You could have said Green Bay hit a tough stretch on the road. You could have said they played two of the best defenses in the NFL. You could have said a lot of things, right up until the point where the 6-2 Packers couldn’t manage to beat the 1-7 Detroit Lions.
At home, where they had beaten them 23 times a row. What the hell is wrong with the Packers?!
Actually, the good news is there’s an answer to that question. First, Green Bay’s group of receivers is subpar. The loss of Jordy Nelson not only took away the Packers only legit No. 1 target, it took away the only receiver they had who could get open one on one. Believe it or not, even great quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers can’t complete passes to guys who aren’t open.
Second, the Packers can’t run. It might that Eddie Lacy is injured or it might be that the Green Bay o-line is injured, or both, or the line just needs to be better, but the Packers are painfully aware that that’s a crucial fix they need to make to get their offense going again.
The remaining good news is that Green Bay’s defense is in reasonable shape, and they still have Aaron Rodgers, who despite a couple of poor performances is still an elite quarterback. Good receivers, let’s face it, grow on trees. The Packers will find one or two and they’ll be right as rain.
The question, of course, is will they squander another year of Rodgers’ talent watching the NFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl on TV instead of playing in it. Quarterbacks, even great ones, don’t last forever. Just look at Peyton Manning and Drew Brees this season. The Packers need to get their ship righted, because right now, they’re getting passed by the likes of Minnesota and Arizona in the NFC, and that’s no path to success.
