More progress, more work to do for Aaron Rodgers, Packers’ offense

[Cheesehead]

Whoever deserves more of the blame, it was another example of how the communication between the new head coach and the veteran quarterback remains a work in progress.


A lot in that realm was on display Sunday. Rodgers wore a wristband with play calls on it to help with some of the plays requiring extra verbiage. LaFleur could use a shorthand call for those on the wristband, and then Rodgers could spit out the entire play in the huddle, speeding up the process. Rodgers said it was used some but not a lot. LaFleur liked the changed method.


The two also sat down next to each other on the bench during one defensive series to talk through what was going on. LaFleur noted his trust in defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, a former head coach, allows him to do that, and he wants to know what his quarterback is thinking in the moment, particularly after things had stalled following such a smooth and efficient start.


“I want to be sure he and I are on the same page and I’m calling things he’s comfortable with,” LaFleur said. “I know this: If he’s confident in it, it has a lot better chance of working.”


While Rodgers joked about LaFleur getting “cozy on the bench,” it was a new approach for a head coach with Rodgers. He said only interim head coach Joe Philbin last year had done that with him before.


So the evolution of the communication, the mechanics and the progress of the offense will remain ongoing. There was a lot more to like than in Week 1, and if a prime opportunity or two hadn’t been squandered, Week 2 might have been pleasantly devoid of drama.


It goes back to two being the magic number. Two games with plenty of frustrations and regrets, but two wins, and Rodgers is enjoying the celebrations.


While lauding the athletic cornerback tandem of Jaire Alexander and Kevin King, the “stand-up, charismatic leadership” of Preston and Za’Darius Smith, and the “hungry” mixture of youth and veterans in the locker room, Rodgers likes what he referred to as a close-knit team.


He’ll happily take all that and keep working on the rest.


“Last year I believe we won one in the division,” he said. “We had a tie but only won one. We’re on the right track.”