Every great team has to overcome adversity, but the Green Bay Packers may have reached their breaking point.
The Packers already had to overcome the devastating loss of Tucker Kraft this season, but three more injuries may have completely derailed their Super Bowl hopes in their loss to the Denver Broncos.
First, Green Bay lost right tackle Zach Tom to a knee injury. Then Christian Watson to a chest injury. Finally, the crushing blow we all feared, with Micah Parsons suffering a potentially season-ending knee injury. It's truly heartbreaking for a team that, when fully healthy, has everything needed to make a run.
It leaves Matt LaFleur with an almost-impossible task to overcome.
Packers must find a way to make an impossible playoff run after heartbreaking afternoon vs. Broncos
It all changed after Watson went down. Green Bay led Denver 23-14 early in the third quarter. Jordan Love took a deep shot to Watson, who landed awkwardly on his shoulder and suffered a chest injury. To make matters worse, Patrick Surtain II picked off the pass. From that moment, everything went horribly wrong for the Packers.
In addition to Parsons' injury, the Packers lost Tom, their star right tackle, Watson, the player who changed everything on offense, and Evan Williams, their breakout second-year safety. We await further updates on their injuries and chances of playing beyond this week.
The Packers never gave up on the game, and LaFleur's teams will always fight until the end, but it's tough to see how they bounce back from this.
Without Parsons, they simply don't have the pass rush to shut down top-tier offenses. It's the same problem they faced last season, just this time, they won't have Kenny Clark or Devonte Wyatt.
On offense, Watson was the difference-maker. He has taken the next step to stardom this season, and if he misses much time, life becomes far more challenging for the passing game. Don't forget, they're already having to overcome the loss of Tucker Kraft.
Even in defeat, the Packers remain in a strong position in the NFC playoff picture. But that's not the story. This team had far loftier ambitions than just making the postseason.
Winning a championship? Barring a miracle, they can forget about it.