Aaron Rodgers may need to have a little chat with Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur about the game plan for the Packers’ first game in London.
After arriving in the British capital on an overnight flight, LaFleur was quick to tout the importance of the run game on Sunday against the New York Giants, who feature the best rushing attack in the NFL.
But the British fans have waited a long time to see Rodgers’s big arm in action, with the Packers the last of the NFL’s 32 teams to play in London.
So is the quarterback feeling any added incentive to put on a show by airing it out?
“Of course,” Rodgers said. “Matt’s kind of in a grumpy mood right now. When he gets a little bit of rest, he’ll be in a better mood. We’ll talk about airing it out a bit more.”
While that comment was clearly tongue-in-cheek, there’s no doubt that Rodgers and the Packers will be the main attraction at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Giants played in the very first NFL regular-season game in London at 2007 and also visited in 2016.
But as LaFleur pointed out, this might be a run-heavy game on both sides. Saquon Barkley is leading the league in rushing yards, while the Packers’ offense has largely been built around running back duo Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon this season.
“Our backs are two of our best players, so we’ve got to get those guys involved,” LaFleur said after arriving at the team’s luxury hotel, located in the countryside northwest of London. “If you look at New York’s defense situationally, they’re one of the best in ball. Both in the red zone and on third down. So the running game can alleviate just some of the stress that gets put on you in those situations if you’re not running the ball effectively.”
Rodgers has yet to score a rushing touchdown this season, but was asked whether he plans to replicate the Lambeau Leap with a “London Leap” on Sunday if he does manage to get into the end zone.
“I might have to tag somebody in for me. I’m getting a little old for that,” the 38-year-old Rodgers said. “But I’ve got to see the wall, I don’t know how high the wall is. If it’s above maybe five feet, I’ll probably let one of the linemen go.”
The Packers and Giants both arrived on Friday morning, meaning they only have two days to get used to the jet lag and time difference. Rodgers, whose habit of traveling to different countries in the offseason has been well documented, said he would have loved to come out earlier.