I’m not really sure how we arrived at our current point but the Packers are playing meaningful games in January of 2023. Tomorrow, against the Vikings, at Lambeau Field, at 3:25pm CST, with playoff implications on the line. Even if the Commanders and Giants both win in the Noon time slot on Sunday, the Packers will remain alive with a win against Minnesota. As you probably know by now, the Packers make the playoffs if they beat the Vikings and Lions, coupled with one Commanders loss OR two Giants losses.
Back on November 27th, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the Packers allowed 363 rushing yards to Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. It was nice to see the Packers offense come to life after the abysmal performance against the Titans just ten days earlier but they still lost the game 40-33. Sitting at 4-8 and heading into December, I had completely given up.
Two wins against the Bears and Rams kept things alive but I fully expected a loss in Miami last weekend to officially end their season. They emphatically proved me wrong and pulled out a 26-20 upset win. Now at 7-8, the 2022 Packers who by many counts have been very disappointing, have a real shot to get into the Tournament, as Mike McCarthy would say. It’s head scratching and fortuitous to say the least but I’m simply going to put my feet up and enjoy this hopeful pocket of time.
If there’s one thing you can say about this Packers team, it’s that they’ve continued to fight. Throwing in the towel after the Eagles game was definitely an option and things didn’t look good for most of the following game in Chicago. They didn’t give up and were able to scrap and claw out a win. 8 days later, they thoroughly dominated the Rams at Lambeau and if not for them getting in their own way, should’ve won by a lot more than 24-12. Then came the Christmas Day game in Miami, against an 8-6 team that was supremely hell-bent in picking up a win after 3 straight losses, in addition to playing at home for the first time in a month. It didn’t matter.
How the final two weeks of the season play out is an unknown. While myself and Packers Nation would love nothing more than another playoff appearance for Aaron Rodgers and the team, it just feels great to even have a chance. Cheers to being hopeful and wishing you a Happy New Years!
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Alex grew up in a family of Chicago Bears fans in the suburbs of Chicago but was always a Packers guy. Alex\'s AIM name when he was in elementary/middle school was PackerAlex. He now lives in Nashville, Tennessee and you can follow him on twitter at @Alex_Mayer93.
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