If things go wrong......

[Patler]

Let's just assume that things go wrong on defense, and:

- the Packers are again hit with injuries, and lose starters on defense for 20-25 games
- Pickett shows his age, still good, but plays even fewer snaps
- Jones follows a typical D-line rookie path, and helps but not a lot as he learns
- Perry is sold in some phases, confused in others
- Raji is his same inconsistent self;
- Neal is hurt or does little, Bishop is not fully recovered, Tramon Williams is done as a shutdown corner due to the nerve issue; and
- Hayward, Shields and Brad Jones are OK, but it becomes apparent that 2012 might have been career years for them.

I'm not expecting massive changes for any of the above, just a noticeable regression to levels that have been seen from the same players before. No one on the D-line stands out, Matthews is the only stud at linebacker, and the d-backs are inconsistent.

If those entirely possible situations occur, what kind of season can the Packers have? Can they win with a defense that mediocre?

[Pugger]

We won 15 games with a mediocre D in 2011.

I can't imagine all of these things go south for us in 2013. If they do we are a cursed football team.

[Carolina_Packer]

Depends on what you mean by win. Win enought games to make the playoffs; maybe. Win a playoff game? No. 2011 was incredible, but the D was so inconsistent. Regression would be considered the same thing happening as last year by getting bounced in the playoffs and some aspect of it being lop-sided or showing a major flaw. It's one thing to lose a close, competitive game, but another to get exposed. If that is due to injury and it took what they had just to get there, then Capers may be safe. If they under-perform and are healthy enough to have made progress, but do not, then he might pay with his job.

[pbmax]

Let's just assume that things go wrong on defense, and:

- the Packers are again hit with injuries, and lose starters on defense for 20-25 games
- Pickett shows his age, still good, but plays even fewer snaps
- Jones follows a typical D-line rookie path, and helps but not a lot as he learns
- Perry is sold in some phases, confused in others
- Raji is his same inconsistent self;
- Neal is hurt or does little, Bishop is not fully recovered, Tramon Williams is done as a shutdown corner due to the nerve issue; and
- Hayward, Shields and Brad Jones are OK, but it becomes apparent that 2012 might have been career years for them.

I'm not expecting massive changes for any of the above, just a noticeable regression to levels that have been seen from the same players before. No one on the D-line stands out, Matthews is the only stud at linebacker, and the d-backs are inconsistent.

If those entirely possible situations occur, what kind of season can the Packers have? Can they win with a defense that mediocre?

Pickett playing less snaps means Raji is on the nose more unless Boyd does something remarkable. We saw a lot of this defense with Jones at LB rather than Bishop so it will improve 3rd down coverage and hurt run D. If Jones can play then Neal hurt is not a game changer. Might hurt pass rush as Raji will not be fresh, so Perry is a determining factor here. If he is inconsistent but rushers the passer like he began to in 2012 then it will be OK, if not pass rush could be back to 2011 levels.

Hayward and Shields could be compensated for by House's good health. But this depends on how bad Williams is. The Packers need an average outside guy, whether its House or Williams.

But this D can still go 10-6.

[hoosier]

Yup, 10-6 = NFCN champs = wild card win followed by division round egg laying.

[MJZiggy]

Yeah, I'm with Hoosier on this one.

[Bretsky]

The Bears and Vikings both could show some nice improvement
With another sieve year on defense with JustaJones vastly overpaid and starting at LB we could see 9-7
If we make the playoffs we're talking a first round exit

[KYPack]

Yeah, I'm with Hoosier on this one.

!

Oh shit.

Zig and Hoosier have joined the Nattering Nabobs of Negativism crew?

Where is that barrel of Kool-Aid, I need a dipper full now.

[MJZiggy]

!

Oh shit.

Zig and Hoosier have joined the Nattering Nabobs of Negativism crew?

Where is that barrel of Kool-Aid, I need a dipper full now.

I wouldn't go quite that far, honey. lol

[KYPack]

Pullin' yer chain, Z-Woman.

[woodbuck27]

I'm wondering why? we're doing this 'if things go wrong', thing, Patler?

