Green Bay Packers: Have we seen the bottom yet?
Green Bay Packers = face plant.
That about describes what Packers Nation has seen over the past two months of the National Football League season.
Starting at 6-0, there was nothing seemingly in the way that could possibly stop this juggernaut.
Despite losing their best receiver, Jordy Nelson, the Packers and Aaron Rodgers were putting up points, while stopping teams on the defensive side of the ball.
Super Bowl 50, here we come.
That was the mantra being espoused out of Green Bay and from their legions of followers.
After all, the Packers had dispatched the Bears in the opener, dusted off their reputation with a win against the Seahawks, took care of business against the Chiefs, won on the road at San Francisco, beat the Rams and got by the Chargers all before the break.
Then came the bye week. We all took a a deep breath and wondered what could ever stop this team.
Then came the Denver Broncos. They destroyed the myth that the Packers were unstoppable. They shattered the notion that Aaron Rodgers was Superman and even a decrepit Peyton Manning laid waste to the Packers defense.
But that was just the beginning. Things continued to unravel; the fans began to worry.
And worry was the right mindset.
After losing to Denver, the Packers played well enough to win at Carolina in a game that came down to the Packers’ final possession – but they didn’t. They followed that with probably the most revealing and devastating loss of the year – a two-point defeat at home to a lowly Detroit Lions squad. The Lions hadn’t won in Wisconsin for three decades and had only one win going into that game.
When Mason Crosby completely whiffed on the game-winning field goal at the buzzer, the faceplant was in full force.
How? How could this happen?
Nevertheless, the Packers faithful had faith. The Pack would be back.
And they were … when they went to Minnesota and dominated the Vikings at TCF Stadium in Minneapolis.
Seemingly the Packers had turned the corner and brighter days were ahead.
Wrong.
Green Bay stumbled once again against the Bears at Lambeau Field, losing on Thanksgiving night. What made this one even more difficult to swallow was the fact that Brett Favre‘s number was officially retired and even the great Bart Starr was in the house.
The Packers loss that night was the turning point – but the turn was in the wrong direction, despite what we saw in the coming three weeks. Something just wasn’t right. This wasn’t your father’s Packers team.
Though the team would win three straight – the first being the Miracle in Motown, followed by victories over the Cowboys and Raiders – the Packers would be crushed in the desert by the Arizona Cardinals.
Getting beat is one thing, but getting beat by 30 points was devastating.
With that loss, the matchup between the Packers and Vikings for the NFC North Division crown was set.
Surely Green Bay would rise to the occasion as they had the two previous seasons to win the division for the fifth straight year.
Minnesota had other plans … and carried them out to perfection, leaving the Packers reeling once again.
So, where does that leave the team now?
Desperate.
Nobody is giving them a realistic chance in Washington this coming weekend.
And while we think things couldn’t get much worse – we might be calling for somebody’s head if the team underperforms once again on Sunday in the nation’s capital.
Packers fans aren’t accustomed to this kind of play.
Aaron Rodgers is missing easy throws, the offensive line is a shambles, the wide receivers can’t get open and the team certainly can’t finish games.
So, where does this leave the fans?
Well, the faceplant may be our only option.
The end may be near.