Cobb: Packers' playoff berth 'huge'

Gannett Wisconsin Media’s Brett Christopherson caught up with Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb, who shared his thoughts on Sunday’s 30-20 victory over the Oakland Raiders:

The offense wasn’t as efficient as it could have been during Sunday’s game, but as Mike McCarthy said afterward, he doesn’t care about “style points.’ He also said he’s “sick and tired" of talking about the negatives. How do you assess the offense and where it’s at now that you know you’re in the playoffs? What do you like about what’s happening on that side of the ball?

RC: We’re winning. The most important thing. The only thing that really matters. At the end of the day, we’re winning. We find ways to do it as a team, and that’s what football is all about. It’s a team sport. We’ve had some prolific offenses in the past, and we haven’t been able to get it done as far as winning the Super Bowl. It takes a full team effort, and we’ve been finding ways to do that over the course of the season.

Packers finding a way despite offensive woes

Aaron Rodgers said wide receiver Jared Abbrederis “needs to be on the field more” after Abbrederis came up with some big catches against Oakland. How ready is he to assume a more prominent role in the offense? And how have you helped in his continued development?

RC: I think Jared is definitely ready. I think the biggest thing is he’s making the most of his opportunities. He’s making those plays when he gets those chances. And whenever you’re able to do that, whenever you’re given those opportunities — he hasn’t had too many this season, but when he has, he has been impactful. He has made some big third-down catches, and he has made some big plays across the board. That’s what Aaron wants. That’s what he needs. And that’s what we need as a team on the field. We need guys making those plays. And the more guys we can get making plays like that, the better we can be. …

We all learn from each other. I think that’s one of the special things about our group. I’m able to learn different things from him, and he’ll learn things from me. We both learn things from Davante (Adams) and JJ (James Jones) and Jordy (Nelson) when he was out there. We’re able to learn and pick up things from different people, and that’s what makes us all special. We bring something different to the table, and we all pick up and learn from each other.

Tight end Andrew Quarless was activated this week after rookie wide receiver Ty Montgomery was placed on injured reserve. What can the addition of Quarless mean to the offense as you get ready for these final two regular-season games and the playoffs?

RC: Another playmaker. He provides another asset at tight end. He’s an unbelievable blocker who opens up running lanes for our running backs. He makes big third-down catches. He’s a solid guy that we need out there. And we need everybody on deck these last few weeks and getting ready for the playoffs. I’m excited to get him back out on the field.

The Packers have qualified for postseason play a franchise-record seven consecutive seasons. Can you appreciate how difficult it is to maintain that level of consistent success?

RC: Yeah, I wish everybody could. This isn’t easy. The NFL is not easy. Anytime you can make it into the playoffs is a blessing. Everybody wants to talk about how our offense is looking right now. We’re in the playoffs. That is huge. We’re a very blessed team to be able to do some of the things that we’ve been capable of doing over the years. It’s about bringing home the Lombardi (Trophy) and whatever it’s going to take to get that. That’s our main focus. We’ve been able to get 10 wins, which is one of our goals. We still have an opportunity to win our division, which is another one of our goals. Everything that we want is right in front of us. It’s just about going out and playing and getting it.

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Switching gears, and since this is the holiday season, what’s on Randall Cobb’s Christmas wish list this year?

RC: You know, I don’t have much to ask for. I’m very blessed. I’m thankful for my health, my family’s health and just being surrounded by loved ones. That’s all I want. That’s all I need for Christmas — being able to spend time with the ones I love and enjoy this time that we get with them.

Brett Christopherson: 920-993-7117, or brett.christopherson@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @PCBrettC