GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Aaron Rodgers knew the questions would come his way on Wednesday.
How does he bounce back after a poor game?
How much better should he be playing?
What share of the blame does he deserve for the offensive struggles?
Is there too much scrutiny on the two-time NFL MVP?
And on and on it went as the Green Bay Packers quarterback stood in front of his locker for his regular weekly session with reporters.
"No offense, but you guys are predictable," Rodgers said. "We knew when we came in here -- and I knew I had this on Wednesday -- I knew what the line of questioning was going to be. You guys got a job to do. You scrutinize, you analyze and you make opinions based on how you feel a team is progressing or not progressing or playing. And we appreciate that. But inside, we don't think the same way that you guys think. We don't approach our job and scrutinize the same way. Now we're very honest about our performance and about the way we're playing and about what we've got to do, but we don't worry about the outside opinions."
When asked for his view from the inside, Rodgers said: "I'm not going to because that's an inside-the-locker room opinion, and there needs to be a separation between what you guys think about us and what we feel about ourselves. Because our expectations and our opinions of each other and the offense is way more important than your opinion of us. To us."
So where does that leave Rodgers and the 29th-ranked offense in the NFL after two games?
Earlier on Wednesday, coach Mike McCarthy expressed unwavering support of his quarterback, who uncharacteristically ranks near the bottom of the NFL in completion percentage (30th), yards per attempt (31st) and passer rating (21st).
"His work ethic is at the top of his career, the time he spends in his facility, with his coaches and his teammates, so from that, it's a process," McCarthy said. "We'll all stick to the process and from that we'll all have success."
Rodgers, the NFL's career leader in passing rating (103.8), hasn't had a game with a 100 rating since Week 6 of last season, and he hasn't had a 300-yard game since last Nov. 15 against the Detroit Lions, who come to Lambeau Field on Sunday.
"We've set a standard for so long -- myself, our team -- of playing at such a high level that when we have a couple of disappointing performances, we know what's coming," Rodgers said. "Now we would love to get back out there and dominate and have this thing turn around, but we know if we go on a run and we lose a game and play poorly, it's going to be right back in the same position. This is part of the game that we're prepared for. This is the game within the game, just talking to you guys and giving you guys something you guys can use. We appreciate what you do, but we're not ultimately judged or worried about your opinions of us and your scrutiny of us."
Rodgers admitted that he needs to play better.
"I know I've got to play better, and I will," he said.
And he indicated that the biggest issue might be his timing with the receivers and the offensive line.
"The West coast offense is all about timing, and if your timing is even just a little bit off, you're going to be miles off at times with your connection points," Rodgers said. "We've been working on that throughout training camp and the regular season, but it's a little different when it's live out there and things are a little bit off based on coverage or protection or anything else that could mix up the timing in our offense. So we've got to get back to finding ways to throw it on time. And that's only done when we're at the proper break point at the right time, and then you can deliver an accurate ball on time so you can eliminate some of those times you've got to hold it because your guy's not at the proper break point and you're putting stress on the offensive line, the protection, and that's something we're working on."