The Packers have hit their rightful level I'm afraid. They have lost 3 in a row and 4 of their last five to fall under .500 (4-5) for the first time this late in the season since 2008.
While the offense hasn't been up to the lofty standards of the Aaron Rodgers era it has seemed to found some sort of productiveness averaging 27.25 point a game over the last 4 games after averaging 22.8 the first 5 games.
The ironic part of the offensive explosion is the Packers only score major points in 1 of the 4 quarters during a game - the 2nd quarter - where the Packers have scored 80 points compared to 60 in the 4th, 58 in the 1st and a measly 25 in 3rd quarter.
The common knowledge of the situation is that Packers only score points when they play with some sense of urgency and not throw the ball down the field. The only offense that works is the quick hitting type when the receivers are in their initial route. Once they make their first break they don't get open whether its 15 yards down the field or 50.
The current group, including the still recovering Jordy Nelson, and the current hot receiver Davante Adams and the enigma Randall Cobb, can't get separation. So when Rodgers takes a 5 or 7 step drop he can't find a open receiver and ends up running. He is the leading rusher since Eddie Lacy went down.
Another telling statistic is Rodgers is averaging 6.5 yards a pass this season after averaging 6.7 last season. Before the drop off he was averaging 8.7 or more.
This week right guard T.J. Lang will miss the game leaving Don Barclay as the starter. I have seen no word on whether left tackle David Bakhtiari will also miss the game and if he does that means No. 2 draft pick Jason Spriggs will get his first start of the season.
The offense will have Rodgers at quarterback, James Starks and new addition Christine Michael at running back, Nelson, Adams, and Cobb at receiver, Richie Rodgers at tight end unless Jared Cook can play for the first time since the 3rd game, Bryan Bulaga, Barclay, Corey Linsley, Lane Taylor and Bakhtiari/Spriggs on the line right to left.
Except for running back the offense has pretty much been intact the whole season, so there is no excuse for its lack of productivity because the players General Manager Ted Thompson has provided are playing.
What has happened is the defense has fallen apart. During the first 4 games of the season the Packers were giving up 20.75 points a games, but during the final 5 games they have given up 30.2, including 37 a game during the losing streak.
The defense will be missing inside linebacker Jake Ryan this week joining cornerbacks Sam Shields and Damarious Randall on the MIA list.
Shields was knocked out in the first game and has missed the last 8 games. Randall was hurt in the 3rd game against the Lions and missed the next game against the Giants. He aggravated his groin the next game against the Cowboys and has missed the last 4 games.
Clay Matthews played the 1st 2 games missed the Lions game, played the next 3 and has missed the last 3 games. He might play this week.
Quinten Rollins started the season as the slot corner and when Shields went down it was undrafted free agent LaDarius Gunter who assumed the starting role instead of the No. 2 draft pick Rollins. Then when Randall went down Rollins became the starter, but he was immediately hurt and missed 3 games. He has started the last 2 games in place of Randall.
The rest of the defensive starters have played all season, including the last 3 debacles. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Nick Perry, Mike Daniels, have started all 9 games, Morgan Burnett, Blake Martinez, Letroy Guion and Gunter have started 8. Ryan has started 7 games, being a reserve against the Cowboys, and being hurt last week on the opening kickoff, so he missed the start.
This year Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers has exclusively gone with a 2-4-5 alignment. I hate this scheme. Capers and the defensive backfield coaches can't teach coverage and yet the Packers play coverage all the time and are burned week in and week out. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
The defense is not creating turnovers, as it has in the past, and is not putting pressure on or sacking the quarterback, thusly causing some of the coverage problems. The inability of Capers to come up with a scheme to fit the personnel he has is maddening.
One more thing about Capers. During his press conference this week he said communication was one of the problems the secondary had last week. If you go back to any press conference Capers has had over the past six seasons you will find he said the same thing over and over again. Once again insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Three things are going in my estimation. 1. The coverage scheme is too complicated for a normal player to grasp. 2. The players are too stupid to grasp their assignments. 3. The coverage scheme doesn't work.
What we have seen over and over again this season is the cornerback is releasing the receiver, expecting the safety to pick him up. But the safety either is late to cover leaving the receiver uncovered for 20 yards or he doesn't cover at all. This happens all the time.
Evidently the key to Capers defense is pressure and that has been absent for the most part. The Packers have 22 sacks (Nick Perry 6; Julius Peppers 3.5, Morgan Burnett 3, Clay Matthews 3, Mike Daniels 2, Kyle Fackrell 2, Micah Hyde 1, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix 0.5. There is 1 sack uncounted for in the official Packers stats.), which ties them for 10th in the league (the Bills and Panthers lead with 30).
The result is the Packers have given up 15 passing plays over 25 yards out of 597. In addition, they have given up 30 rushing plays over 10 yards.
Before he was hurt Damarious Randall, who played very well last season, was being beat regularly this year. After LaDarius Gunter took over for Shields he played well enough that most of the passes were going to Randall's side, but lately he has been picked on and has also been beat on a regular basis. Rollins also played well last year, but he has also suffered coverage issues.
Another proof of success is interceptions and the Packers have only 7 tied for 15th (the Chiefs lead with 13). The secondary has 4 (Clinton-Dix 2 in one game, Randall 1, Burnett 1) and the linebackers 3 (Blake Martinez 1, Joe Thomas 1, Perry 1).
This week the Packers play a resurgent Redskins team that has a very good offense. I hope another 37 points won't be put up because the Packers don't have the offense to score 38.
The consensus is all 4 of the NFC North teams will lose - the Lions to the Jaguars, the Bears to the Giants, the Vikings to the Cardinals and the Packers. If that comes true and it could, except for the Lions maybe, but if they all lose then the standings after 10 games will be Lions 5-5, Vikings 5-5, Packers 4-6, Bears 2-8. How the mighty have fallen.
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