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Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers' 14th-year
quarterback, is a two-time MVP, Super Bowl champion and the
NFL's career leader in passer rating and
touchdown-to-interception ratio. Rosen, the Arizona Cardinals'
first-round draft pick, pilots an offense that is last in the
NFL in scoring, total offense and passing offense.
Rosen and Rodgers met before this year's draft and immediately
hit it off, and they'll face each other when the Cardinals visit
Lambeau Field on Sunday.
Rosen hopes to one day be as feared as Rodgers is by defensive
coordinators around the league.
"It's cool how head coaches and defensive coordinators against
him are always fearful ‘that' play can happen anywhere at any
time," Rosen said on Wednesday. "That sense of lethality at any
time and that sort of fear, only a few guys have in this league.
Hopefully I can gain that someday."
Neither quarterback has been lethal this year. Rodgers has
thrown 20 touchdown passes against one interception but ranks
just 26th in completion percentage (61.7 percent). Green Bay has
lost four of five and, at 4-6-1, is on the fringes of the NFC
playoff chase.
One of the league's highest-profile players, Rodgers has faced
rare criticism in recent weeks as the offense has gone nowhere
fast.
"I think this is kind of normal when you've had sustained
success for a long time," Rodgers said on Wednesday. "We've seen
this over the years. We saw it in 2009 when we were 4-4. We saw
it in '12 when we started slow and in '16 when we were 4-6. This
is the news cycle. This is what you guys are talking about. You
guys are doing your job. We're not playing as well as we have in
the past and these are the kinds of stories that are going to
come out."
Rosen, who will make his ninth career start on Sunday, is 32nd
out of 34 qualifying quarterbacks in passer rating. In the
highest-scoring season in NFL history, the Cardinals are
averaging just 14.1 points per game and have reached 20 just
twice.
While far from the only problem, Rosen has dealt with growing
pains, including throwing an interception in six consecutive
games and totaling 13 turnovers.
"Aaron will be the first to tell you he made a lot of mistakes,
and it's nice to hear from someone who is glad to have learned
from those mistakes," Rosen said. "Hopefully, I gained some
knowledge so I don't trip over similar wires."
The Packers have tripped over several wires this season, failing
to win back-to-back games all year. Now, they'll have to win
five in a row, and most likely get some help, to return to the
playoffs. That scenario seems implausible given their
inconsistent play and growing injury list.
"You've just got to keep swinging," Packers receiver Davante
Adams said. "That's really what it's about. That's how the good
teams, or the great teams, bounce back. It's tough saying bounce
when you're this deep into the season but, at the same time,
everything is still out there in front of us.
"We don't really control our destiny as much as we would like at
this point, but we still do. So go out and win these last five
and everybody buy in and do what we've got to do to make sure we
get in."
The Packers are expected to get wideout Randall Cobb (hamstring)
back after he missed six of the last eight games. He's
officially questionable, along with left tackle David Bakhtiari
(knee), guard Lane Taylor (quad) and cornerbacks Kevin King
(hamstring) and Bashaud Breeland (groin). Green Bay will remain
without defensive lineman Mike Daniels (foot) and safety
Kentrell Brice (ankle, concussion).
For the Cardinals, safety Budda Baker (knee), left tackle D.J.
Humphries (knee) and linebacker Haason Reddick (neck) are
questionable.
--Field Level Media
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