Aaron Rodgers and the Packers looked a lot better in Week 2 of the 2021 NFL season than they did in Week 1.
Green Bay knocked off its divisional rival Detroit 35-17 on “Monday Night Football.” The Packers’ offense was firing on all cylinders, and Rodgers was pleased that the team’s performance silenced its critics.
“There’s so many overreactions that happen from a week-to-week basis,” Rodgers said to reporters after the game, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “So it’s nice to come out, have a good performance and get the trolls off our back for at least a week.”
NFL POWER RANKINGS: New team climbs to No. 2 spot
Rodgers, in particular, had a great outing against the Lions. He was sharp and accurate, completing 22 of 27 passes for 255 yards and four touchdowns. That was much better than his Week 1 performance against the Saints, during which he completed 15 of 28 passes for just 133 yards and two interceptions in a 38-3 loss.
Rodgers’ stellar day included a perfectly thrown touchdown pass to Robert Tonyan. Rodgers squeezed the throw into an impossibly small window.
IYER: Contenders and pretenders after two weeks of the 2021 NFL season
The Packers, in general, looked fired up after coming out flat against the Saints. Aaron Jones, who also recorded four touchdowns, brought quite a bit of energy and could be seen celebrating after his strong runs throughout the game.
Meanwhile, Rodgers didn’t look shell-shocked as he did at times in Week 1. He and the team were able to bounce back from the minor setbacks they faced during the contest, which included a three-point halftime deficit.
“I think we maybe tried to show that we cared a little bit more tonight,” Rodgers said.
MORE: Aaron Rodgers moves into top 10 in passing yards during win
Rodgers improved his “Monday Night Football” winning streak to eight games with the victory. But most importantly, he has now won nine consecutive games coming off a loss dating back to 2018.
And he certainly feels that he did enough to quell criticism of his team for the time being.
“People like to say a lot of bulls—, and it’s nice to come back in here after a game like that,” Rodgers said.