Ex-Packers Dropping Like Flies

With 6:57 remaining in the 1st quarter of the Minnesota Vikings game on October 15, 2017 the Green Bay Packers season ended. With the exception of the inept Da’ Bears the Packers lost to the Vikings, the Saints, the Lions, (thank god for Da’ Bears) and the Ravens to drop 3 games behind the Vikings, 1 game behind the Lions for the North title and 1 game behind the Lions, Seahawks and Falcons for the last wildcard spot with 6 games remaining. UPDATE: The Vikings beat the Lions on Thanksgiving.

So technically the Packers could right the ship by “running the table” to finish 11-5, but no one thinks that’s going to happen, so for the 1st time since 2008 the Packers will not be playing in the playoffs snapping a string of 8 straight seasons, which tied an NFL record, but that was because Rodgers was quarterback for all of 9 games out of 128 games. He missed 1 game with a concussion in 2010. He missed 1 game in 2011 because Mike McCarthy was afraid Ndomukong Suh was going to hurt him. He then missed 7 games in 2013 with a broken collarbone. He had started 55 straight games when the Vikings cut him down.

His highly qualified replacement Brett Hundley has gotten worse instead of better. Last week was probably the worse quarterback performance by a Packer since T.J. Rubley on November 5, 1995 against the Vikings. The shutout orchestrated by Hundley was also the 1st since Mike McCarthy’s first game ever as the Packers coach against Da’ Bears on September 10, 2006. The Packers had gone 184 games without being shutout until the man Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy stubbornly believe in and won’t bench because the only other quarterback on the roster they evidently don’t believe in at all did the honors. On any other team Hundley would have been benched 2 weeks ago, but not in Green Bay. Hundley must have naked pictures of Thompson or McCarthy or both or both together to keep his job because it can’t be his play on the field, but I digress.

However, since the unmasking of the Packers former Packers have lost their luster. Since October 15 eight former Packers have been cut in the 7 weeks since and one former No. 1 draft pick has been cut twice and 3 times since the beginning of the season

Offense Wasn't Bad in First Game

The Packers opened the season with a 17-11 win over the Super Bowl contending Cleveland Browns and many will say it was a good start for many reasons.

 

I will agree in this respect. It is surely (and don't call me Shirley) better to win than lose, but there were several disturbing trends, which don't bode well for the upcoming season.

 

First, I didn't like Aaron Rodgers sitting this one out. The Packer offense was dysfunctional last year and Rodgers had a terrible season by his high standards. Everyone on the offense needs to play every game and Rodgers was the only offensive starter that wasn't injured that didn't play.

 

Observations After The First Week of Camp

Bill Belichick Injury Report: On Day Three tight end Mitchell Henry needed some Midol because he had to leave practice with cramps. On Day Four left outside linebacker Manoa Pikula also dropped out with an undisclosed injury. It was reported he limped off, so it could be cramps, could be tweeked, could be stubbed toe, could be......

 

On Day Five Pikula is the only player not participating in the Saturday morning practice. Intrepid hospital reporter Michael Cohen reported and I'm guessing he didn't clear this with General Manager Ted Thompson and Head Coach Mike McCarthy that when he left the practice field Thursday he was grabbing his right hamstring. When practice resumes we'll see if Cohen still has his press pass or will be tweeting from outside the fence as a spectator for breaking Belichick Protocol.

Let The Games Begin

The Offseason Was So Busy I Really Need a Vacation

Once again CEO Mark Murphy and General Manager Ted Thompson have sleepwalked through the offseason while the other three teams in the Green and Gold and Black and Blue and Purple Division have been aggressive in filling holes in their rosters.

The Murphy/Thompson Regime drafted seven players, signed two free agents, released 10 and one retired, which according to my Southern Illinois math means they lost two players in the final summation.

Sober and Somber

Lions snap 24-year old losing streak at Lambeau Field

It's a gloomy day and it has nothing to do with the rain coming down outside. The Packers have officially hit their low mark of this season with the loss to the lowly Lions for the first time at Lambeau Field since 1991. There are no knights on white horses coming to save this season, so it's now left to the players on the field, the coaches on the sideline and up in the sky box to dig deep down and come up with a solution, if there is one.

 

Packer Backers are very superstitious with our rituals and wearing the same clothes, etc, etc, etc, but something Timmer said during the loss to the Panthers, "nothing we do means anything," hit the problem right on the head. I guess I was the only one who heard him because he wasn't saying to anyone, he was just lamenting to himself about the futility of the fans and I would add pundits to do anything about the play of our beloved Packers. The Packers are now in free fall with a chance of a long losing streak in the offing.

 

Rocky Mountain High

Can't Catch a Break

Ted Thompson must have pissed off the big man (and I don't mean Bill Belichick) because every time one of Thompson's famous "next man ups" steps forward he get hurt.

James Starks comes up lame

After Eddie Lacy forgot how to run James Starks stepped into the breach two weeks ago and gained 112 yards against the Chargers. He comes back from the bye week off and suddenly he has a hip injury. He is listed as questionable.

Damarious Randall makes the play of the year to save the Chargers game and he suddenly comes up with an ankle injury and is listed as questionable.