It Might Be Time to Press the Panic Button on the Packers Season

When Aaron Rodgers was lost to a broken collarbone last week, it was seen by many to be the beginning of the end for the Packers season.

After all, when you are talking about losing the best player in the league for up to six weeks, it is going to be difficult to replace that presence on the field, and his leadership off the field.

Despite not having Rodgers leading the offense, there would still be playmakers on the field for Seneca Wallace to get the ball to in the hopes of moving the ball.

Eddie Lacy and James Starks would still be running.

Jordy Nelson, James Jones, and Jarrett Boykin would still be on the receiving end of passes.

It wouldn’t be the same  as having Rodgers out there, but it was at least possible to remain positive on the season.

That may not be the case after today’s 27-13 loss to the Eagles.

Seneca Wallace was lost in the first possession, pressing Scott Tolzien into action at QB. And he looked pretty good for a player pressed into action.

But Tolzien replacing Wallace who was replacing Wallace should be the least of the worries on the minds of Packers fans right now.

As has been the case repeatedly over the past several seasons, the defense failed to step up when they desperately needed to.

Wide open running lanes for the Eagles trashed the number five rushing defense in the league for 204 rushing yards, making the Packers defense look like pretenders instead of contenders.

Poor coverage in the secondary made Nick Foles (12/18, 228 yards, 3 TDs, 0 ints) look every bit like the player who threw for seven touchdowns a week ago.

Injuries continue to wreak havoc on the Packers. In addition to Wallace, Nick Perry, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Casey Hayward, and Johnny Jolly were all lost during the game, their statuses to be determined.

And at the end of the day, the Packers lost their second consecutive game at Lambeau Field in six days, the first time since 2008 this has happened.

Something has to happen. Some sort of a spark has to ignite in order for the Packers to save their season before it is too late.

Aaron Rodgers might be back for the Thanksgiving game against the Lions, but the season could spiral out of control by that point.

Mike McCarthy is facing adversity yet again during his tenure as Packers coach. He has been able to overcome it previously, but this could be much more difficult to recover from. If the Packers lose again against the Giants, it could be the death nail in the coffin of the Packers season.

While there is still a lot of football left to play, it might be time to press the panic button on the Packers season.

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John Rehor is a writer at PackersTalk.com.

He can also be heard as one of the Co-Hosts of Cheesehead Radio.