Strange Season, Weird JuJu

[Bossman641]

It's the combo of the O-line injuries and WR/Lacy dysfunction, Rodger's inaccuracies and temper and Stubby's play calling Stubbiness. It makes you think there are too many variables that all have to line up for a playoff run to a Championship. If they do line up, they can win with this, but the likelihood is not high.

So does Stubby show everything next week in a desperate attempt to maybe capture that #2 seed (require win out and Seattle beat AZ), or does he start resting guys now, pull the entire starting O-line and play Hundley in a desperate hope to have everyone healthy when it matters? (the two extremes).

I think that Stubby plays all out, still trying to find that magic recipe on offense.

Will be very interesting to see what kind of leader Rodgers will be down the stretch. His comments about Abracadabra really show how disgusted he is with and how much he attributes the teams' woes to the poor WR play.

Can't see this ever happening. The offense needs the reps #1 and #2 it doesn't fit MM's "we'll play anyone, anywhere" and "we are nobody's underdog" mantra.

[hoosier]

All of those teams that got hot just at the right time (meaning, not the last quarter of the regular season, as so many people assume, but starting with the playoffs) had one unit or component that was capable of dominating a game. The Giants had their defensive line and the ability to unsettle the Favres and Bradys of the world. The 2010 Packers had a red-hot Rodgers combined with a very good (but not quite dominant) defense. The 2015 Packers have not shown an ability to dominate in any aspect of the game. Rodgers has shown that he's capable of getting on a roll at just the right time but when he did that he had a pretty good receiving corps. This year's receivers might be exactly what is holding this team back from being able to compete in AZ and Car.

[Deputy Nutz]

The Packers have won football games and championships with less at the receiving corps. Favre and Rodgers have made average receivers great for a long time. Something doesn't jive with me that we can sit back and blame the receiving corps for all the problems on offense. They haven't played well, their routes are suspect, but why? Why are the receivers playing like shit?
It doesn't take talent to run good routes, it takes skill and dedication to the profession. This offense is disorganized and you can blame the receivers, you can blame Rodgers, but in reality the blame falls on MM and his offensive coaches.

[mraynrand]

Can't see this ever happening. The offense needs the reps #1 and #2 it doesn't fit MM's "we'll play anyone, anywhere" and "we are nobody's underdog" mantra.

I agree. It's just a thought that occurred to me. Three weeks off for the O-line and they might be strong for the WC round. It's strangely tempting. But teams (i.e. Colts, Chiefs, Packers) can atrophy quickly, even when just resting for the Divisional round...

Battle-tested and galvanized is always better IMO and I'm certain Stubby thinks the same way.

[mraynrand]

The Packers have won football games and championships with less at the receiving corps. Favre and Rodgers have made average receivers great for a long time.

BRING BLACK ANDRAE THURMAN!!!

[denverYooper]

Bakhtiari made a comment about how he felt like they were a very balanced team this year.

This team seems to be a better 2nd half team than most we've seen under M3. They're not the typical frontrunners that they have been under M3 and Rodgers in years past, where they might blow out several lesser teams and get punched in the nose vs more "physical" teams. Look at them this year: their defense is playing well and the offense has no choice but to grind.

The defense gave up some big plays but they took some back, too. They started their 2 rookie CBs on the road in a tough environment against a very good WR duo. Any day a defense can do that and come away with the W is impressive. They should get Shields back for the AZ game and he typically plays very well against top receivers when the stakes are high. The Packers seemed to have gotten thrown out of balance by Murray in the first half but came back in the second half and held the Raiders to only one good drive, the 81 yard TD drive. After that, the defense put the clamps on and closed out the game. Their pass rush started getting home with 4... Often with Peppers, CM3, and Daniels causing a lot of of the havoc, but Neal starting to take advantage of the matchups he was getting because of those 3.

