We got beat in just about every facet of a football game, soundly. That is if we want to go from being a good team to a true challenger to the championship that is.
What the hell are you babbling on about Pack93z?
Yes, it is about damn time we got exposed, got it handed to us. Got our noses bloodied in about every phase of the game.
There was no close escape or a game we just about pulled out… no, instead we got clocked. The Packers felt as if they were just hanging in there more than challenging for a win. The Cowboy offensive line is elite, but even the one strong stat we had hung our hat on, our run defense got ran over.
And it will force the Packers, the staff and our QB either to do some soul searching, self inspection, and honestly being critical of where this football team is at right now. We have more talent than the performances to date have shown to this point. Yes there are injuries that are testing the depth, but a good portion of our issues are not injury related.
We got gouged with the injuries in the secondary yesterday, but prior weeks, it wasn’t a backup getting shredded. At times this year, we haven’t gotten receivers open, but most of the time, we have someone get free either to not see them, not wanting to throw to them (Janis) or throwing a off target pass. Is it on the QB or the receiver? Not sure about the route trees or timing, but one can see it is off… something is off. It has been off… and for some time. We have had consistency in the offensive line, receivers this season, QB positions. Yet it looks dysfunctional or out of sync.
Is it play calling? Execution? Issues in the locker room? A diva at QB (let’s be honest here, any player that resorts to wearing a red don’t touch me jersey is somewhat of a diva by default, lol.)?
But a couple conclusions are becoming apparent watching the game from the stands:
• Mike McCarthy is not acknowledging it or understanding what just about else can see, that the Packers offense has hit the critical level now. We do not have a shut down defense, a good defense but not an elite defense. So this offense is going to have to score at least in the mid 20’s every week to win consistently.
• Just watching the sideline interaction, Rodgers doesn’t have very many close knit players that he turns to. He is more or so isolated, shaking his head… not having many conversations along the sidelines with much of anyone other than the QB coach. Even those are short. Brief exchanges with MM, that look more forced than Hillary shaking Donald’s hand. That doesn’t bode well in the tough times, and make no mistake, this is one of those times.
• The defense right now is carrying this team both in performance, but also in emotion and they at least seem plugged in, the offense is anything but. Normally, TJ and the other lineman are loose and engaging. Not now.. they look like they are just going through the motions. Receivers look beat down and passive (other than Ty late in that game). Lacy is trying to ball out, but that dude right now is injured, not just playing hurt.
So why is this game good for this team?
Getting dominated will either wake this team up and force change or it will actually start to sort out what is truly ailing this team in a flame out type of stinker of a season.
It will force Aaron to either shake the funk or pull off one of the bigger flame outs I can remember seeing from such an elite level to a average level in the course of a basically a half of a season.
It very well might invoke change to the operation of this team. With a window closing on a great QB for the second time in Ted’s watch, he is either going to allow us to continue on with a conservative approach or it is going to prompt more urgency to put some impact ready players in key positions of struggles. Betting on the former.
But the biggest thing I think that is going to transpire if this team doesn’t solve the offensive riddle, I think it is going to expose what the hell is plaguing the relationship between Rodgers and Mike McCarthy and this team. They can deny it all they want, but something just isn’t right with the relationship between this team and this coach. Whether it be egos out of check or a just plain distain for each other, but this is not a healthy football team at the moment in terms of the definition of a team.
TL/DR – In a nutshell, after this beat down, this will either invoke change or force it. Might get ugly short term, but actually be for the best long term.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"