Lost amid the borderline disrespectful observations from former Packers quarterback Brett Favre regarding the inability of his successor, Aaron Rodgers, to win a Super Bowl more quickly was an allegation from Rodgers that this weekend’s opponent made some “borderline disrespectful” observations after the Packers pounded the Falcons in the playoffs.
“I just think that some of the general comments that I heard that that game was kind of a fluke, maybe,” Rodgers said, via NFL.com. “I would just say that I think you need to respect your opponents. We definitely respect the Falcons. . . . I just felt like that maybe the respect level, just as far as those comments were concerned, maybe [wasn’t] there at times.”
Rodgers apparently was referring to Falcons receiver Roddy White’s post-game contention that the Falcons are “a better team,” and that Atlanta lost because it “didn’t perform at our highest level.”
White is now trying to downplay his comments. “What am I supposed to say about last year?” White said Thursday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It was last year. If he wants to use that as motivation, let him use that as motivation. Anything to get you going? He’s reaching.”
It’s really not much of a reach. White claimed that the Falcons are a better team. So now Rodgers and the Packers believe they need to prove that the playoff win wasn’t an aberration.
And if that gets the Packers going, then it’s worth using it as motivation. Especially since it’s typically hard for the defending champions to find an external basis for motivation.