Even on offense, Green Bay is a more physical team. Heck, look at Jones. Some of those penalties are frustrating, but other defenses are often playing with their hands all over the Packers WR. It seems to me that Jones lately has felt like he might as well play the same game and not complain about flags the other way. He doesn't have a lot of speed but he's getting very aggressive in going after the ball and putting DBs on notice that he will try to out-muscle them. Good for him, because he seems to play better that way. And good for the Packers, because they're going to need a guy who can battle for the ball. When they get to those games where the refs swallow the whistle on PI -- games that typically stymie the Packers -- James Jones won't give a damn. Adams could get a few pointers from 89.

[HarveyWallbangers]

So what is the future of this team?

I think it will be look a heck of a lot better with good health. I think there's a lot to look forward to. At least, for 2016. With the resigning of Daniels, I'm not worried about the upcoming FA class. The following year is when things could start to get ugly. We really had a three year window. We blew it last year. It looks like we are blowing it this year. Next year, looks like Super Bowl or bust.

[pbmax]

Part of the fan doubt, past the Home losses, is that the normal markers of a good Packers team are not there. The offense looks pedestrian at best. The passing game is terrible. Rodgers looks terrible at times (relatively speaking-half the League would take his terrible). Lacy looks like a man trying to decide if he wants to play football anymore. And Clay Matthews is playing out of position and its hard to judge his impact, because the best team measure of his impact is run Defense where is very difficult apportion credit for success. Shields is hurt, sometimes loses his focus and Peppers disappears.

I do think the Packers can get better on offense, but the disconnect between what is called or prepped for during the week and the performance on the field has to be solved. They spent a half spinning their wheels with players who were not delivering. Their offense right now consists of 2nd half adjustments. Until proven otherwise, I think the new assistant coach assignments, with Alex Van Pelt leading both QB/WR in meetings and practice, have failed. Either Rodgers grew too accustomed to a greater input level (which doesn't seemed to have helped) or the coaches are trying to fit square pegs (Adams, Janis) into a round hold problem (Magic).

Its like watching a Bear's team play. No wonder people in Chicago don't even know which end is up during football season.

[denverYooper]

Part of the fan doubt, past the Home losses, is that the normal markers of a good Packers team are not there. The offense looks pedestrian at best. The passing game is terrible. Rodgers looks terrible at times (relatively speaking-half the League would take his terrible). Lacy looks like a man trying to decide if he wants to play football anymore. And Clay Matthews is playing out of position and its hard to judge his impact, because the best team measure of his impact is run Defense where is very difficult apportion credit for success. Shields is hurt, sometimes loses his focus and Peppers disappears.

I do think the Packers can get better on offense, but the disconnect between what is called or prepped for during the week and the performance on the field has to be solved. They spent a half spinning their wheels with players who were not delivering. Their offense right now consists of 2nd half adjustments. Until proven otherwise, I think the new assistant coach assignments, with Alex Van Pelt leading both QB/WR in meetings and practice, have failed. Either Rodgers grew too accustomed to a greater input level (which doesn't seemed to have helped) or the coaches are trying to fit square pegs (Adams, Janis) into a round hold problem (Magic).

Its like watching a Bear's team play. No wonder people in Chicago don't even know which end is up during football season.

I agree with this. The team is totally different from what we are used to. They're winning, but winning ugly with small ball and stretches of shockingly competent defense (mixed in with some puzzling gaffes).

And it's hard to really trust the defense unless or until they can shut down some great teams. Though they've been fairly decent in that regard since the Pats game last year.

[mraynrand]

Its like watching a Bear's team play. No wonder people in Chicago don't even know which end is up during football season.

In the first half it was like they didn't realize the Raiders were stacked up to stop the run and that on offense the Raiders were gonna throw the ball. Just because Cooper was blanked on film the week before, doesn't mean he isn't gonna explode versus one high safety, especially against a rook. That adjustment too way too long.

[pbmax]

In the first half it was like they didn't realize the Raiders were stacked up to stop the run and that on offense the Raiders were gonna throw the ball. Just because Cooper was blanked on film the week before, doesn't mean he isn't gonna explode versus one high safety, especially against a rook. That adjustment too way too long.

Their hurry up hurt them too. They must have adjusted personnel or lineup because the Raiders didn't go back to it.

