Predictions

With Aaron Rodgers on the sidelines the Packers have lost 3 straight games at Lambeau Field – the longest losing streak at “The Shrine” since 2006 (also with Mike McCarthy at the helm) – and have the Tampa Bay Bucs coming to town with their hotshot quarterback Jameis Winston returning from a 3-game rest because of a shoulder injury.

On the whole the Packers are predicted to win, but I don’t know why. The last time Brett Hundley had a good/great game he not only crapped out the following week, but was shutout. So after another watershed game last week in the loss against a defensively challenged Pittsburg Steelers which Hundley shows up the “Great White Hope” or the “Pretender”. I don’t know.

Normally, a new quarterback befuddles Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers and we all have to worry about the defense in this one. Winston has an 87.3 quarterback rating with 10 TD passes and 6 interceptions while completing 61.4 percent of his throws. He could explode today against the punchless Pack just because.

The Bucs are the 14th ranked offense in the league averaging 345.5 yards a game while the Packers are the 25th ranked offense averaging 308.6 yards. Defensively the Bucs are the worst ranked team giving up 395.5 total yards while the Packers are the 23rd giving up 351.2.

Now for my predictions. The Packers have to win out to have a chance at the last wildcard spot (the Packers are currently 2 games out of that spot with 5 games left and a win last week would have been helpful, but, of course, the defense couldn’t make a stop when it absolutely, positively had to). Hundley will be the quarterback (baring injury) this week and next week against the Browns. No margin for error. I will be uncharacteristically optimistic here and predict the Packers will be 7-6 when Rodgers returns to play the Panthers in Week 15 (I could be wrong). Then the Packers will beat the Panthers, Vikings and Lions and squeak into the playoffs. Happy Days are Here Again.

However, it all starts today. A loss and Rodgers sits for the rest of the season and the remaining healthy players will be playing for their jobs (i.e. Clay Matthews) as the Packers should enter a rebuilding season with at least some expensive older players being let go. I would hope the Packers have a new front office, too, but I don’t think there is a visionary above President Mark Murphy who has the guts to make the change.

Murphy has made his feelings clear that General Manager Ted Thompson will stay in his job until he retires and Thompson won’t fire McCarthy and McCarthy won’t fire Capers. Unless a change is made at the top I predict this is beginning of a third “Wilderness Years”.

Take that “Tedders” who are so solidly behind Thompson because they afraid of the next “Wilderness Years” they have stuck their heads so far up Thompson’s ass they haven’t seen daylight for 13 years and because of that they are guaranteeing their worst fears. Be careful what you wish for “Tedders” because you just might get it.

The Packers have lost 2 in a row and 5 of their last 6, but the schedule favors the Packers going on a 5-game winning streak. However, it all depends on the head and arm of Brett Hundley and not Aaron Rodgers, so………………………..