The Packers Are……..

There are 4 games left in the 2017 season and the Packers are still in contention to earn a NFL record 9th straight playoff appearance, despite the loss of the best quarterback in the game Aaron Rodgers (for 8 games), their No. 1 running back Ty Montgomery (for 7 games and the season), their No. 2 who became their No. 1 running back Aaron Jones (for almost 3 games), their No. 1 left tackle David Bakhtiari (for 5 games), their No. 1 right tackle Bryan Bulaga (for 7 games and the season), their No. 1 left guard Lane Taylor (for 1 game), their No. 1 tight end Martellus Bennett (for 5 games and the season), their No. 1 slot receiver Randall Cobb (for 1 game), their No. 3 tackle Kyle Murphy (for 9 games and the season), their No. 4 tackle Jason Spriggs (for 8 games), their No. 1 right cornerback Damarious Randall (for 2 games), their No. 1 left cornerback Davon House (for 3 games), their No. 1 strong safety Morgan Burnett (for 4 games), their No. 1 left outside linebacker Clay Matthews (for 1 game and for half the plays during a game), their No. 1 right outside linebacker Nick Perry (for 2 games), their No. 1 left inside linebacker Jake Ryan (for 1 game), their No. 1 3rd inside linebacker Joe Thomas (for 8 games), their No. 1 right defensive tackle/end Mike Daniels (for 2 games), their No. 1 nose tackle Kenny Clark (for 1 game), their No. 1 backup cornerback Kevin King (for 3 games and lost for the season), their No. 1 backup safety Kentrell Brice (for 6 games and the season), their No. 1 edge rusher off the bench Ahmad Brooks (for 4 games) and their No. 1 long snapper Brett Goode (for 6 games).

The injuries have gotten so bad (97 games lost to injury) there are only a handful of key players who have been available for all 12 games (Brett Hundley, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Aaron Ripkowski, Corey Linsley, Jahri Evans, Lance Kendricks, Richie Rodgers, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Blake Martinez, Kyler Fackrell, Dean Lowry, Justin Vogel and Mason Crosby).

I forget who figured this out, but I was reading an article about the Packers injuries and he said the Packers were right smack in the middle of the league as far as games lost to injuries. I still think the Packers are in the upper 3rd at least, but statistics are statistics.

If you look at who has missed games you would think Head Coach Mike McCarthy would have to be up for “Coach of the Year” and General Manager Ted Thompson “Executive of the Year”, but I have another take on that and why I think this season has shown the Emperor Has No Clothes and the Packers need to clean house to put the franchise back on track to being a true Super Bowl contender instead of the “Just Good Enough” Packers who are happy to just being in the playoffs.

A great example of a franchise who had made the proper moves when a key player was lost to injury and somehow was able to coach up a replacement players is, now I do choke on saying something nice about this team, but it is what it is, the Minnesota Vikings.

When Teddy Bridgewater went down in training camp last year the Vikings traded for Sam Bradford, instead of playing their No. 2 quarterback Shaun Hill, who was not a starter in waiting. Bradford then beat the Packers in his 1st start.

The Vikings lead the North Division with a 10-2-0 record, despite having lost their 2 No. 1 quarterbacks (Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford) and their No. 1 running back (Dalvin Cook), who was leading the league in rushing when he went down for the season and would have been Offensive Rookie of the Year. Despite the loss of the top 2 players on the offense the Vikings are having a banner season.

Leading the Vikings to 10 wins has been career journeyman quarterback Case Keenum, who was an undrafted free agent signed by the Houston Texans in 2012 and spent his rookie season on the practice squad. In 2013 he was 0-6 as a replacement starter for injured Matt Schaub. The Texans cut him in 2014 and he was picked up by the St. Louis Rams where he spent time on the practice squad after being cut. He was re-signed by the Texans when Ryan Fitzpatrick broke his leg and went 2-0. The Rams traded for him in 2015 and he was 2nd string behind Nick Foles and became the starter when Foles was benched. He started 5 games and went 3-2. Last year he was the starter for the Rams with Jeff Goff on the bench and he went 3-5 before being benched. This season Bradford was the starter and when he went down after the first game Keenum became the starter and after beginning 1-2 he’s now led the team to 8 straight wins (including beating the Packers and Hundley) and on the verge of winning the North Division title. He’s 14th in yards, 8th in quarterback rating, 16th in TD passes (16) and has thrown only 5 interceptions.

Replacing Cook has been Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon, who have combined to rush for 986 yards with 8 TDs scored. Cook had 354 yards rushing when he went down in game 4.

In addition the Vikings don’t have a dominant offensive line, but they do have a championship caliber defense, which the Packers haven’t had since 2010, despite Ted Thompson having concentrated on drafting defense with 4 No. 1 picks, 5 No. 2 picks, 3 No. 3 picks and 8 No. 4 picks since 2010.

Currently the starting Packers defense has 5 No. 1 picks (Clay Matthews, Nick Perry, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Damarious Randall and Kenny Clark), 1 No. 3 (Morgan Burnett) and 5 No. 4 (Davon House, Mike Daniels, Jake Ryan, Dean Lowry and Blake Martinez). You would think with 5 No. 1 picks and nobody less than a 4 the defense would be good. Well, it isn’t for lack of talent and Dom Capers terrible schemes.

The Minnesota Vikings (yuck) have done everything right and the Green Bay Packers have put all their hopes on just 1 player for 9 seasons and when he got hurt we found out Ted Thompson’s surrounding team was inadequate (when Rodgers missed 7 games in 2013 the team went 2-4-1) and the coaching of Mike McCarthy was also inadequate because Aaron Rodgers’ No. 1 backup Brett Hundley is either not talented enough or was not adequately coached over the past 2+ years. Either way it is not good.

Either way with the Packers were leading the division at 4-1 and playing the Vikings when Rodgers went down and Hundley took over. Since then the Packers are 2-5 with wins over da Bears and the Bucs and losses to the Vikings, Saints, Lions, Ravens and Steelers. While when Sam Bradford went down and Case Keenum took over the Vikings are 9-2, including 8 in a row.

That’s all you need to know, TEDDERS. Pull your heads out of Ted Thompson’s ass (I really doubt ALL of you are proctologists), open your eyes, take off your rosy glasses and smell your Kavarna coffee before you finally snap out of your cult stupor and find yourselves in the middle of the 3rd Wilderness Years Era.

PS: TEDDERS. Quit attacking anyone who has legitimate concerns about the direction of the Packers under your Cult Leader Ted Thompson. If you would look at our evidence (like above) even morons like you should see it as REAL evidence instead of FAKE NEWS.