The Green Bay Packers may have suffered the worst playoff loss in NFL history last Sunday, but the case can be made this team is on the verge of an historic run. Of course, given the Packers’ championship history, 13 NFL titles and the only winners ever of three straight championships, that is a bold statement. I think it all depends on how the Packers respond to their epic meltdown in Seattle. From the front office on down.
The positives were not that not hard to find. After five days to reflect, the case can be made that the Packers played one of their worst games of the year and still almost beat the defending world champions on the road. Yes the end result is the end result, but this isn’t like an old Packers’ team on it’s last legs, there is hope for the future.
Of course, that hope begins and ends with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has entered his prime at age 31 and seems to be getting better with age. He carried the Packers to the brink of the Super Bowl on one leg. I know if ‘its and buts were candies and nuts, we’d have something‘, but one can only wonder how it would have played out with a healthy Rodgers.
Another reason to think this team could be on the upswing is the amazing draft class general manager Ted Thompson finally came through with. Four of the Packers’ first six picks ended up making huge contributions this past year. Starting with first round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who developed into the playmaking safety the Packers so sorely missed on defense.
On offense, wide receiver Davante Adams, tight end Richard Rodgers and especially center Corey Linsley came up huge. Without any of those four rookies the Packers would have been hard pressed to get as far as they did. They still have three guys from that draft that have promise in wide receivers Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis and defensive end Khyri Thornton.
Thompson was in a little slump the last few years but pulled out of it with a bang last year. Next year the Packers need help at inside linebacker and defensive line on defense and are in dire need of the playmaking tight end they haven’t had since Jermichael Finley.
Thompson made a huge move in free agency last year by signing Julius Peppers and it paid off big time. Could another Julius addition be the works? The Packers could use a playmaking tight end like Julius Thomas who may become a free agent and the Packers will have plenty of money to spend.
I am still a little baffled why McCarthy took his foot off the pedal against the Seahawks instead of his previously aggressive approach during the Packers’ Super Bowl run of four years ago that resulted in a championship. But McCarthy,51, is still young for a head coach in the NFL and he should learn from what was probably his worst play calling game of his career.
My bad cop post was easy to do. At first I thought good cop was going to be harder. Not the case. The Packers are in good hands. The good outweighs the bad.