Aaron Rodgers Comments on Packers' Preparation, Denies Players-Only Meeting

Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't feel his team's preparation was up to snuff in Week 12's 17-13 Thanksgiving loss to the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.

Although he did deny a private players-only meeting was held to address the apparent issue, Rodgers wasn't shy Sunday to publicly vent his frustrations regarding the work the Packers have done before games, per ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky:    

"

It goes back to what you're doing in your spare time and what you're doing with your time in the facility. Being a pro is all about making sure you're as ready as possible by the time the game hits. I think that's the important thing for guys to remember here, especially young guys.

We're 15 games into the season, counting preseason. That's a long grind for those guys, especially the rookies. This is the time where they really got to get through that wall, and the vets -- the vets have had some [missed assignments] as well. So we've got to buckle down our preparation and make sure we're ready to play.

"

So no teammate was immune to Rodgers' criticism, be it first-year pros or players with plenty of experience. It's the kind of tough love Green Bay may need from its signal-caller as it sees its hopes of winning the NFC North for a fifth straight year beginning to slip.

As for the alleged players-only meeting cited in Thursday's game by NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth, it never did transpire, according to the face of the Packers franchise.

"There wasn't any players-only meeting, no," said Rodgers, per Demovsky. "There's meetings with the offense all the time. We break up offense and defense, we break up into position groups, but there wasn't anything resembling what he talked about, from what I heard. I didn't see the broadcast."

The Minnesota Vikings have jumped out to an 8-3 record and hold a one-game lead over Green Bay in the division. Although Rodgers' side defeated Minnesota handily by a score of 30-13 in Week 11, the Packers suffered a serious letdown on a short week during the holiday.

Week 13 marks Green Bay's second straight Thursday contest within the division when it hits the road to take on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Even a matchup with the NFC North's cellar-dweller isn't going to be easy because Detroit is on a three-game winning streak, whereas the Packers have lost four of five.

Rodgers appears to be missing injured top receiver Jordy Nelson even more as the season wears on. The good news is Eddie Lacy has picked up the slack in the backfield with back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances after an underwhelming start to 2015.

If preparation improves, Lacy keeps rolling and Green Bay continues to stand tall—it currently has the league's No. 6 scoring defense—perhaps Rodgers will be better able to adhere to his renowned "Relax" refrain.