Debacle -- Part 1

In Week 8, the Packers were the center of national attention because of the much-hyped return of Brett Favre to Lambeau Field. In Week 9, however, we expected to fly under the radar of national attention because of our ignominious opponent. But, no such luck. We stumbled our way into the spotlight again this week, this time by the unhappy distinction of losing to the one remaining winless team in the league.

Without question, this is the worst game of the season for Green Bay. We've lost before, but always to respectable foes. This, however, is a genuine embarrassment.

It turns out that you don't have to be Percy Harvin to look like a Pro Bowl return man against us. It turns out that you don't have to be Jared Allen to keep Aaron Rodgers on his back. And it turns out that you don't have to be Brett Favre or Carson Palmer to lead your team to victory against the 2009 Packers.

So very far from the preseason predictions that placed the Packers among the NFL elite, the '09 squad actually looks more like the '08 team that finished under .500. If we can't beat the 0-7 Bucs with a 4th-quarter lead, then how are we going to fare against the Cardinals, Steelers, and Ravens?

Last week's loss effectively knocked us out of the Division race. This week's loss does serious damage to even our wild card hopes. A real shame.

In the days ahead, we'll give some detailed consideration both to our loss and to the second half of our season. For now, though, suffice it to say that, as football goes, today was a disaster.