Will they make the playoffs?

[Zartan]

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[Dagger85]

Dagger - while you are correct that the Packers righted the ship in the 2010 injury riddled season and went on to win the Super Bowl, you will have to admit that they have not looked this bad over a 3 game stretch since Rodgers became the starter in 2008.

In 2010, here were their 6 losses - and they did not lose 3 games in a row that year:
@ Chicago lost 20 - 17 (3 point loss)
@ Washington lost 16 - 13 in OT (3 point loss)
vs Miami lost 23 - 20 in OT (3 point loss)
@ Atlanta lost 20 - 17 (3 point loss)
@ Detroit lost 7 - 3 (4 point loss - Rodgers knocked out of that game)
@ New England lost 31 - 27 (4 point loss - Matt Flynn started)

Three of those losses were to playoff teams - Chicago (11-5) won the NFC North, Atlanta (13-3) won the NFC South, New England (14-2) won the AFC East. Washington (6-10), Miami (7-9), and Detroit (6-10) all missed the playoffs. They were in every game they lost and made a few adjustments and corrections to get to the Super Bowl and win it all.

Fast forward to 2015 and the Packers 3 losses:
@ Denver lost 29 - 10 (19 point loss) which is Denver's largest margin of victory this year and lost to a team who have lost 2 straight games since and benched Peyton Manning today.
@ Carolina lost 37 - 29 (8 point loss) to a team that is probably the best team in the NFC.
vs Detroit lost 18 - 16 (2 point loss) to arguably the worst team in the NFL.

I really believe that it is going to take a lot more than just making a few adjustments to right this ship. While I agree that firing everyone is not the answer, I do believe that some huge major changes have to be made to get this team back on track. Maybe bringing in Joe Philbin as an offensive consultant, if Philbin would even consider it, might help the offense. And who was the OC in 2010 - Joe Philbin.

Great post and great info! No, it will take work, but we were there just a month ago. So whatever isn't clicking I think can be corrected. I don't think we need anything major done. We have the talent to win it all, it's just a matter of making it click.

 

[Favre3132]

Dagger - I love your optimism and I do want to badly believe that you are exactly right. I do believe that some changes, however large or small, need to be made to the current offensive scheme because, as it appears, teams have figured out what we are doing, which is compounded by the struggles of Rodgers, the o-line, and the inability of the receivers to get open.

I do not know what the answer is, and if I did, I would be making millions of dollars as a coach in the NFL. But I do know that something is broken with the Packers right now.

I hope that your assessment that things can be corrected is spot on, because I like your assessment of things better than mine.

 

[dbain21]

I'll say yes, only because I think if..IF they get hot... they can win 4-5-6 consecutive games.

 

[Dagger85]

Dagger - I love your optimism and I do want to badly believe that you are exactly right. I do believe that some changes, however large or small, need to be made to the current offensive scheme because, as it appears, teams have figured out what we are doing, which is compounded by the struggles of Rodgers, the o-line, and the inability of the receivers to get open.

I do not know what the answer is, and if I did, I would be making millions of dollars as a coach in the NFL. But I do know that something is broken with the Packers right now.

I hope that your assessment that things can be corrected is spot on, because I like your assessment of things better than mine.

Me too! But I can definitely see where you are coming from.

By the way, we had slight difference of opinion and were very cordial and respectful of each other. Forums need more of this.

 

[Favre3132]

Dagger - no reason for me to be disrespectful to a fellow Packer fan. We may disagree on some things, but so what. We both want the same thing for the Packers, and that is to win and be competitive. And they should be winning with Rodgers & Company. I am struggling because I am not accustomed to seeing this level of poor play from Rodgers and this team.

You are right - forums need more posters who are respectful with one another even when they disagree or have different opinions.

GO PACK GO!

 

[Dagger85]

Dagger - no reason for me to be disrespectful to a fellow Packer fan. We may disagree on some things, but so what. We both want the same thing for the Packers, and that is to win and be competitive. And they should be winning with Rodgers & Company. I am struggling because I am not accustomed to seeing this level of poor play from Rodgers and this team.

You are right - forums need more posters who are respectful with one another even when they disagree or have different opinions.

GO PACK GO!

You know it! At the end of the day we both want the same thing. Take the division back next week. Go Pack!

 

[Zeck180]

This team almost reminds me of the 2008 team where it seemed the offense couldn't figure out how to get things to click and the defense couldn't figure out how to keep opponents from scoring when it mattered. Of course we finished 6-10 I highly doubt this team will lose 10 in a row.

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

Dagger - no reason for me to be disrespectful to a fellow Packer fan. We may disagree on some things, but so what. We both want the same thing for the Packers, and that is to win and be competitive. And they should be winning with Rodgers & Company. I am struggling because I am not accustomed to seeing this level of poor play from Rodgers and this team.

You are right - forums need more posters who are respectful with one another even when they disagree or have different opinions.

GO PACK GO!

And this is good, nobody wants the board to lose its sanity or level-headed thinking. I know we all are gonna come out here next week and hope that these offensive issues that have bugged this team will get fixed and that the Packers we all know will show up.

