I don't understand fans hoping for the Packers to lose so it might result in changes. While I doubt the current coaching staff being capable of turning it around I for sure root for them to make it happen.
I share that hope, but with 3 "burn the tape" games in the first half of the season my optimism if fading fast.
Other than the Cowboys, who are looking suspiciously like some of the earlier Belichick NE teams, I don't see a lot of compelling competition in the conference, which makes this season's "burn the tape" flops all that more disappointing.
When I turn the TV on (or watch the replay tape) for 3 1/2 hours, the first thing I want to see is a well-played, competitive football game. Frankly, I'd rather watch a game like SEA vs. NE this past week than a badly played Packer effort where they happen to pull out a win.
I would never hope for the Packers to lose; if they win while playing sh*tty quite frankly I find it a lot less satisfying than watching a well-played competitive game where the Packers are not involved.
We can blame the injuries to some extent. While it's true that everybody has them to one degree or another, it presents a particular problem with draft-and-develop teams. With d-and-d, if you have to go deep into the bench you may find a guy with upside who is just not ready vs. a team with, say, 3 year guys who have hit their moderate upside but can be serviceable if called upon.
D-and-d means you give guys a lot of rope, that is time to translate the potential you saw when you drafted them. But while you wait, and in some cases wait too long, you do so at the expense of a serviceable bench.
McCarthy talks about the "second year jump". Ryan, for example, is showing that, and there were indications at the end of last season that the jump should be expected. Sometimes there are mitigating circumstances, such as Adams being among the walking wounded all of year 2, then the rope needs to be extended to year 3.
But when you have to dig deep for a 3 year player who has been relatively healthy throughout and who showed nothing through 2 years like Goodson, with a PED suspension to boot, and whose sole utility is on special teams, you'll end up seeing the downside of draft and develop. Richard Rodgers is another example. At the end of last season we were looking at the same player we saw early in his first season. He topped out early. He's not even a #2 NFL TE. But they stuck with their draft choice.
