The Green Bay Packers' offense struggled Sunday to sustain drives against a surprisingly feistyDetroit Lions defense.
As we mentioned on Sunday's Around The NFL Podcast, the Packers' lack of a rushing attack and poor third-down conversion rate (four of 10) never allowed the offense to get in a groove.
During his weekly radio show on WAUK-AM, Aaron Rodgers conceded his unit wasn't able to play at its desired up-tempo pace.
"We're not playing fast enough on offense, we're not converting enough third downs. Fifty-one plays (is) not enough to get defense tired," Rodgers said, per ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky.
The play count fell well below coach Mike McCarthy's offseason goal of 75 per game.
There were myriad reasons for the sluggish performance. The offensive line struggled mightily; Eddie Lacy couldn't create holes; and Rodgers was uncharacteristically wayward.
"We had some drops, and I had a couple of poor throws," the quarterback said.
After three wobbly offensive performances, the Packers' offense is being questioned on every front, from the nonexistent running game to the lack of offensive creativity.
Rodgers, however, cautioned not to make too much of three games -- all against defenses that rank near the top of the NFL.
"We haven't made it easy on ourselves, but we're a resilient bunch. We'll bounce back," he said.
As for fans supplying outlandish reasons for the offense's struggles:
"Five letters. R-E-L-A-X. Relax," Rodgers said. "We're going to be fine."
The latest Around The NFL Podcast recaps all of the Week 3 action and picks the top team in the AFC.