Rodgers takes blames for 'wobblers' in Pack loss

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Aaron Rodgers utilized to thrive successful these conditions: cold, snowy and nether the lights astatine Lambeau Field. It's erstwhile the Green Bay Packers backmost has done immoderate of his champion work.

Instead, Rodgers missed unfastened receivers, took a sack astatine an inopportune clip and rendered past week's season-saving upset of the Dallas Cowboys practically meaningless Thursday nighttime successful a 27-17 nonaccomplishment to the Tennessee Titans astatine Lambeau Field that dropped the Packers to 4-7.

And Rodgers knew it.

"I've got to propulsion the shot amended than I did tonight," Rodgers said aft going 24-for-39 for 227 yards and 2 touchdowns. "Not a batch of borderline for mistake for america and decidedly not against a squad that gives you immoderate opportunities. We've got to person those plays."

Among the ones Rodgers meant came successful the 4th quarter, a play the Packers had to person successful bid to equine immoderate benignant of comeback.

Like connected third-and-12 with 9:23 left, erstwhile helium over-led a wide unfastened Sammy Watkins crossed the middle, starring to a punt.

And connected third-and-3 with 5:32 left, erstwhile helium sailed a shot implicit Allen Lazard's caput and the Packers turned it implicit connected downs aft the adjacent failed walk to Lazard.

And the 12-yard nonaccomplishment connected a sack with 2:39 near that each but ended immoderate anticipation of a turnaround.

After the triumph implicit the Cowboys, which snapped a five-game losing streak and seemed to energize the locker room, Rodgers said helium "felt similar I threw the shot conscionable astir precisely wherever I wanted it."

He couldn't explicate wherefore it felt truthful antithetic connected Thursday. Was it the conditions? His injured close thumb?

"I couldn't archer you [or] constituent to 1 thing," Rodgers said. "I'm not going to marque excuses astir my thumb. It's been the aforesaid since [he wounded it against the] New York [Giants]. I don't know. I've got to spell backmost and look astatine it.

"I felt similar fundamentally I was successful a bully spot. I conscionable didn't person the aforesaid benignant of accordant grip and shot coming retired the aforesaid way. I threw a batch of benignant of wobblers tonight. There was immoderate wind. Just missed a fewer throws I should person had. Definitely the 1 to Sammy and the 1 to Allen."

Lazard tried to enactment immoderate of the onus connected himself.

"If he's throwing the shot to me, I'm expecting to drawback it," helium said.

The Packers person mislaid consecutive primetime games with Rodgers arsenic the starter aft winning 13 consecutive nether the lights. They person different primetime matter adjacent week astatine the 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles.

Coach Matt LaFleur described Rodgers and immoderate of his receivers arsenic "a small disconnected contiguous for sure." As affectional and excited arsenic helium was aft his squad bushed the Cowboys connected Sunday, helium was arsenic distraught aft this one.

"I don't adjacent cognize what to say," LaFleur said. "It was thing similar a fewer days ago."

Yet helium wasn't consenting to constitute disconnected the season. LaFleur dismissed immoderate thought to turning to young players, specified arsenic Jordan Love, and Rodgers offered a crushed to deliberation the playoffs were inactive a possibility.

"If we play up to our potential, we tin triumph our past six games," Rodgers said. "I'm assured successful that. Obviously, I've got to play up to my potential. Tonight wasn't it."

That anticipation possibly came from the abrupt emergence of rookie receiver Christian Watson, who caught 2 much touchdown passes against the Titans to springiness him 5 successful the past 2 games; and the instrumentality of Randall Cobb, who caught six passes for a team-high 73 yards.

"I deliberation past week showed america a lot, the possibilities," Rodgers said referring to the Cowboys game. "This week we conscionable didn't play arsenic complementary successful each 3 phases. You've got to beryllium excited astir the mode Christian's played the past 2 weeks. Cobby coming backmost contiguous I deliberation led america successful receiving yards. That was a large jolt for us."

At this point, though, the Packers are truthful acold down the NFC North starring Minnesota Vikings (8-1) that the part seems similar a mislaid cause. A wild-card way to 1 of the 7 NFC playoffs spots mightiness beryllium their lone hope, but Thursday's nonaccomplishment dropped them to 11th spot successful the conference.

"You suffer different 1 and you mightiness arsenic good accidental we're astir apt out," Cobb said.