GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Matt Flynn took all of the starting
quarterback reps for the Green Bay Packers in Wednesday's practice. So, unless
Aaron Rodgers is medically cleared in time for Sunday's game against the
Atlanta Falcons (which it doesn't seem he will be), it will be Flynn making his
second consecutive start for the Packers.
With Flynn the center of attention in Green Bay's locker
room, the team's temporary starting QB talked about what he learned from his
poor performance on Thanksgiving in Detroit, whether his arm strength is a
problem and much more.
Here are five question-and-answer highlights from the
interview with Flynn:
1. What did you learn from last week's game against the
Lions?
FLYNN: "Learned a lot of what not to do. Got our butts
kicked and go forward. Take a look at the things you did wrong, what happened.
But really you have to kind of look at it like, I compare it to a really bad
round of golf. We went out there and got our butts kicked, have to forget about
it. We have four more games left, and we have a good opponent coming in here
this weekend. There's not a whole lot of positive to take away from what we did
last week, so forget about it and move on."
2. Do you need to take more shots downfield to loosen up
eight-man defensive fronts?
FLYNN: "Yeah, that's the plan. People are going to load
the box, we have to make them respect the pass. We just have to execute; that's
what it comes down to, execution. Be good to get in and get some work in this
week just in case I play … and get some timing down and things like that.
Looking forward to that. But obviously if people are loading the box on you,
you've got to throw it and make them get out of it."
3. Did you just never feel in-rhythm in the Detroit game?
FLYNN: "Definitely not. We didn't get in a rhythm. I
can't count how many three and outs we had, but not getting any rhythm as an
offense or a quarterback, that's kind of an empty feeling. It's one of those
feelings where the harder you keep trying, the more you keep digging yourself
in a hole."
4. With the Packers having to win four straight games to
have a chance at making the postseason, how confident are you that can happen
if you start all four games?
FLYNN: "I've always been a confident person. I'm not
sitting here saying that if I had to play or whatever, (that) I'm going to go
out and win these by myself. We have a great team, we do. Everybody has the
same mindset, everybody's said the same thing: We have a better team than what
our record shows. My job as a quarterback is not to go out there and win the
game by myself. My job's to get us in the right position, get us moving the
sticks and get the ball into the playmakers' hands."
5. There were a few throws in that game that seemed as if
your arm strength wasn't what it used to be. There aren't any issues that have
changed your velocity?
FLYNN: "You know, out at practice I feel like it's 100
percent. I think I've kind of gotten the problem this last week of maybe trying
to guide the ball a little too much instead of just kind of let it cut loose a
little bit after so many negative plays and things like that, and trying to be
too precise with things. Instead of just going out there and playing and
cutting loose."
