Packers perfect, but not perfectly happy
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers' record remains perfect. The fact that their play has been far from flawless remains a constant source of motivation for Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers threw for 3 touchdowns, including a career-long 93-yarder to Jordy Nelson, and the Packers rolled to a 24-3 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. With Sunday's loss by NFC North rival Detroit, the Packers (6-0) are the NFL's last unbeaten team this season.
But Green Bay's offense hit a lull and didn't score in the second half.
“It's a feeling of minor disappointment, I think, in that locker room,” Rodgers said. “We just, in the second half, offensively just struggled. The second quarter was great; we put up a lot of points.
“I think it's encouraging at the same time. It's tough to win in this league; we're 6-0 and have a lot of room for improvement.”
Rodgers threw for 310 yards, delivering touchdowns to Nelson, James Jones and Donald Driver.
Sam Bradford was 28 of 44 for 321 yards with an interception for the Rams (0-5), who were coming off their bye week.
“We do not accept losing, and our actions will reflect that,” Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “It is about winning football games, not moral victories.”
Bradford's ankle was sore after the game, but the Rams didn't seem overly concerned about the injury. Rams running back Steven Jackson had 18 carries for 96 yards.
“For whatever reason, we get into the red zone, we keep shooting ourselves in the foot,” Jackson said.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy had a mixed reaction to the victory. He bristled at questions about the offense being shut out in the second half, saying, “the last time I checked, when you win by 3 touchdowns, that's a pretty significant win.”
But McCarthy also said the team isn't anywhere near where it wants to be.
“You have to be running on all cylinders, and we're not there yet,” McCarthy said. “So fortunately, we're 6-0. We'll continue to work to get there.”
The Packers were wearing blue-and-gold uniforms designed to replicate a 1929 design, but Rodgers' ability to scramble out of trouble and make big plays was anything but a throwback to the days of leather helmets.
Rodgers did offer a wholehearted endorsement of the third uniform earlier in the week, saying the pants were among the most comfortable football pants he'd ever worn.
As Rodgers kept rolling, the Packers continued to brush off a fresh batch of injuries.
Green Bay got right tackle Bryan Bulaga back from a knee injury after the 2010 first-round pick missed the previous two games. But the Packers will have to live without veteran left tackle Chad Clifton indefinitely after he injured his hamstring in last Sunday's victory at Atlanta.
Second-year player Marshall Newhouse took over for Clifton, but the Rams couldn't get much pressure on Rodgers — and when they did, he simply spun away.
The Packers also were banged up at safety. Already missing Pro Bowl safety Nick Collins — out for the season after sustaining a neck injury in Week 2 — fellow safety Morgan Burnett had to play Sunday's game with a huge club on his broken right hand.
Green Bay's secondary took another blow in the third quarter when cornerback Sam Shields sustained a head injury after he picked off a Bradford pass in the end zone and was hit hard. McCarthy said Shields still was being evaluated after the game.