MINNEAPOLIS - The dropped deep ball in the first game was frustrating, and Aaron Rodgers always wants to throw back a couple.
But what bothered the four-time MVP quarterback most after Sunday's season-opening 23-7 dud against the Vikings at US Bank Stadium were the mental mistakes that appeared everywhere on offense.
A lot more across the board," Rogers said. “It’s hard to win in this league, and it's hard to win when you get in your own way so many times."
He cited players going the wrong way on a block, missing a safety call, not being on the same page with a hot read, and route mistakes with depth and timing.
With injuries to front-rowers David Bakhtaran, Elton Jenkins and Allen Lazard, the Packers were forced to play a bunch of young linemen and receivers, but Rodgers insisted there are no excuses at this level.
The truth is, we're professionals," Rogers said. "There's an expectation of a performance, and it starts with preparation. There were a lot of issues with the preparation, and it was amazing."
He noted on three or four plays, the blocking up front wasn't executed properly, assignment-wise, and big play opportunities down the field were wasted.
He admitted he made a "dumb decision" to throw a jump ball deep to Randall Cobb that was picked off by Harrison Smith.
Also, once during a scramble drill, two receivers downfield did the opposite of what Rodgers expected.