This is the best thing I've read in months.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/69820142.html

Let's hope it translates...

It's these types of meetings that can turn the season around. Hopefully this is enough to motivate those in need from coaches down to players. When all is said and done, this may be the catalyst for a playoff run. We'll see, starting Sunday.

"If we don't start winning, they're going to fire all of our asses."

A key veteran saying what needs to be said.

Hopefully this will have a positive impact on the coaches and players.

I'm all for winning, now lets do it.

We will find out Sunday.

When I read this it gave me a knew hope for the season.

Rodgers admitted he was part of the problem for taking too many sacks and vowed to do better. He also asked that the offensive linemen "look in the mirror" and ask themselves how they can be better.

This is the most important part. I think ARodge is talented enough that he will get better and fast.

This means nothing really. Will this meeting suddenly make the Packers play better? Will the o-line finally stop being thrown around like rag dolls? Will the defense finally get some pressure on the QB? Will they stop taking stupid penalties? The Packers are 4-4- for a reason. It's half the season and they show the same crap week in and week out. They're not that good. End of story. Meeting or no meeting, you are what you are.

I like that this happened too, but why did it take so long?

One thing however, about Driver's "they're gonna fire all our asses" comment is that it's not true. They could go 4-12 and I promise you Rodgers, Driver and most of the rest of the team will be here next year, except a few o-linemen. It's really mostly the coaches who need to be worried, IMO.

I'm not sure that he's wrong. If GB tanks the rest of the season and finishes 4-12, there is a chance the Thompson and McCarthy are both fired. If they are gone and someone like Parcells is brought in, he very well could turn over 50% of the team in one year, and that could include Cliffy, Tausch, Driver, Kampy (if they stay 3-4) and other veterans as well as borderline players such as Poppinga, Thompson, Bigby, etc.

While technically this isn't true, the intention is not lost, as grabthar points out.

I'm taking one more flyer on this team. They need to win or lose (preferably badly) for me decide. Win and I hang on for one more game. Lose (even if they are in it during the 4th Q) and my posts will start sounding like your post here.

Sounds like it's time for a "preparing for the big game" montage...

Definitely good things being said, but I don't think this is stuff that they were all unaware of up until this meeting. Clearly, the linemen know they're blocking like a sieve. Rodgers has to know he's held the ball too long on occasion, the WR's know they've dropped a couple passes, etc.

It's not a matter of TALKING at this point (thought it's good, too) it's about DOING. It's about practicing what you preach and translating all this, "We're gonna clean it up" BS that McCarthy has been spewing for 8 weeks onto the playing field. That, and only that is what will fix this team's problems --- not some meeting.

Haha join the dark side my friend! I just don't want to get my hopes up anymore and get brought back down to earth if the lose. As everyone did here, I had high expectations coming into this season. It's a tough pill to swallow that's for damn sure. I just really can't see this team pulling together to make a decent run at the playoffs. If there is every a time I hope I was wrong, this is it!

To me this means 1 thing. Sometimes things happen and you just don't play to your abilities. It doesn't seem to you like you're not playing to your abilities. You're trying but things aren't going right. I've played on talented teams and sometimes when things start going badly, they just keep going badly. Maybe some of the 'fire' drains out of you. This team may or may not have the talent to succeed, we will find out. Usually when teams turn things around or when any human being makes a major change its because they hit bottom. Losing to an 0 and 7 team may be bottom. If they can turn it around, fantastic. If they can't then I have to believe this team is just not going in the right direction.

Special teams. It's lost us games and it can win them for us too. That's where this spark should be directed.

The only other way is if the quarterback picks up and carries this team.

The tone of this meeting was encouraging. There was not finger pointing but accountability to each units actions. We will have to see where this takes us .

Did anyone in the organization have a choice but to hold themselves accountable? Press conferences and interviews are always sugar coated, and don't tell the whole story. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when Murphy spoke to Thompson and McCarthy earlier this week. If the players say there was an "intense discussion", I read it as everyone got their asses chewed out. Whether this dressing-down helps or causes more finger pointing remains to be seen. I'm hoping for the latter.

This story is clearly impossible since, as we've been reminded countless times in the last week, the only person capable of providing any locker-room leadership for this team is playing in Minnesota now.

Seriously though, it's good to see the leaders on the offense step up. Now if only our D (and special teams) can start performing as advertised and hold the opposition to 20 points or fewer, we'll have a chance.

Well sometimes it takes your veterans to stand up and jack people up to get them motivated. You sure don't see it out of MM on the sidelines. Not saying this will turn a team around but it can't hurt. I for one would like to see Rodgers jack up the line on the sideline after they screw up. You saw Big Ben do it this weekend and other good QB's get after those guys from time to time. Sorry to say it but rich 20 year olds are hardly the most motivated creatures on earth.

I'm hoping for the former.

Meetings don't win football games but confidence can help and doubt can hinder. If the result of this meeting is an improved confidence than the meeting was a success. We'll know by 3:30 Sunday if it helped. We'll know by 6:30 Sunday if it mattered.

