Total Team Effort

I don’t believe in panic.  I can’t think of any situation or area of life in which panic is the best response.  It may be a natural reflex, but it is not a productive one. 

That said… yikes!  What’s wrong with the Packers?! 

After roaring out to a 13-0 start last season and looking unbeatable – a team for the ages!, we thought -- that same group has gone 4-5 in the last nine games that they’ve played.  What happened?

Sunday’s disaster was the worst sort of total team effort.  Offense, defense, and special teams all contributed to that loss. 

On offense, the running game was anemic and the passing game was inconsistent.  There was the Rodgers interception, dropped passes, missed opportunities, and inadequate pass protection.  And none of these, incidentally, were unique to this Sunday. 

On defense, we saw the same mystery that marked much of the Saints game: namely, it seemed that we had fewer men on the field than the offense.  They had enough guys to block our rushers, yet at the same time they managed to find big open spots in the defensive backfield.  Do we not have 11 defenders?   How is it that we can neither pressure the quarterback nor cover the receivers?  Very disturbing.  We were beaten by the tandem of a rookie QB and a 103-year-old receiver.  How can we hope to beat the Texans next week?!

And then there were special teams.  I love Randall Cobb, but a runback that starts 9 yards deep in the end zone suggests inadequate coaching and poor judgment.  More problematic, though, is two missed field goals.  One wide and one very wide.  “One of the best kickers in the league,” I believe the TV commentator called him.  Okay, but those missing six point are a painful memory in a 3-point loss.   

So is there any good news?  Is there any hope? 

Well, first, as mentioned above, this is essentially the same team that went 13-0 last year.  While bewildering, it is good news because we know their potential.  It’s a great roster, and we know that the coaching staff has been effective in the past, too. 

Second, of the three losses, this was the least costly.  Losing in the Division, of course, is the worst of all.  (We haven’t done that yet.) Losing in the Conference is next.  (We’ve done that twice.)  Losing to a team from the AFC, though, is the least problematic sort of a loss, and that’s what the Colts loss was. 

Finally, as we discovered last year (and see almost every season), it’s not who’s hot at the beginning; it’s who’s hot at the end.  Last year’s Super Bowl champs were 9-7 at the end of the regular season.  While 2-3 is upsetting, it’s not cause for panic.  And I don’t think any of these guys – McCarthy, Capers, Rodgers, Matthews, Driver, etc. – I don’t think any of them will panic.  They’ll sit down and evaluate, they’ll address the problems, they’ll game plan, and they’ll head down to Houston expecting to win.

Go, Pack, go!