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As fans, we kvetch and moan and criticize after a loss, and I'm as good at that as most Packerrats. I'm all good with that. It's part of being a fan.
However, I am feeling unusually optimistic this week, despite the loss to Tennessee. I believe that, barring injury, this team will make a serious run and can win this division and do some damage in the playoffs. I think this is a team on the upswing. Again, this depends on the team remaining relatively injury-free, but here's what I see:
The defensive line, with the addition of Harrell and the return to health of Montgomery, is reverting to last season's "it's a group thang" mentality. Guys are going to rotate in and out and do their bit, focusing on what they do best. Situational substitution will make this a more effective line in the last half of the season.
The running game is coming around. The offensive line seems to be gaining some stability - yea, the red zone thing against the Titans was discouraging, but this offense, as Philbin said, went up and down the field against a damn good defense. This is going to help this team get into the red zone too. It'll come.
The Jerkmicheal Finley experiment is over. It was brief, but I think MM got the message. Sure, a million things determine a game's outcome, and one of them might have been MM's decision to activate Jerkmichael instead of James Jones. I think James Jones is a damn good receiver, and with double coverages on Jennings, I look for Jones to make some big plays in the second half. It's not like he's never done it before.
The turnover thang. Yes, Lori Nickel bitched about the dropped intercepts, but that's been the exception more than the rule this year. If Rodgers can continue to make mostly good decisions, the number of turnovers the Pack gives up can stay low, and the team can win the turnover battles most games.
Again, this is all dependent upon the team's health. But if they can stay pretty healthy, I think this is the best team in the NFC North.
However, I am feeling unusually optimistic this week, despite the loss to Tennessee. I believe that, barring injury, this team will make a serious run and can win this division and do some damage in the playoffs. I think this is a team on the upswing. Again, this depends on the team remaining relatively injury-free, but here's what I see:
The defensive line, with the addition of Harrell and the return to health of Montgomery, is reverting to last season's "it's a group thang" mentality. Guys are going to rotate in and out and do their bit, focusing on what they do best. Situational substitution will make this a more effective line in the last half of the season.
The running game is coming around. The offensive line seems to be gaining some stability - yea, the red zone thing against the Titans was discouraging, but this offense, as Philbin said, went up and down the field against a damn good defense. This is going to help this team get into the red zone too. It'll come.
The Jerkmicheal Finley experiment is over. It was brief, but I think MM got the message. Sure, a million things determine a game's outcome, and one of them might have been MM's decision to activate Jerkmichael instead of James Jones. I think James Jones is a damn good receiver, and with double coverages on Jennings, I look for Jones to make some big plays in the second half. It's not like he's never done it before.
The turnover thang. Yes, Lori Nickel bitched about the dropped intercepts, but that's been the exception more than the rule this year. If Rodgers can continue to make mostly good decisions, the number of turnovers the Pack gives up can stay low, and the team can win the turnover battles most games.
Again, this is all dependent upon the team's health. But if they can stay pretty healthy, I think this is the best team in the NFC North.
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