I've seen this here and amongst Packer fans I see regularly, and I just don't understand why everyone is so outraged we're just 4-4 at this juncture. We were a 6-10 team last year, that we're still in the playoff hunt halfway through the season is something of an improvement. Yeah, we whipped them in pre-season, but there's a reason those games don't count.

We are not lost, thankfully we have all the games against our biggest division rival behind us. Of those we have left, none of them are as good as they are from what I've seen, including the reigning champions--we can beat Pittsburgh. The Ravens just aren't that good, the defense has diminished faster than the offense has improved. Ray-Ray is getting old. So why the panic? I think we have a 50-50 chance against the 'Boys at home, and we'll humiliate the 'Niners like we always do. We get to spank the Lions twice, and embarrass the Bears at least one more time. All is not lost, especially only halfway through the season.


Look at it this way: NFL history would suggest it's almost impossible our O-line will give up as many sacks the last half of the season as it has the first. With more time, A-Rod who was leading all NFL QBs in passing rating going into last game, seems likely to put some points on the board few opponents can match.

Tampa played well against us, they reminded us we're still in the NFL and not playing Eastern Michigan. I suspect that team finally found a QB who will lead them to some success the next few years and we just just were on the rotten end of it like we were a faded version of the 1992 Bengals.

Everyone is up in arms over the loss to Tampa, not the 4-4 record.
Okay the record has a bit to do with it but when you have beaten a team of quality (winning records), lead the NFL in sacks by a huge margin and top it off with a loss to a team that up until that point looked like the Lions of last year.

4-4 isnt so bad if your team looked as though it was on the upswing, improving. We appear to be in a free fall and have the Cowboys, Steelers, Ravens, 49ers, Bears in Chi and the Cardinals. This is the reason for all the pessemism.

The rest of the season is pretty simple.......Win all of the remaining home games (Cowboys, 49ers, Ravens, S'Hawks) and beat the Bears and Lions on the road (the other two road games are at Pitt. and at the Cards., I would just assume losses for point of discussion). That is pretty much the only way into the playoffs, IMO. This Sunday is a must win no matter how you want to look at it.

Packers were 4-4 last year and ended up 6-10. 4-4 doesn't do any thing for me.

My point is, shit happens. I think Tampa played a pretty good game, and an exceptional fourth quarter. I don't think the team we played is likely to end up 2-14 despite that's what their record to date would suggest. I think they found themselves a quarterback, in a sense like we did in a game against the Bengals in '92. Just so I am not misinterpreted, I in no way expect Whathisname to throw 400 TD passes in his career, but that two years from now I will actually know his name and can argue where he places amongst NFL QBs. The guy made plays like he was an NFL QB or something, which is what the Bucs were lacking. As you saw, they have the tools, they just needed some cement from the QB position--I think we saw a guy capable of doing that who will still be in the league three years from now--which they've been lacking.

Have you been watching these teams? They are all beatable. I fear the Saints, the Colts and the Vikes--but I can see us beating all of them in the post-season too. The Cards are nothing at home, and I suspect we are uniquely likely to beat them due to having two top cornerbacks.

There's no team in this league I tremble before like the early-nineties Cowboys where I wondered why they ever lost. Did you see the 'Boys play Denver and the pathetic Chiefs? They are beatable. The Bears still suck, and the Lions lately have taken it to a new level.

The ones we have to beat aren't magic, none of those teams scare me. We can put points on the board and have the personnel to give even the best opponents fits.

Yes, I have been watching these teams, but obviously you haven't been watching the Packers lately.

I really hope the Packers can fight into a playoff berth, but I have my doubts.

I have, and we could still finish 6-10 or 8-8 but I just don't see that either. 9-7 and just missing the playoffs strikes me as more likely than that, and having Aaron Rodgers gives me confidence we can at least make the first round of the playoffs. The really incredible thing to me is having a QB leading the league in sacks could at any point in the season lead the league in passer rating. Imagine what he could do not running for his life....

Yes, I also think that's incredible. The problem is I don't think we will find out this year how good he can be when not running for his life.

