Jim Biever / Green Bay Packers
Kuhn (left) will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
John Kuhn has been a valuable member of the Green Bay Packers for a decade now, and part of some of the best offensive teams under coach Mike McCarthy. This year the offense was not as productive as in the past. I asked Kuhn, who will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, what he thought the problem was.
Tauscher: Was there a blueprint that teams used against this offense? How much differently did opposing defenses play this offense after the injury to wide receiver Jordy Nelson?
Kuhn: Teams played more man coverage with a safety in the box to stop the run. As the season ebbed and flowed we exploited it at times, but we weren’t consistent enough at executing to force teams out of it.
At what point did you realize the offense wouldn’t be as productive as in the past four years? Was there a point that the frustration was at its highest?
I don’t think we ever lost confidence in our ability to be productive. We definitely had occurrences of frustration in our inconsistency in execution mostly within our struggles at home.
What was different about Mike McCarthy calling the plays instead of Tom Clements?
There was a difference in urgency with the preparation and execution of plays. Which is a natural reaction when [the offense] struggles.
How did you and your teammates view Aaron Rodgers play and leadership this year?
He is an unbelievable leader. First with his play, to watch him continually put us in a position to compete regularly. And second with his unwavering faith in the supporting cast to be able to make plays. Whenever your best player is optimistic, the feeling is contagious.
How does your mindset differ being a veteran player from when you were just getting started in the NFL?
The hardest thing for an older guy is that you start to feel the agony of letting opportunities from over the years slip through your fingers. You can start to feel the pressure of your opportunities running out.
Mark Tauscher and John Kuhn co-host a radio show during football season on WTMJ-AM.