Packers: Four years of missed opportunities since last meeting with Patriots

Since the last meeting with the Patriots, the Green Bay Packers haven’t had the success many expected.

Four years ago the Green Bay Packers defeated the New England Patriots in a classic contest between two of the NFL’s all-time great quarterbacks.

The Packers’ five-point victory set them on their way to one of their best seasons under Mike McCarthy.

They improved to 9-3, and would only lose one more game on the way to the NFC Championship Game that January.

We all know what happened that day.

The victory over New England was a statement. It showed that after a few years of falling short, this Packers team was ready to make a championship run.

The defense held Tom Brady and the Patriots offense to just 21 points.

The offense continued to prove why it was one of the league’s very best. Eddie Lacy rushed for 98 yards. Davante Adams had six catches for 121 yards, Randall Cobb seven for 85.

Jordy Nelson only had two receptions, but he made them count with a 45-yard touchdown right before halftime.

Following this important victory the Packers continued to dominate, finishing the regular season 12-4 and securing the NFC’s second seed and a week off in the playoffs.

After falling short in a heartbreaking loss to the Seahawks in January, there was at least one positive: the Packers were one of the NFC’s very best, a team poised to win another championship.

In the offseason they retained the core of the team, re-signing Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga to long-term deals.

But the Packers haven’t been the same since the NFC title game in 2014. That was their best chance to win a championship in recent memory, and with another meeting with the Patriots coming up this week, it feels like four years worth of missed opportunities.

Green Bay defeated New England that November afternoon, but it was the Patriots who had the last laugh, winning the Super Bowl later in the season.

Since the start of 2015, the Patriots have gone 45-9 in the regular season. They’ve made the AFC title game each year, played in the Super Bowl twice and won one of them.

The Packers, meanwhile, have gone 27-17-1 in games Aaron Rodgers has started and finished. They have returned to the NFC Championship Game just once, but were humiliated 44-21 in Atlanta. Even then they needed to run the table to save their season after a 4-6 start.

And here we are in 2018, just days away from the next chapter in the Rodgers-Brady rivalry, and the Packers have yet to make a run like they did in 2014. The Patriots have every year since.

Green Bay enters this game 3-3-1. This team hasn’t been able to put together consecutive victories all season. New England has now won five straight after a 2-2 start, including a victory over the 7-1 Kansas City Chiefs.

Since their victory over New England four years ago, the Packers haven’t been able to build on their success and make another Super Bowl run. The Patriots have continued on as normal, and will once again be among the top contenders in the AFC this year.

Sunday’s game is a huge test for the Packers, and will show how close they are to one of the league’s strongest teams.