With a day passed since the Packers’ season presumably came to end in a 31-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, I have decided to give the team one more week. I knew the Bengals were to going to be tough, I just didn’t think they would be that tough. Cincy is now my team of destiny – the Arizona Cardinals or Miami Dolphins of 2009. As for the Packers, their big turnaround has taken a slight detour, if they fall to the Rams next Sunday you can say they are officially lost.
The Packers glaring weaknesses are offensive line and running back, and both areas of concern are areas where the Packers’ brass has continually overrated the Packers talent. I think the problem is head coach Mike McCarthy’s goofy blocking scheme that requires smaller more nimble offensive lineman who are drafted to block the zone-blocking scheme but are getting killed in pass blocking. At least so far this year they are. I still think the Packers should have left Wells at center and Spitz at right guard instead of putting two unproven players on one side. Now with Clifton out the Packers are in deep doo.
Of course some of this wouldn’t be so apparent if the Packers had a running back. Ryan Grant hasn’t been the same since the Seattle playoff game two years ago and injury or not he no longer has his explosiveness and his penchant for fumbling reared its ugly head again yesterday. Grant shouldn’t be catching the ball out of the backfield anyway and the Packers idiotic decision to cut Tyrell Sutton even though Brandon Jackson was hurt is coming back to haunt them big time. Jackson has basically stolen money from the Packers since he joined the team and I know if the Packers cut him tomorrow he would never play another down in the NFL. At the very least Jackson should have been put on IR.
I was much more shocked at how bad the Packers defense played Sunday. They can shut down Jay Cutler and Matt Forte but let Cedric Benson and Carson Palmer pick them apart? Go figure? I’m going to give the defense the benefit of the doubt on this one because it was only their second game in the new scheme, however, this isn’t baseball, you don’t get 162 games, this is the only pass they will get from me. To be honest, at this point I might have more confidence in Dom Capers than I do in McCarthy. You guys have mentioned that McCarthy might have hired his replacement and that certainly could be the case if the offense doesn’t pull its head out.
The Packers have some major problems but they can only correct them from within. At this stage of the season rosters are set and only a trade could bring help and who do the Packers have to trade? A.J. Hawk maybe? Johnny Jolly? Pickings are slim and who would even have an offensive lineman they can afford to get rid of? Finding someone who could help right away would probably require too much in return. The Packers better stoke the fire under Mark Tauscher, they need him badly as it appears he was the heart and soul of the o-line.
The Bengals are twice the team the Rams are and if the Packers struggle under the Arch they are in big trouble. The fact that they have the Vikings the following week doesn’t help matters which makes this a perfect trap game. Had the Packers won yesterday I would have been more worried about the Rams than I am now, I expect a bounce-back victory setting up the showdown for the NFC North lead a week from next Monday.