The Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff berth Sunday and notched their 10th win of the season, but the offense remains a rickety wheel.
Aaron Rodgers threw for just 204 yards on 39 attempts with a touchdown and interception for a passer rating of 68.8. It's his eighth straight game with a rating of below 100.
Green Bay's quarterback was visibly frustrated on the field at times, and afterwards offered his blunt assessment of the offense.
"We weren't very effective," Rodgers said, via the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "We had less than 300 yards and had a terrible first half."
The Packers ground game was once again skittish with Eddie Lacy carrying just 11 times for 23 yards and James Starks going for 51 yards on nine totes with a fumble.
"We just don't really have a clear-cut direction," Rodgers added, via ESPN. "We got into some stuff with (fullback) John (Kuhn) in there and four receivers, but we were too inconsistent."
Former Packer Charles Woodson said Jordy Nelson's absence changes how defenses can play Green Bay, especially keying in on the ground game.
"(Nelson) is that one guy that can really stretch the field," Woodson said. "Because they have a couple guys that they supposedly can put in that can stretch the field. If you're not able to run the ball with the backs they have and you make them be one-dimensional and put pressure on them, yeah, the offense is not going to be what it's supposed to be."
Despite Rodgers' assessment of the offense, coach Mike McCarthy wasn't interested in looking at the negatives following the victory.
"We're right where we need to be," McCarthy said. "The style points, you can flush that. I'm sick and tired of talking about the negativities. We've won 10 games. We lost three games on the last play of the game and Denver beat us. That's the overview of our season, and we've got a chance to win 11 next week."
Even with the offense off-kilter, the Packers remain in prime position to win their fifth straight NFC North title. The last time Green Bay's defense outplayed its offense during the season, the Packers went on to win Super Bowl XLV.
