My answer is yes I do think the Packers can step up in the second half. I base this on a few things that I feel have some basis vs. a shot in the dark.
A) The Packers have traditionally played well under McCarthy in the 2nd half of the season. For one thing the run offense has consistently done better late in the year and I look for that again starting now.
B) They are healthier (knock on wood) at this point of the season than they have been in years.
C) I like the schedule. No, we haven't beaten a good *QB yet but we have played them all on their home field and good teams with good QB's don't lose often at home. Now it's our turn to take advantage playing the best teams remaining on our field.

To your point WPR we are on the outside looking in at the moment having lost to the Lions and they keep finding ways to win. I will say though that the Pack has a lot of veterans that have been here before where they HAD to win in order to move on so I look at their current position almost as a plus in terms of motivation and focusing only on the next game. Something I think players do far better than fans.

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I sure hope so. If they don't every game would be like the Bears game in reverse.

In general there is very little difference in the level of talent between the typical NFL player and the hundreds who don't make it. One of the key factors is the player's ability to believe in themselves, their coach and teammates. They need a focus that is almost myopic. (Didn't some player a week or two ago say that even though GB beat them that he thinks they are the better team? I thought I heard that on WSCR as I was getting in or out of my car.

I expect the players to believe that they are going to win the SB every single year and in addition, to win every single game leading up to the SB. Fans have no need or requirement to do so. Without that tunnel vision we can wander around and look at alternative scenarios. We can look 2 or 3 weeks down the road. Players need to focus on the next game only.

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I think it is hard to judge the Packers on the Seahawks and Lions games in weeks 1 and 3 of the season. Are we watching the same overall Packers team in week 11 that we were watching in the early weeks, where they almost lost to the Jets as well? I don't think so.

As a team, I think they have made positive changes on offense and defense. Its unfortunate that they have only been able to showcase these changes against under performing teams thus far. Offensively, we are seeing them do things differently with personnel and play calling.
-Earlier in the season, the Packers were unable (or not confident) in running a 2 TE set. We watched that happen last week.
-Earlier in the season, Packers fans complained about how vanilla the offense was. Lack of using motion and lack of screens. The past few weeks we have seen Jordy in motion and a nice, healthy use of screens/ dump off passes to Lacy (who is just as good as getting the YAC as our WRs).
-Running game has changed a little bit but not so much so that the offense is predictable. Lacy is a better runner out of singleback formation as opposed to shotgun. There has been more running out of that formation. Less toss plays, but they are still there.

Overall, McCarthy and Rodgers have been playing to their strengths lately and using the personnel they have wisely. I think if this was all happening earlier in the season there would be a big difference in some of the outcomes.

Defensively, the Packers have been getting it done lately (aside from NO, see later). The run defense still has to shape up and I still question if using Clay in a ILB role is going to definitely fix that. Eagles game may be a good indication on this.
Along with the Seahawks and Lions game, I think it is hard to judge the Packers defense against the Saints. They were playing without Sam Shields and Morgan Burnett which is a huge hit against a team like the Saints in their home dome. Add Rodgers and Lang's injury to this list and the offenses inability to score, allowing the Saints to pull away.

My two good indications of this Packers team is:
- the Miami game. That took some grit to win that game against a quality defense and they did it.
- Not only beating bad teams but putting them away early. In the past, good Packers teams have allowed the scrub teams to stay in the game until the end. At least this isn't happening this season.

If I had to choose right now, I'd give the nod to them being contenders simply because they have and continue to make the changes that need to be made to bring in success and winning. The next 3 weeks will be huge for the Packers (2 of the 3 weeks if a fresh Adrian "I beat children" Peterson isn't back) to determine their pretender /contender status.

The Packers are getting hot at the right time of the season.

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I think the Packers are contenders with some big holes and might not be top contenders because of that. But I think the Packers will make the playoffs and if they get hot could make a serious run at it.

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I have a far better appreciation of the Venn diagram, thank you sschind. 😆

If you are going to derail a topic, THIS IS THE WAY TO DO IT!!!!!

😆 😆 😆

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Any team that includes Aaron Rodgers is a contender.

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Contender for any given Sunday, agreed. Contender for Super Bowl? The Aaron Rodgers included on team wouldn't even be in the playoffs right now.

A lot can change and hopefully it will.

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CONTENDERS

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2014 NFL Playoff Standings  

[rockon]

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