Aaron Rodgers is the type of leader who puts the team's practice performance on his own shoulders.
In his mind, it's not the responsibility of the coaching staff.
Before the Bills game, Rodgers said, "You've got to maybe crank that thing up maybe 1% and get a little bit more locked in. It's really on the players."
And after the loss to the Bills dropped the Steelers to 6-6, Rodgers said, "We had a better preparation week, and a poorer practice week for whatever reason. ... It wasn't our best week of practice."
Since then, Rodgers has dialed up the team's practice intensity, and it's paid off with two big wins.
A 42-year-old who doesn't take veteran days off, Rodgers is sounding the practice alarm again before Sunday'sgame in Detroit against the 8-6 Lions.
"The execution has been better at practice the last couple weeks," Rodgers said. "Again, that doesn't translate to wins. We've had many over my years, many poor practice weeks and excellent execution on game day. But I do believe it's easier to play well on Sunday or game day when you have your week of practice. So, we have trended in the right direction.
"There's a way that good teams practice late in season. We're starting to resemble that."
With back-to-back wins over the Ravens and Dolphins, the 8-6 Steelers appear to be finding their stride. Rodgers said "the details have been good. I think preparation has been good during the week. ... I think we've been locked in, had better practices."
In saying so, Rodgers revealed the self-discipline that's allowed his body and arm to remain in the kind of shape that allowed him to play one of the best games of his career Monday nightagainst the Dolphins. Rodgers' completion percentage of 85.2% was the second-highest of his 21-year career.
Rodgers attributed much of that success to not only a strong practice week, but an enjoyment of playing in cold weather. Rodgers is 24-8 in 32 degrees or lower, and Monday night's temperature was 17 degrees at kickoff with a wind chill of 7 degrees.
Rodgers won't have such luck in Detroit's dome.
The Lions, of course, were part of the division, NFC North, in which he had spent 18 years with Green Bay.
"Back in the day, when we played there, (crowd noise) wasn't a big factor," Rodgers said. "In the early years we played there, there'd be some games we had some crowd noise, but I would say since (coach) Dan (Campbell) got there, it's been a different type of crowd. And we were there when their run started. I believe in 2022 we could have buried them, and they beat us and kind of went on a run and finished the season hot. And next year they were in the NFC Championship. So Dan has obviously created a good culture there, and the fans are believing and showing up early and are really loud. So it's a really good environment to play in."
The Lions were 1-6 in 2022 when they hosted the Packers and won. They finished 9-8, and the following season lost in the NFC Championship Game. They went 15-2 last season before losing in the first round of the playoffs.
Like the Steelers, the Lions started this season 4-1and are now 8-6. They could be eliminated from this season's playoffs with a loss to the Steelers and a tie between the Bears and Packers.
This year's Lions are the NFL's highest-scoring team, and Rodgers must keep an eye on pass-rushing sensation Aidan Hutchinson. The NFL's No. 2 pressures rusher has 9.5 sacks this season.
"He is a game-wrecker. He's a fantastic player," Rodgers said. "He's making his way down the path of being a generational-type player."
So, the Steelers will no doubt have Hutchinson in mind as they turn up the practice velocity in this short week.
"The best way to play well on game day is to find a way to make the game seem like practice," Rodgers said. "And the only way to do that is to make practice as game-like as possible. That's why practice is so important to me. Every rep matters, even if it's a walk-through.
"You have to play the game out Monday to Saturday, so when you get to Sunday, or game day, it feels like practice. Because in practice, there aren't the nerves that show up on game day, so how can I make the game feel as much like practice? I have to make practice feel as much like the game as I possibly can."
Words his team can win by.
