If you were betting on sports ahead of the 2016 NFL season, then the Green Bay Packers seemed like a solid pick in the NFC North. Now four weeks into the season the Packers are hardly living up to the hype. Sitting at 2-1 Green Bay still has an opportunity to win the division, despite losing to the Minnesota Vikings – who find themselves sitting atop the NFC North with an immaculate 3-0 record. In Week 4 the Packers will be receiving a much needed Bye Week, and although they’ve won two games this season, neither performance was as exemplary as Green Bay fans were expecting.
To kick off the 2016 season the Packers traveled to the Sunshine State to face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Packers ended up winning the game 27-23, but their performance wasn’t as dominant as you would expect against a team that has yet to win a game. In the first half Green Bay was dominant, forcing turnovers and capping off drives with touchdowns. However, in the second half the Packers would struggle on offense, with most drives ending in field goals and even going 3 and out late in 4th quarter. This gave the Jaguars the ball back on their own 37 with 3:17 on the clock. In the end the defense pulled through, but they never should’ve been placed in that situation to begin with. Had the Packers been able to move the ball better or put more points on the board, Jacksonville wouldn’t have stood a chance. In the passing weeks it was revealed that the referees missed a defensive holding on the 4th-and-1 that ended Jacksonville’s chances. But if the refs had thrown the flag the Jaguars probably could have upset the Packers in opening week. Fans who were betting on sports thought the Packers were a clear pick over Jacksonville, as they should be, but Green Bay’s performance left a lot to be desired.
The following week the Packers would provide an even more disappointing outing, this time against a division rival. Facing the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 the Packers were handed their first loss of the season. One good thing to take away from this contest is how well Green Bay stopped the run. Over the last few years Minnesota has established themselves as one of the better rushing teams in the NFL, but against the Packers the Vikings were only able to 30 yards on the ground. While they were good against the run, the Packers weren’t so great against the pass. Sam Bradford delivered beautiful passes for 4 quarters, which were further accentuated by how poor Aaron Rodgers was performing. Rodgers didn’t even seem like a shadow of his former self and after throwing pitiful passes the entire game, one of them eventually got picked off. After the game Rodgers instructed fans not too panic, and that ‘it’s only Week 2’. But fans don’t feel like it’s only been 14 days, rather the problems displayed against Minnesota were reminiscent of the Packers problems in 2015.
In Week 3 the Packers faced the Detroit Lions and many fans thought the game would be both an easy win, and provide a way for Green Bay to find their groove offensively. But just like the contest against Jacksonville, the two halves of the game proved to be very different. Rodgers would throw 4 touchdowns before halftime, but would fail to find the end zone in the second half. Entering the half the scoreboard read 31-10, but at the end of the game it would read 34-27. How the Lions managed to sneak back into the game after allowing 4 touchdowns in one half is beyond reason. In the second half the Packers weren’t able to put together long drives, and even ended up going 3-and-out. Late in the 4th quarter the offense was able to get a crucial first down to seal the deal, but once again, it should have never come to that. There’s no reason why Green Bay couldn’t score a touchdown in the second half. The fact that they didn’t just goes to show you that the Packers offensive problems continue. If the Packers are unable to find consistency on offense then there won’t be too many fans picking them when betting on sports. It would be nice to see the Packers be dominant in Week 5 against the Giants, and hopefully this Bye Week will provide the rest they need.