Your optimism is a nice change, but the tough part of our schedule is ahead of us, not behind us. I agree that it's more than possible that we could pull of wins against teams like DAL, PIT or BAL. Unfortunately, I also think it's possible that we could lose to teams like SEA and DET. Looking at our remaining schedule, I will be genuinely surprised to see us with a winning record when it's all over. IMO it all comes down to this weekend. If we handle DAL, then I'll still have hope for salvaging the season. If not, it's going to get ugly down the stretch.

I am in a quandry here. They either need to win or lose. I remember the 70s and 80s when we perpetually saw 8-8 seasons giving no top flight draft picks and no playoff games.

We will be fortunate at this point to be better than 7-9 by year end, I fear.

The Packers are not that bad, but they are also not very good. WHen is the last time the Packers beat a good team.

If the Packers had stank it up during the pre-season, I don't think a lot of us would be so upset. Even knowing that the pre-season doesn't count they 'looked' pretty darn good and confident. This last lost was such a disappointment and surprise....I just don't know what to think anymore.

As so many people have said...anything can happen. I will hope that they play well tomorrow, but I don't am not going to get excited to watch this game.

2008

Let's go through it. We spanked the Bears, Lions Browns and Rams like we damn well should have. We lost to a resurgent Cincinnati team and a better Vikings team twice. We were not out of any of those games though, we didn't get whipped, we just lost to a team who played better. Good teams lose games, truly great teams lose games, but by and large they don't get spanked, they lose by a score or two, often to great plays made by the inferior team.

Then we get to the TB game, where we were winning comfortably through three quarters and then it all fell apart. They also played some really good football in the fourth quarter. Truthfully going into this game I honestly didn't know why TB hadn't won a game, they'd been a decent team the last couple years. I see an awful lot of football games, and the Bucs just weren't involved in the ones I was watching. All I can say is the team that played us looks a helluva lot better than the Browns, Lions and Rams and in my opinion will win more games than all of those teams by the time the season is complete.

So if you look at it, we've lost to some pretty good teams, but never been embarrassed, and beat up on every one we should have--with the exception of Tampa. I contend that the Bucs are better than their record, and probably shouldn't have been winless. Haven't they been playing musical QBs all season? I think they found one, and he's hardly responsible for the play of the previous ones.

It wasn't just us. After that preseason, many National experts including most of ESPN had the Pack challenging for The Lombardi Trophy. The Pack's passing game looked unstoppable. And the D was just flying to the ball. Pure enthusiasm.

As I said during preseason, Detroilet has went undefeated in the preseason like the last 2 or more years...

No, we probably aren't that bad but I doubt we'll have a chance to win again until Thanksgiving and we always have problems in Detroit on turkey day. We'll be lucky if we end up 5-11 this season when it all is said and done.

Tundra, I will hold on to your optimism and keep hoping that they kick themselves in the butt.

I did not watch the TB game, however, my dh said the same thing...that Tampa played hard and he thinks that they have finally found a QB.

I guess that's what is so frustrating for me. I KNOW we can be a winning team, but whether it's the OL or whatever, something is not working. I'm hoping that MM and the team can right the ship, but it's hard to be optimistic right now.

Unfortunately, the one team we beat on a consistent basis is ourselves.

This sounds exactly like last year. There comes a point when a team has to stop narrowly losing to good opponents.

Also, I don't agree about Tampa. The Bucs scored 28 points off of 25 yards' offense. Freeman completed 14 of 31. The fourth quarter was all about field position and luck (Hawk's non-interception, the TD on fourth down). The Packers beat themselves with picks, sacks and pathetic special teams.

Looks like things are shaping up as I predicted, although the way things are looking that last game vs. Arizona could be nothing more than a preseason type game if neither team is playing for anything.

Folks, the fact of the matter is that most people, including me, wrote this team off at 4-4. We are now in a position to make the playoffs and win some games.

I remember back in 96 when we were rolling and had back to back embarrassing losses to KC and Dallas. I thought the season was over and look what happened.

We just hit a bump in the road yesterday and to be honest its not a huge bump. We clean up that secondary and we handily win that game.

