets A++++?

The Packers kept faith even at 4-8

Keisean Nixon didn’t think he’d play until he woke up

NFC Standings: Games 13-16

Cliff’s Notes: How did the Packers pass the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks in the race for the final playoff spot? Here are the NFC standings from the final four games.

1. Green Bay Packers: 4-0

1. San Francisco 49ers: 4-0

3. Detroit Lions: 3-1

3. Dallas Cowboys: 3-1

3. New Orleans Saints: 3-1

6. Minnesota Vikings: 2-2

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2-2

6. Carolina Panthers: 2-2

6. New York Giants: 2-2

6. Philadelphia Eagles: 2-2

6. Los Angeles Rams: 2-2

12. Seattle Seahawks: 1-3