I think the biggest reason for me in why there's been a little more venting out on the coaches and even players to a certain extent has just been the lack of identity that the team has veered off from lately.

I think we all very much got used to the McCarthy way of wide receivers hitting seam routes right on cadence, and especially plays thriving on the yardage after the catch thing. That's what kind of became a hallmark of this Packers team was yardage after the catch and breaking tackles, things that were commonplace from WRs like Donald Driver and Greg Jennings over the years and I think it's just been tough to see that our passing game just isn't manufacturing those so good this year. I think fans just feel like this team has gotten away from that philosophy and tried to do things in a manner that just isn't working. Sometimes admitting to being wrong, as a player or coach, can be a tough thing to do. More often than not, MM gets it right as does AR, but in this year I think they've done some things that have gone wrong and they will have to swallow their pride to go back and get it right.

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

You know it! At the end of the day we both want the same thing. Take the division back next week. Go Pack!

Could you two be present in the shoutbox for next week ?
People respecting other peoples opinion ?, awesome !

 

[PFanCan]

Hey, all, Packer fans, I have five letters for you....




P-A-N-I-C

 

[Sunshinepacker]

Has the Packers' offense had a really good game yet this season (outside the Chiefs game when the Chiefs were missing like 23 members of the secondary)? At what point does the possibility that this team's oline is truly bad become the reality that the offense isn't very good this year? Rodgers doesn't trust his protection and he's hearing footsteps on every play and the running game can't get going.

 

[lambeaulambo]

If the team continues to show the lack of execution and urgency they have shown the last 3 weeks, then we shall see more of the same. This situation starts to reek that the issues lie in the coaching staff. This lack of prep has gone on long enough. Aaron Rodgers behind a decent o line is a heart stopper. I hope I am wrong, but it sure is starting to look like some of our evaluators in the last 5 years have been shortsighted and that is being nice. You put Aaron behind Dallas line and he will light it up. This team is not playoff caliber today, the question lies as to where to go from here. Coaching prowess will either reveal how poorly this team has been managed, or how well adjustments lead to success.

My gut tells me it is the former, I hope I am wrong, and that this is just a short lived funk. If not, get out the guillotine.

 

[XPack]

We need to right the ship in a hurry, and this requires firing some coaching staff and bringing in a fresh pair of brains, particularly on defense.

Firing your most important staff in mid-season will never work. Players getting used to new coach/tactics/strategy takes time and it's not something you do mid-week.

We've had the existing staff for some time now and give them the benefit of doubt. If by end of season, we've not improved drastically..we can revisit the change.

 

[PackerDNA]

Hey, all, Packer fans, I have five letters for you....




P-A-N-I-C

I see what you did there, PFanCan. Heh.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I think the Packers will win the division but it will be tough to get a first-round bye. This team has too much talent to not make it out of their slump, especially on offense.

 

[Half Empty]

Despite losing 3 straight, they are still in great position to get themselves there. As fans, we should consider ourselves lucky; last 4 games have been so-so before this clunker, but they won 2 of them, somehow

Hence, those of us for whom a-win-is-a-win doesn't ring true. Unless one is talking about the Super Bowl, an ugly win can often be the portent of things to come.

 

[Mondio]

I think the Packers will win the division but it will be tough to get a first-round bye. This team has too much talent to not make it out of their slump, especially on offense.

I mostly agree, but it's getting tougher when every week it's "something" on offense. couldn't get open, yesterday they did and dropped it. Didn't have time before, yesterday he did at times and threw it in the dirt or over their heads. I do think we have too much talent to be this bad all year, but our problems seem to be a moving target in a way. It's not one guy or one things and when something improves,s omething else gets worse.

They have the guys to get better, I just haven't seen it yet and they can't falter too much from here on out.

 

[Half Empty]

Dagger - I love your optimism and I do want to badly believe that you are exactly right. I do believe that some changes, however large or small, need to be made to the current offensive scheme because, as it appears, teams have figured out what we are doing, which is compounded by the struggles of Rodgers, the o-line, and the inability of the receivers to get open.

I do not know what the answer is, and if I did, I would be making millions of dollars as a coach in the NFL. But I do know that something is broken with the Packers right now.

I hope that your assessment that things can be corrected is spot on, because I like your assessment of things better than mine.

Heck, even without knowing the answer, you can makes millions as an NFL coach.

 

[pacmaniac]

Don't even compare this team to 2010. The 2010 team had loads more heart and mental fortitude than this one - they never trailed in any game by more than 7 and never lost by more than 4.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I'm going with the "Perfect Storm Theory" to explain the way this season is going and it dates back to the NFCC game loss in Seattle:

1. Packers end the 2014 Season in an "unlucky heart wrenching way", but TT (and most of us) views the team as "should have won the SB", fires Slocum to "fix the only reason for the loss", promotes within.
2. Free Agency period. TT signs key starters, sheds some dead weight but sticks to his philosophy and doesn't fill any needs.
3. Packers enter the draft with what fans see as glaring weaknesses at TE and ILB, but TT looks to draft and develop ignoring current needs because his team should have won the SB with its current roster.
4. 2015 Season is about to start and because of the way the Packers lost in the NFCC game, they are anointed as the favorites to win SB50.
5. Jordy goes down. Preseason is lackluster, but its just the preseason so RELAX.
6. Packers go 6-0 against some short handed not so good teams but really don't look that great in the process. The weight of being "the best team in the NFL" appears to be growing on their shoulders.
7. Packers are favorites to beat Denver and get exposed for all of their weaknesses.
8. Snowball keeps rolling in Carolina and against Detroit.

