The Green Bay Packers are playoff-bound, but their humiliating defeat to the Baltimore Ravens lit up all the warning lights of a team destined to be one-and-doned. This 41-24 loss locks the Packers into the No. 7 seed, and it serves as a reality check.
Green Bay's defense just allowed Derrick Henry to embarrass them on a national stage to the tune of 216 yards and four touchdowns. Baltimore piled up 307 yards on 53 attempts.
Javon Bullard is fully aware. There is no sugarcoating it.
"We couldn't stop the f------ run. Point-blank-period. And we got to fix that s--- tomorrow if we want to go past the wild-card game in the playoffs. If we don't, we'll be sitting our a-- right back in Green Bay," Bullard said, via The Athletic's Matt Schneidman.
Javon Bullard calls out the harsh reality facing Packers' defense entering the playoffs
Bullard's message is simple: Play like this again, and it's all over.
The Packers have lost several key pieces along a defensive line that was already underperforming. Micah Parsons' dominant play helped cover for too many disappointing performances across the board. Devonte Wyatt, too, was having his best season. Green Bay has lost both to season-ending injuries, and the writing is now seemingly on the wall.
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Jeff Hafley is a phenomenal defensive mind and will likely soon bolt for a head coach gig. He didn't have his finest evening, stubbornly sticking to two-high shells even when the Ravens' plan to run down the middle became apparent.
But Hafley has both hands tied behind his back. The cornerback play has been woeful, and he feels the need to protect against explosive plays. That allows teams to find success up front against a pass rush no longer able to win with four, and a run defense as outmatched as Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua.
Bullard is right. If the Packers don't fix it, their playoff dreams won't last beyond Round 1.
That's the problem. They knew the Ravens would run the ball, yet they had no answer. Playoff matchups against the Bears, Eagles, or 49ers will produce similar results.
Saturday's loss won't prevent the Packers from reaching the playoffs, but they may have received a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Future. If they can't fix their run defense, they stand no chance in January.