Aaron Rodgers was visibly upset Sunday during the second quarter of the Green Bay Packers' eventual 34-30 loss at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The quarterback and Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy were involved in a heated exchange on the sidelines following a drive that fizzled out and led to a field goal, which frustrated Rodgers.
Rodgers endured quite a rocky afternoon on the field while throwing multiple interceptions for the first time in a game since 2010. After a seven-play drive ended up with the Packers settling for a Mason Crosby field goal in the second quarter after Rodgers led the team down to Cincinnati's one-yard line, Rodgers and McCarthy were seen jawing at each other on the sideline as defensive lineman B.J. Raji got between them.
A video of the exchange can be viewed here.
Rodgers insisted it was just the spirit of competition overwhelming both men and that it was a non-issue.
"We're both passionate about the game, and competitive," Rodgers told NFL.com after the loss. "We want to win very badly and, you know, I went over and talked to him after that. Just got on the same page. Needed to talk; we did, and we moved on."
Rodgers wouldn't specify what the actual issue was, though NFL.com reported it had to do with the play calling, but the quarterback said he was going to keep the contents of the argument between himself and McCarthy.
"We're both competitive," Rodgers said per NFL.com. "I think we were both frustrated all day. We couldn't have a lot of success in the red zone, kicked way too many field goals and turned the ball over."
Throughout the first three games of the season, Rodgers has a completion percentage of 66.4% while going 81-for-122 for 1,057 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
The Packers fell to 1-2 on the season and currently sit in third place in the NFC North while the Bengals improved to 2-1 on the year and are tied with the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North lead.
The Packers overall frustration will get a chance to simmer down this week as the team enters its bye week. Perhaps a week off from game action is just what the team needs to get back on track.
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