This was supposed to be the time of the season that the team got healthy. After Green Bay dropped a game to Atlanta that they probably should have won, optimism was rampant. The Packers had almost beaten an NFC contender on the road, something they haven’t been able to do very often after the 2014 season.
Instead of taking care of business against two teams from the weak AFC South, Green Bay lost two more games, one of them at home, and fell to 4-5. The Packers are now on pace to finish with a losing record for the first time since Rodgers’ first season as the starter.
Everyone’s under fire. People are questioning the General Manager. They’re asking the head coach to be fired. There are think-pieces all over the place about the quarterback as well. It’s a team that is very, very close to breaking. What’s going on in the locker room, no one knows for sure, but body language says a lot.
Why the Packers Will Win: They have to. It doesn’t matter how bad the rest of the division is playing, the Packers aren’t going to get to the playoffs without winning at least four more games. No one is winning the NFC North with a 7-9 record. As bad as Minnesota appears, and as badly as Green Bay beat Detroit a few weeks ago, no one is going to win the division unless they can at least get to the .500 mark.
That’s going to be very difficult unless they win this game. It would definitely be better for the Packers to get to the three game stretch at the end of the season (all division games) with a 7 loss record, instead of one with 8 or 9. It’s going to be a lot to ask to get this team to .500 if they drop to 4-6.
The Packers have beaten Washington while playing short handed in a big spot before. Green Bay has to win to keep their season alive (probably). They had to last year during the playoffs as well. Rodgers was able to rally the troops in the nation’s capital a season ago. Why not now. This team always seems to have one up it’s sleeve just when every one has given up on them.
Why Washington Will Win: Because we suck and I hate it.
Bottom Line: I’ve given up on this group of Packers. I maybe haven given up on this group if they had Damarious Randall, Sam Shields, Jared Cook and Clay Matthews, but they don’t, or at least they won’t have them all Sunday. Until the team shows me that they can win a game against a competent team I’m not going to pick them to win one. They don’t embarrass themselves, but they don’t win either. Packers 22 Washington 28
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Ross Uglem is a writer at PackersTalk.com.
You can follow Ross on twitter at RossUglem
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5 responses to “PACKERS FOOTBALL FRIDAY: Save the Season?”
I agree with Ross. It seems that the offense is improving a bit but it depends on injuries. The secondary, though, is a complete and total disaster without cornerbacks that have yet to learn the game. This team will struggle with the Redskins and if they lose, why would we believe they can beat Philadelphia?
Philly is a different team at their stadium and in fact they are a dominant team at their stadium. On the road, they are horrible. The only team Philly defeated on the road is Da Bears. Whoever wins the North will probably go 9-7, 8-8 or 7-9. If we lose to Redskins, I only see us beating Da Bears, the Vikings (since they are becoming the 2015 Falcons), and maybe the Texans.
McCarthy is on the hot seat and if the Packers miss the playoffs I could see MM being fired.
You may be right. The Vikings have gone downhill, the Bears suck but Detroit is hot and improved with Billy Bob Cooter. t’s really improbable that the Pack can fill the holes at this point.
The Redskins are better now than when we beat them in the playoffs.
And MM may go since Packer problems date back some time now.
The Vikes are beating AZ right now but that doesn’t really mean they will actually win the division. Some article says that the Packers may change their FO. I say get rid of TT and let the new GM decide on MM. No way TT stays after this or next year. Same with MM.
TT will retire and I think McCarthy won’t make it for the upcoming season. I just can’t believe the horrible meltdown on defense.