Forget just making the playoffs - this team has the potential to win it all. There's simply not a lights-out, dominant, complete team in the NFL right now. The Vikings seemed to fit that bill better than anyone else in the league, but they've been stumbling. Saints are explosive, but can be muzzled. The Colts, for all their regular season success so far, just don't scare me - that's not saying I want to play them, but they don't seem like world-beaters (like 14-0 would suggest).

Folks, the Super Bowl is up for grabs as much as it's ever been. If the Packers can iron out a few things going into the playoffs, they can beat anyone in the NFL this year. Look, we all need to remember - the team that wins the Super Bowl almost always steps it up beyond what they did in the regular season. The Packers have the potential to do that as much as anyone.

I don't know that I wrote the team off(probably did though) but I figured it was in pretty dire straits. I mean, after a loss to Tampa I could envision the team spiraling downhill pretty fast. I'm pleasantly suprised like many others that this team is in the position it is a playoff potential team. I think they will be dangerous because they slugged it out with Pitt in their house and came very close to winning. After all, Pitt did have a few extra days off to prepare and their Super Bowl defending backs were against the wall. I do however think that some weaknesses to need to be addressed in the offseason but that can wait as I'm enjoying the heck out of the ride right now.

Very good post. That is what makes this year so exciting. Vikings I believe are on the downfall. Something there just doesn't seem right on both sides of the ball. I agree with everything else you have stated and I too believe thatr the Pack has the potential to reach and then win the SB. Focus just needs to be on tightening up what needs it and once the playoffs start, game is on!

I agree. In fact Ill go as far to say we are going to draft 2 or 3 Dbacks because thats where I think our weakness lies.

Tough call. I think DB, OT and RB are all in sore straits and need serious upgrade. Depending on how Harrell looks, another body on the defensive line might be nice, too. LB is in pretty damn good shape. QB is fine (as far as the draft is concerned), as is WR, TE and FB.

IMO, the needs of this team are as follows:

1a. Offensive Tackle
1b. Defensive Back
3. Running Back
4. Kicker/Punter
5. Wide Receiver (Driver won't be here forever, and I don't feel like any of the guys behind him and Jennings can step into his shoes)
6. Defensive Line
7. Offensive Line (Interior)
8. Linebacker

Everything else on the team is fairly well set, but I'm never opposed to upgrading a position as long as it doesn't come at the expense of a vulnerable part of the team.

I did as well. To think that they could actually clinch a playoff spot by beating Seattle is amazing considering how bleak things looked a month ago.

5 weeks ago I didn't think there was a chance in heck that the Packers could make the playoffs...

I was talking about firing MM .

I tend to agree. It seems like we have some young players in place for a while and the key concern is obviously Oline and Dback.

The depth at Dback scares me a lot more than the oline. The line has played decent the last few weeks. We have absolutley no CB depth. My God, if Woodson ever went down, then we'd be screwed. Imagine a trio of CB's, Williams, Bush and Bell? Damn!

We'd be seeing a whole bunch more of the 500 yard passing games.

I'll be blunt.

This team is better than the '07 Packers and we all know how close they were.

The reason our secondary looks vulnerable is because of all the DBs on IR. Capers has to address our lack of a pass rush or we're gonna see more of what Pitt did to us the final regular season game against AZ and whoever we play in the playoffs should we get one of those wildcard spots.

That team had Al Harris, we're missing him now and it's gonna hurt. Not because Tramon Williams is bad, he's actually one of the better 'hit or miss' defensive backs in the league, but because due to injuries--we don't have much behind him.

I know Plaxico had his way with Al Harris in that championship game, but it just so happens playing press coverage is a lot more difficult when the opposition is 6'5" and way over two-hundred pounds. It wasn't his fault we didn't adjust, and against players of normal size that Al Harris normally beats up and takes their lunch money and gets their sister's cell number--we're really gonna miss him.

Not sure I agree with this. I'd say the emergence of Finley makes our current offense a little better than what we had in '07, even though the current running game is worse. The loss of Harris makes the defense about a wash. Special teams is no contest with the '07 version being light years better. I'd certainly take the '07 secondary, OL, and special teams over what we have now.

Still, I am expecting a playoff berth this season, and look forward to seeing how the team performs if/when they get there. This team reminds me a lot of the early Holmgren/Favre teams that were talented, but needed to learn how to win the big games.