Green Bay Packers: Not as good as we thought?
OK, we’re relaxed when it comes to the Green Bay Packers and our quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. We’ve seen him bring this team back from holes in the past – in fact, we’ve come to expect that he will bring teams back from the depths of despair.
We’ve seen this team start 1-2 over the course of the past two seasons and we’ve seen the team battle back without some of their best players to succeed.
The Green Bay Packers win … that’s what we’ve come to know and understand.
The past 20-plus years have been quite ride with only a couple of bumps along the way.
The Green Bay Packers win … that’s what we’ve come to know and understand.
Mike McCarthy has brought a winning tradition to Green Bay – will it continue in 2014?
Raymond T. Rivard photograph
And while the expectations for huge success in 2014 have come crashing to the ground over the first three weeks of the season, there’s still plenty of football left.
We need to keep repeating that to ourselves: there’s still plenty of football left. there’s still plenty of football left. there’s still plenty of football left. there’s still plenty of football left.
And because we are such a confident lot, we will believe it until the reality of the situation sinks in.
Well, that reality may be upon us soon.
If the Packers don’t beat the Bears on Sunday, that reality may be sinking in faster than we realize.
After all, maybe this team just isn’t as good as we all thought a month ago. While we’ve been pleasantly surprised with the defense – and even OK with Dom Capers – it’s the other side of the ball that has seemingly crumbled.
The play-calling by head coach Mike McCarthy continues to be criticized; the team’s leader and quarterback doesn’t seem the same. The proverbial chip on his shoulder style is missing … and the entire offense seems off-kilter. There’s no continuity in the run and pass game. The team that was supposed to be an offensive juggernaut is nowhere close … so far.
Week four will be a huge test for this team and may be when this team reveals its true colors.
It’s the Bears on Sunday for cripes sake. If this team can’t rise to the challenge, then we know we’ve got serious problems; if this team can’t get its running game going, then we know the offensive line is nowhere near where we thought they would be; if Aaron Rodgers can’t find someone other than Jordy Nelson on a pass play, then we know the talent at wide receiver drops precipitously after the first couple of guys on the depth chart.
Yes, this is a watershed game against the Bears. Call it what you will, but this is a must-win game. If the Packers drop to 1-3 and fall behind the Bears by two games, it won’t be pretty.
But in the long run, maybe this is what this team – and what this fan base needs. After so many years of success, sometimes it takes a step or two back before we can find the momentum forward once again.
Like everyone else, I don’t want that. I want the Packers to come out and shred the Bears defense like they’ve done so many times in the recent past. I want the Packers to make a statement with a win over the Bears.
Will that happen?
Well, we’ll find out soon enough.
Stay tuned …