All this being said, IMO TT and the coaching staff somewhat put the Packers in this position by being Status Quo. This team, even without Jordy was thought to be the best in the NFL. What staff didn't count on was AR playing without his #1 receiver and playing like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Nor did they realize that Clements using MM's playbook wouldn't fool other teams. Finally, the play of the O-line is at the heart of many of the offensive woes. The running game is almost non-existent and AR is running for his life too much. That part of the storm I don't think anyone saw coming.

I'm not claiming to have an answer, nor can blame be placed solely on on one or two people. I just wanted to put my thoughts down as to the storm I see slowly sweeping this season away.

 

[brandon2348]

We haven't won a game in over a month. Of course the losing is gonna take a toll on everyone. This last debacle is hard to put into words.

IDK, maybe they will pull there heads out of there *** after reaching this low point.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I'm guessing most of us are former athletes. It's a lot easier to right the ship in a sport where it's just you against an opponent, but in a team game, that snowball gets big fast and stopping it's momentum can be hard. I'm trying to be optimistic and had hoped that the Lions game would serve to melt that proverbial snowball, it didn't. Sadly, it could get pretty cold in MN this Sunday and maybe just the perfect snow packing weather to keep that ball rolling.

 

[TJV]

I'm going with the "Perfect Storm Theory" to explain the way this season is going and it dates back to the NFCC game loss in Seattle:

1. Packers end the 2014 Season in an "unlucky heart wrenching way", but TT (and most of us) views the team as "should have won the SB", fires Slocum to "fix the only reason for the loss", promotes within.
2. Free Agency period. TT signs key starters, sheds some dead weight but sticks to his philosophy and doesn't fill any needs.
3. Packers enter the draft with what fans see as glaring weaknesses at TE and ILB, but TT looks to draft and develop ignoring current needs because his team should have won the SB with its current roster.
4. 2015 Season is about to start and because of the way the Packers lost in the NFCC game, they are anointed as the favorites to win SB50.
5. Jordy goes down. Preseason is lackluster, but its just the preseason so RELAX.
6. Packers go 6-0 against some short handed not so good teams but really don't look that great in the process. The weight of being "the best team in the NFL" appears to be growing on their shoulders.
7. Packers are favorites to beat Denver and get exposed for all of their weaknesses.
8. Snowball keeps rolling in Carolina and against Detroit.

•I have previously raised the ‘perfect **** storm’ theory regarding the offense but I disagree that it has anything to do with the NFCCG. The 6-0 start erased that IMO and there’s no reason to think it was some kind of “time delay bomb”.

• Firing Slocum was not presented as the “only reason for the loss”. And since the O, D, and STs contributed to the late game meltdown, McCarthy, Capers, and Slocum would have had to been fired

• Saying the glaring needs going into the draft were TE and ILB makes sense only after the second round of that draft. The Packers had just lost Tramon Williams and Davon House to free agency. In a passing league CB was obviously a glaring need and in spite of all that’s happened, thank goodness Thompson and staff picked Randall and Rollins. BTW, I'll bet they didn't view the ILBs available at #30 to be worthy of that pick.

• I don’t buy the “weight of being the favorites” at all.

• For the last couple of games, it looks to me like Rodgers only starts performing when the weight of the world game is on his shoulders. At the very least they need that urgency at the beginning of the game.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

•I have previously raised the ‘perfect **** storm’ theory regarding the offense but I disagree that it has anything to do with the NFCCG. The 6-0 start erased that IMO and there’s no reason to think it was some kind of “time delay bomb”.

The 6-0 start may have erased the sting of the loss in the NFCCG, but I think the effect of losing in the way that we did had a direct impact oh how TT approached the off season and his re-tooling the team for this year. IMO he was complacent in addressing some glaring needs on both sides of the ball and his lack of wanting to participate in the FA market proved it. I have less of an issue with the 2015 draft, then I do with the way he didn't sign any FA's to fill obvious (IMO) voids. This complaceny though would have probably been even more profound, had the Packers won the Super Bowl, so maybe I am wrong to pin it on that one game and should have tabbed it as "TT being fat and sassy" at the end of the season with the players he had.

As far as not buying into any weight of being the favorites, I respect your opinion, but I think it has psychologically effected their play as well as the play of opponents ("these are the Green Bay Packers we are playing"). The Lions showed us yesterday what a team with very few fan/media expectations are capable of and the Packers showed us what happens when you don't respect the team you are playing. So IMO, the weight of "why aren't we winning?" seems to be squarely on the face of many players.