So much for the return of Jordy Nelson being the cure-all for the Green Bay Packers’ 2016 offense. After two weeks the offense looks just as pathetic as it did in 2015, not sure how it happened but I think Aaron Rodgers has turned into Jay Cutler. It can’t be denied any longer, Rodgers is a simply a shell of his former self, and without improved play at QB the Packers might not even have a winning record this year.
Rodgers isn’t getting any help from his head coach, either. Mike McCarthy resumed play calling duties late last year but nothing has changed. The Packers won’t commit to the running game and even when they try to run it more they do it with their best running back, Eddie Lacy, on the bench. It’s mindboggling. What is going on at 1265 Lombardi Ave. these days? They don’t even have a full roster right now. They must think they are so good they can win with only 52 players unlike the rest of the league, who have 53-man rosters. Strange days indeed.
I said after the Packers’ lost to Seattle in the NFC Championship game that McCarthy would be out of Green Bay in two years and nothing I have seen since has made me change my mind. McCarthy used to be able to fix a problem when he seen one but for the last couple of years nothing has gotten fixed. The Packers’ defense is better because that’s pretty much all Ted Thompson drafted the last two years giving Dom Capers some much needed weapons.
I was going to say maybe the offense needs an overhaul too but when you have Rodgers, Nelson, Lacy, Randall Cobb, Jared Cook, Ty Montgomery, etc., I don’t think that is the case. It begins and ends with Rodgers. The first two games have seen Rodgers being outplayed by second year QB Blake Bortles and journeyman Sam Bradford. That would have been unheard of three years ago. Until it changes the Packers will continue to struggle and each week, no matter who they are playing, will be a dogfight.
The Packers play five out of the next six games in Lambeau Field, two of them division games, and anything less than 5-1 will be disappointing considering there isn’t a 2015 playoff team in the bunch. In fact they don’t play another 2015 playoff team until November 20 at Washington, so if they can get on a roll last night’s debacle will be just a blip on the radar.
As things are right now, that is a big if.