Talk is cheap. I would sure hope the players understand they jsut lost to team they should have beat. They understand they won't make the playoffs if they keep playing the way they have been. So they get together and have a meeting....whatever.

So far I've heard Murphy, Thompson, and McCarthy say things need to get fixed. Rodgers has admitted weeks ago he was responsible for some of the sacks but hasn't changed. Colledge has said the O line has to get their act together. Now a meeting. Blah, blah, blah. Time to PLAY the way you say you should be playing. Walk the talk.

And, there's a pretty good chance that a new GM would fall in love with one of those QBs in the draft. If that happens, then AR turns into trade-bait. And it would probably happen before his replacement is drafted.

Drafting a new QB when your current starter is a 25 year-old whom most commentators consider one of the top 5 QBs in the league seems... unlikely.

agree

But after watching Denver do that this past off season (well a trade, not a draft pick) and turn around as one of the top teams in the NFL shows that it is possible.

And we're talking about a hypothetical situation where he has 10 or 12 wins in two years, and challenges for the single-season sack record.

I think that he just has a few bad habits that good coaching would correct (and linemen...he also needs linemen); but it's not hard to see how an incoming GM might be tempted to sell high on Rodgers, if he knows that Bradford (for instance) is going to be his guy.

Yeah that would be good. Lets trade a good starting NFL QB and put a rookie in there. If that happens if a new GM comes in, no thanks I keep TT.

I love the fact that the players spoke up.
But there are things that more effort or concentration can fix and some things that only ability can fix. ANd I see the OLine as an area that either ya can or ya can't and know amount of rah rah can help you block DeMarcus Ware.

I don't know how I missed this about the 'Meeting'...but, it's good to hear. The taste musta been pretty sour from their mouths on Monday morning.

I hold judgement till Sunday if it translates to the field. All talk, no play? We beat the Cowgirls, I might change my tune.....slightly.....

"While the overall tone of the words were positive and reinforced all the good things the league's seventh-ranked offense has done and can build upon, there also were some very critical moments."


This is the problem...Overall tone positive?

They should of had their asses Chewed. We need a return to hard nosed coaching like Lombardi did.

This reminds of what they do to school kids to help their self esteem

The person who is in Minnesota is doing a helluva job. He is surrounded with good players. One of the Things TT failed to do and I now believe is what led Favre to waffle about retirement and eventually get traded.


YOU brought it up.

Funny, I know quite a few Packer fans who are rooting Favre on, as our team flounders with "Team meetings"

Hell with team meetings...Take tham to dorms have mid season training camp rule with a curfew. Take em away from their families. Make them earn the millions of dollars they make. Batter them like soldiers in basic training

Make them play to the standards that Packers should play too


In the words of the great one.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OUT THERE"

Damn right Im MAD at this organization right now.

You bring up a good and often missed point about why Favre was uncertain about coming back for several years. Thompson's non commitment to improving the team. At least in the short term, when T

Sorry, I meant to say "former".

Best be careful here.....you're implying Favre had ideas other than "I cant do it anymore...I've given all I can and dont think I can do it anymore" when he retired. One could infer that Favre had other ideas bouncing around in his noggin......

LOL

Of course it's hard to see because no GM is going to come in and trade away a very good QB for a totally unproven rookie! None! Not gonna happen.

Have we lost our minds on this message board?! Ha!

Yes but attitude goes a long way. Some Packer players joked about how Reggie would have to stop a meeting just to start another meeting. He loved player meetings and felt it was an important part of the game.
How many Super Bowls have them won without him??? Anyone? Bueller??

Player "come to Jesus" meetings are only good when there is enough talent on the team to step up and play, especially on the OL. Cannot put lipstick on a pig. That said its about results on the field, we shall see Sunday

Here's my concern. IMO, this might be too little too late. Should this meeting have taken place after the FIRST Vike lost?

Another concern; there has been some finger pointing going on.

Another concern- So let's go optimistic and say they pull off the upset this week. great right? But if they lost the following week or worse to Lions on Thanksgiving; then what? Our hopes trampled in the dust again?

Now I'm trying not to be bearer of bad news here. But Have seen these kind of teams before in GB over 30 years. have the big Rah-Rah meeting and be the under dog and then tank the next week. I hope it does turn around and everything gels together and we do it the rest of the season through the play-offs. But; I also have to see it to believe it at this point.

Definition of a pessimist? A realistic optimist

Sorry I think a better smiley would be - or

(be careful, I hear the sky is falling!!)

Go Pack!!

Have a link?

If this was a serious statement, it should be reconsidered. A new GM could mean roster turnover, but Rodgers would undoubtedly be the safest player on the team.

Actually, after today, I'd say Charles Woodson would be the safest man on the team, but Rodgers, indeed, would be a close second. We already have a QB that can play. No need to be like the rest of the NFC North, spending decades searching for a QB that can play.

And oh, by the way, that was some inspired football against the Cowboys today!

Chicken Little