For the Packer O, I think that run game in the first half was part of what was pissing Rodgers off.

[Maxie the Taxi]

This is a great thread. Thanks, Fritz. Everybody gets a chance to rant. And the comments have been really good and insightful.

Mine might be the exception...

I'm watching the game, scowling in my seat and my wife (who's not an intense fan) says: "What's wrong?" I said: "They're playing like shit! They're gonna lose!" And she comes back: "Don't say that! Be positive! They're going to win!" I just stared at her. I HATE that false confidence. I'm not a Polyanna. I see what I see and it's not good. Winning doesn't make the reality of playing like shit go away. Or at least it shouldn't.

I'm not privy to what goes on in the locker room behind closed doors. I only see what a fan sees, and what I saw yesterday was some really strange behavior I'm not used to seeing from Stubby-coached teams, strange behavior that is, sadly, becoming the norm for this year's team:

...We're on the Raider one or two yard line. We're all calling for Lacy to pound it in there. Even Stubby gets the message. Arod gets the ball to Lacy, but Lacy is the only one who doesn't get the message. He bounces it outside, loses a bunch of yards and we settle for a field goal.

...We're at midfield or so. It's 4th and 2. Arod is in the shotgun trying to draw the Raiders offside, which ain't gonna happen. The clock winds down to a second or two and Arod calls time out. I can't believe what I'm seeing! After the TO, Masthay proceeds to punt the ball into the end zone!

...It's toward the end of the game. All we have to do is run the ball and the clock. Arod gets the ball and makes an ill-advised throw into double coverage. Janis, the intended target, stands there watching the two defenders fight for the ball. Arod rolls his eyes for the cameras.

What the hell? What do episodes like this mean? Is it just a matter of keeping your head in the game? Of trying harder? Or what? And why do we see these kind of things game after game when Stubby says week after week they're going to be "fixed?"

This team is not stacked with talent, but it does have talent enough to compete IF everybody does their job and does it well. That's not happening now. We're not playing as a team.

I don't know what message Stubby is giving this team in private, but if it's the same message he's giving us in public -- the same message my wife gave to me -- our head coach is in denial and the players can see right through it, just as I saw through my wife's comments.

Probably the strangest thing I saw yesterday was the funky celebration by the defense over Micah Hyde's interception. Really? Was it just guys "having fun?" Or was it an indication of something else going on? Who was it that said "When you get to the end zone, act like you've been there before." This team acts like it's never been there before and doesn't believe it can get there.

And Stubby's denial isn't helping.

I'll make one wild speculation: Maybe Stubby is on his way to losing the locker room.

[Joemailman]

And Stubby's denial isn't helping.

I'll make one wild speculation: Maybe Stubby is on his way to losing the locker room.

It's not denial. His team has won 10 games and feels his team isn't getting any respect for that. I think he's a little pissed off. He certainly doesn't seem to be losing the locker room. If that were happening, this team wouldn't have bounced back from home losses to the Lions and the Bears with road wins in the division.

I kind of like what Ketchman said today:

The Packers defense was sensational, and the Packers’ passing attack came to life on that 19-play, 92-yard drive. That drive is what the Packers’ passing attack is going to have to be to win in the postseason, in my opinion. It’s going to have to be drive-sustaining, because the big play is missing from the Packers’ passing attack and opponents are going to continue to load up against the run. I like what I saw in that drive, especially because it was executed at crunch time. Remember this about me: I’m a defensive guy. I’m not a silver-spoon offensive guy. The 2011 Packers weren’t my kind of team. I don’t have a good feel for that kind of football. I like the way this team plays. It’s developing a hard outer shell. I like that.

Read more: http://www.packers.com/news-and-even...#ixzz3uykYFpAO

[Bossman641]

It's fine to be a drive-sustaining offense but in order to do so you have to be good on third down and especially on third and short. Currently we are awful at both.

Think I read something the other day that apart from the Hail Mary there has not been a pass play longer than 36 yards for like 5-6 games.

[pbmax]

You know its a weird season when we are quoting Vic Ketchup approvingly.

Oy!