Strange Season, Weird JuJu

[Fritz]

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.

Thanks, Maxie. My wife is the exact same way, and it drives me nuts. She says things like "they're ahead; they'll win. Why are you so negative when you watch?"

Then last year, with five minutes left in Seattle and Morgan Burnett made the interception, I started dancing around. My wife went into her "See, I told you they would win!" When I tried to warn her that it wasn't over, though it looked good, she told me, again, how negative I was.

So I thought she learned after last year, but sadly, with the Packers up by seven and the Radiers with the ball, she told me it was over and I was being too negative. Luckily in that case she was right.

My biggest concern is Arod. The rest of the team, at least the offensive side, seems to think this is a good, tough, team, but Arod is scowling and harumphing like Scrooge before his ghosts visited him. Suck it up, dude. Bart Starr would never have done that crap.

Be a leader. How about telling everyone you're going to put the team on your shoulders, or that you haven't done enough? Or go up to the next guy who drops one and put an arm around his shoulder, or have your girlfriend give some head to the receiver who's lost the most confidence ("Okay guys, which one of you besides Davante has lost his confidence?" Entire room, hands shoot up. One guy says "Does my wife have to know if I've lost my confidence?")

[Rutnstrut]

There is definitely one thing Rodgers could learn from Favre. Favre NEVER gave up, he always thought they could win and he owned his mistakes. Rodgers reminds me of some teens when they get caught doing something wrong. It's always someone else's fault, and he's quick to throw people under the bus.

[mraynrand]

One guy says "Does my wife have to know if I've lost my confidence?"

that's what Viagra is for

[ThunderDan]

There is definitely one thing Rodgers could learn from Favre. Favre NEVER gave up, he always thought they could win and he owned his mistakes. Rodgers reminds me of some teens when they get caught doing something wrong. It's always someone else's fault, and he's quick to throw people under the bus.

You most be forgetting the Favre of the 336 routes run wrong by his WRs.

[beveaux1]

I was thinking about starting a similar thread after reading the same player and coach comments. Often, people talk about the team not being very good, then discuss only the shortcomings on offense.

In fact, the quality of the team is the combined impact of performances on offense, defense and special teams. We have seen for years that teams having one of the best offenses with mediocre (or worse) defenses and awful special teams don't go very far. This year's version might have a better balance. As of today, they are #5 in points allowed, #9 in points scored and #8 in net points. As ugly as it has been, they are 10-4 and only 4 teams have better records, two in each conference.

It is a difficult team to evaluate, but they have shown some tenacity, even giving themselves chances to salvage games in which they were awful on offense. Seattle didn't care that they were outplayed most of the NFCCG last year, they only cared that they won. At this point of the season I don't care what the offense looks like, I care only about the result.

Teams that win with defense and special teams never get the respect of analysts or fans. I think watching the golden offense that this team has had for the past 6 years has made this year's team look mediocre or even poor by comparison. The record says otherwise. I don't expect that we'll develop into an offensive juggernaut. I do expect that if we can keep the injury bug at bay, we'll be close at the end against most anybody. We play a poor half, then like PB says, we adjust, something I had not seen in previous years. They're not necessarily as fun to watch, because we're not scoring on three plays, and we are grinding for most of the game, but we're still winning. Just winning ugly. I'll take that if it carries us deep into the playoffs.

[Rutnstrut]

I think they very well could go deep in the playoffs IF. Stubby gets over his anti-run thinking and I don't mean by sticking Cobb in the backfield.

[Patler]

I still think there is a chance for the offense to be significantly better than it has been, even if it doesn't approach the level of the past few years.

It all rests with AR. I'm not putting the sole blame on him, but he has been the most consistent element of the team since he became the starter. In fact, I think each year he improved just a little in some aspect from the previous year, until this year. He is having an off year (for him) both in accuracy and in seeing the field. Yesterday he missed Jones badly twice when Jones WAS open. He failed to see Cobb wide open on one play, but luckily got PI when he threw late. The throw to Janis at the goal marker in the first half wasn't good. With Janis' jumping ability, a jump ball might have favored him, but the pass was well overthrown. I know, there were plenty of drops and half-hearted efforts by receivers, but the one thing that could quickly make the offense better is if Rodgers finds his stroke. Every game there has been more than typical numbers of off target throws from Rodgers. Even if he gets back on target, this years WRs likely will still drop a bunch of them, but they will catch some, too.

Was the interception thrown by Rodgers just frustration on his part?

[mraynrand]

^^^ One of the keys to that 2010 run was Rodgers getting very hot and playing fearlessly. He has to find a way to rise above O-line injuries and WR inconsistencies. Maybe Q and Abra will be a key in the run.

[Joemailman]

^^^ One of the keys to that 2010 run was Rodgers getting very hot and playing fearlessly. He has to find a way to rise above O-line injuries and WR inconsistencies. Maybe Q and Abra will be a key in the run.

I think he needs to run more. He might force teams to play more zone on the back end if he catches them running downfield with their backs to him by running the ball.

[Fosco33]

I think it's just hard to see the offense as average. If they were playing well - I'd see them as 12-2. And this league is mostly about offense.

The other part that makes this less hopeful is seeing how dominant Seattle and cardinals have been. I think panthers are a very good team but don't have killer punch.

I could see us losing to cards and beating minny. Then playing minny again. That'll be tough but at least at lambeau. Then we'd get cards again in divisional. So this week is a bit of a preview - like the 2009 season in a few ways.

[Deputy Nutz]

You most be forgetting the Favre of the 336 routes run wrong by his WRs.

When did Favre ever make this excuse?

[Pugger]

Thanks, Maxie. My wife is the exact same way, and it drives me nuts. She says things like "they're ahead; they'll win. Why are you so negative when you watch?"

Then last year, with five minutes left in Seattle and Morgan Burnett made the interception, I started dancing around. My wife went into her "See, I told you they would win!" When I tried to warn her that it wasn't over, though it looked good, she told me, again, how negative I was.

So I thought she learned after last year, but sadly, with the Packers up by seven and the Radiers with the ball, she told me it was over and I was being too negative. Luckily in that case she was right.

My biggest concern is Arod. The rest of the team, at least the offensive side, seems to think this is a good, tough, team, but Arod is scowling and harumphing like Scrooge before his ghosts visited him. Suck it up, dude. Bart Starr would never have done that crap.

Be a leader. How about telling everyone you're going to put the team on your shoulders, or that you haven't done enough? Or go up to the next guy who drops one and put an arm around his shoulder, or have your girlfriend give some head to the receiver who's lost the most confidence ("Okay guys, which one of you besides Davante has lost his confidence?" Entire room, hands shoot up. One guy says "Does my wife have to know if I've lost my confidence?")

This is so funny. I'm the negative one while watching the games grousing about the team's performance and my hubby keeps telling me we're gonna win even when things aren't going well.

[mraynrand]

When did Favre ever make this excuse?

Fans made it for him.

Do we yet know whether is was Schroeder or Favre to blame for that miscommunication pick 6 in the Divisional game at St. Louis in Jan 2002?

BFFFs are an interesting group. Favre could come into your dining room and drop a turd and they'd blame you for not having a toilet installed there for him.

[Bossman641]

Fans made it for him.

Do we yet know whether is was Schroeder or Favre to blame for that miscommunication pick 6 in the Divisional game at St. Louis in Jan 2002?

BFFFs are an interesting group. Favre could come into your dining room and drop a turd and they'd blame you for not having a toilet installed there for him.

He's like a kid out there!!!!

[Fritz]

He's like a kid out there!!!!

You beat me to it.