In the last 15 years, Aaron Rodgers has compiled an in-game passer rating of less than 60 only nine times.
He's followed eight of those games with a win, while compiling a composite passer rating of 121.0 in all nine follow-up games.
Rodgers had two of what he called "stinkers" this season. He followed up his 58.0 passer rating against Seattle with a 96.1 in a win at New England. Now he hopes to follow up his 50.6 passer rating in Los Angeles with a win against the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.
What's been his key to bouncing back so well?
"Just consistency," said Rodgers after Wednesday's practice. "If the process is right, you don't have to make any major changes or freak out. It's the nature of the league. There's going to be a stinker every now and then. You just gotta bounce back, get back to the things you do, get back in your routine, and try to be better the next week."
Rodgers was back in his routine Wednesday, and afterward he talked about what went wrong in the loss Sunday night to the Chargers.
"Third down wasn't very good," he said. "We were 0 for our first 9. That put us in a bind overall. Obviously, field position didn't help, but when you're backed up, you got to get a first down, a couple first downs, so we didn't do that. Turned the ball too many times."
Why?
"Well, they've got a good defense," he said. "They clamped us down, and a couple of throws I usually hit, I missed. That's kind of the main reasons."
Mike Tomlin, at his Tuesday press conference, repeatedly said that the Steelers need to better develop a better second option behind DK Metcalf. Rodgers concurred, but did say he won't ignore his leading receiver, even if he's being double-teamed.
"I would expect (defenses) to," Rodgers said. "DK is an A receiver. He's a dominant player, and we need to find ways, even when he's getting doubled, to give him more targets. But when they double him the way they doubled him the other night, there's not as many opportunities as you might think."
That's when a No. 2 option needs to step up. Rodgers was asked about his old teammate, the Steelers' new acquisition, Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
"I love MVS," Rodgers said. "We've got a lot of history together. If he's ready, and he's showing in practice that he's got a grasp with the offense, I'm sure they'll put him out there. But I got a lot of confidence in the way Roman (Wilson) has developed, and Calvin (Austin). Scotty (Miller) is coming back from an injury, so we'll see what his availability is like. But, yeah, if MVS is out there, I feel comfortable because I played with him a lot of snaps."
Reporters took turns volleying names at Rodgers.
On Miller: "He runs and he catches. He runs fast and he catches the ball. He's an unselfish guy and he's super smart. He knows his scheme and understands where he fits in all the progressions."
On Wilson: "(The touchdown) was a good play, but I think the play, the adjustment he made in Green Bay, was a better play than that one. He just kind of ran the route, caught, and ran fast. To me, the better play was in Green Bay when he had a go route and just kind of broke his route off and pointed to the middle field and made a contested catch."
On Pat Freiermuth: "Pat's a really smart player, and we got to keep finding ways to get him on the field. Darnell (Washington) has been a big part of our success, but we gotta get Pat some more opportunities, too, and maybe both of them out there at the same time."