I mean have we ever rationalized anything in a negative direction? There is no room for the team to decline in 2013. A decline simply isn't acceptable. I want to believe that we'll see progess this season over last.

Will it be enough to keep up or have we slipped further behind the recognized best? That's the question I ask myself. It appears to me that we did slip more in this off season, behind the likes of San Fran, Seattle (maybe? Atlanta).

As we get ready for TC and on and into that. It's time for nothing but positive pour moi. It's like a hand of poker. The cards are dealt. I'll play my hand the best I can.

I didn't like that TT and Crew elected to pass on Rd. 3 Pick #88. There were solid prospects available at that pick. Prospects that I still believe would have helped alot. I mean 'Big Men' right there in TT's face, or should have been on his board.

That's all been discussed thoroughly. Anything more on that is useless. If it turns out badly. I hope I'm not a...'I told you so fan'.

For now and until this season, and hopefully a solid playoff run; or maybe even the ultimate success is reached. The Super Bowl is ours again.

I'm all now as I always get to >>> to >>> 'just this':

GO PACK GO !

[RashanGary]

If all of that happens, we won't be a great team. But with all of that happening, there would still be some surprise good things that happen too.

At the end of the day, if everything goes wrong, it's not much different from last year.

[Pugger]

If all of that happens, we won't be a great team. But with all of that happening, there would still be some surprise good things that happen too.

At the end of the day, if everything goes wrong, it's not much different from last year.

If everything goes wrong we won't make the playoffs and that would be MUCH different than last year. But with the chance of finally having a legit running game for the first time since Ahman Green in his prime I'm very excited about 2013.

But this kind of positive thinking isn't welcome around here lately...

[Patler]

I'm wondering why? we're doing this 'if things go wrong', thing, Patler?

I mean have we ever rationalized anything in a negative direction? There is no room for the team to decline in 2013. A decline simply isn't acceptable. I want to believe that we'll see progess this season over last.

Will it be enough to keep up or have we slipped further behind the recognized best? That's the question I ask myself. It appears to me that we did slip more in this off season, behind the likes of San Fran, Seattle (maybe? Atlanta).

As we get ready for TC and on and into that. It's time for nothing but positive pour moi. It's like a hand of poker. The cards are dealt. I'll play my hand the best I can.

I didn't like that TT and Crew elected to pass on Rd. 3 Pick #88. There were solid prospects available at that pick. Prospects that I still believe would have helped alot. I mean 'Big Men' right there in TT's face, or should have been on his board.

That's all been discussed thoroughly. Anything more on that is useless. If it turns out badly. I hope I'm not a...'I told you so fan'.

For now and until this season, and hopefully a solid playoff run; or maybe even the ultimate success is reached. The Super Bowl is ours again.

I'm all now as I always get to >>> to >>> 'just this':

GO PACK GO !

Who are you trying to kid? You know exactly why I started this thread. You are simply disappointed that it was me who started it rather than your nominee.

My evidence from the other thread I started, "If things go right....".

Nice thread..........now..........somebody should really create a "If things go wrong" on the defense thread
Patler........you da man........wanna create that ???

Nice thread..........now..........somebody should really create a "If things go wrong" on the defense thread
Patler........you da man........wanna create that ???

Ohh come on....

Nominate Wist43. He has a coupla ideas. He'll R O C K ... some sense into any homer.

GO PACK GO !

[RashanGary]

Outside of AR getting injured. . . .

Our roster is strong enough where if everything goes wrong, we're still a competitor. If everything goes right, we're probably champs. If everything sort of goes normally, we're in the SB hunt. We're a great team (period) and we will compete every year.

In 2010, if someone were to make a list of the injuries we were going to sustain and the time-frames we'd sustain them, and then ask what would happen. I'm sure most of us would have said there's NO WAY we win the SB. But we did.

The Packers, consistently, are one of the top teams in the league. Even if all the bad things happen above (honestly, not much worse than the things that went wrong last year) we'll be fine. Of course, we want a SB, we want better than fine, but you can't win it every year.