Playoffs suddenly in jeopardy?

With their stunning loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday combined with explosive performances by the Cowboys and Giants the Packers all of a sudden are faced with winning their last two games to make the playoffs. The Giants whipped the lowly Redskins and the Cowboys get the same opportunity to do so next week. The Giants then have the 6-8 Panthers in New York and the fading fast Vikings in Minnesota the final week of the year.

Our best hope is beating the Seahawks next week and hoping the Eagles can win the NFC East by beating the Cowboys in Dallas the final week of the season. All of a sudden the Cardinals are in the hunt for the No. 2 seed in the NFC so they will likely play their starters against the Packers to close out the season, and we all know what a good passing team can do to the Packers.

The Packers’ problems are obvious. They can’t run the ball on offense when they need to and pass protection, while better lately, is still not good enough. On defense they can stop the run effectively but can’t get home on the blitz regularly enough and outside of of their two starting cornerbacks can’t cover anybody. Yes I’m talking about Jarrett Bush and Josh Bell. Opposing tight ends have also given the Packers fits this year. How the Packers are still number two in defense after getting “debacled” in Pittsburgh is beyond me (thanks Emmitt).

I do think yesterday’s game was a great learning experience for the young Packers, whose best years are yet to come I think. They do need to get a taste of the playoffs this year though to keep that edge sharp. Aaron Rodgers is improving game by game and it would benefit him to get a playoff game or two under his belt. It’s a learning process for a QB and Rodgers is well ahead of the curve.

The Packers lost a heartbreaker, that is sure, but they did show a lot of heart in the fourth quarter and should have gained some confidence in what was a furious comeback until the final play. Not to mention they were playing the defending Super Bowl champions fighting for their lives.

Confidence is medium. I would rather the Packers just win out and be done with it, but it would also be nice to locked in next week. The Packers should be fired up for the Seahawks after such a tough loss and Lambeau will be rocking. Go Pack! Go Panthers! and Go Redskins!

This entry was posted on Monday, December 21st, 2009 at 11:18 pm and is filed under Al Davis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Newer Comments →
  • stomps

    Is that big storm supposed to hit there? I’m stressed my travel plans are about to get shot.. especially since this game now means something!!!!

    This would be a perfect game for our D to step up and shut down the Hawks..

  • packer_bob

    We should have a relatively easy win this week at home. The Steelers game was another example of our Jeckyl and Hyde team, and I’m not at all certain we win a road playoff game.

    Still, we need to win out, get to the dance and hope we get hot from there. Go Pack Go!

  • Jack in Columbus

    I was at the game in Charlotte Sunday night, and a fmailiar Favre appeared. The Favre that hates playing in the cold, hates playing behind or in close games, the Farve that needs an effective rushing game to allow for him to succeed. Me thinks the Vikings’ O Line is struggling and that this team will not venture deep in the playoffs this season.

    As for the Packers, one final play goes a different way and we win a wild game despite a porous D. Am I the only one who thinks a three man rush is equivalent to no rush at all? We gave Rothie all day to pick his man and hit him when all we really needed to do was play nickle and try to hurry his throw with 4-man pressure.

  • Abraham7325

    I want this team in the playoffs and it would be shame if we don’t at least play one game. The problem I am struggling with is the fire of the players in the big games. Last night we fell behind early because we did not come to play like all the losses this year. We are not ready for the big stage and the games that were played on the that stage we lost 0-4 TB does not count. The offensive coaching is just that our recieving corp is the best if not the best and yet we have problems converting or making the catches. ST was better but still suck it up and cost us way too many yards. I would say clean up on headcoach, offense, ST in the off season. I think that we will only see a change on ST (I hope). No changes we will not progress as a team. We need a coach that can bring this team ready to play in big games. TT needs to clean house.

  • Cody

    I mostly agree with you Al, but you can’t say that we “can’t run the ball on offense when they need to..” McCarthy only let Grant have 8 touches on Sunday. Everyone knows that he gets better the more touches he gets, and he did break out a 24 yard td run in the fourth quarter. Maybe they should have just run the ball a little more in the first 3.
    I’m not saying thats why we lost, I’m just saying..
    We will make the playoffs, Zona won’t have a shot at number 2. Even if they do, just watch take of the ’49rs crushing them and do what they did, shouldn’t be to hard. As for seattle, well, lets just say that they look pretty bad and if we manage to lose that game then we should not be allowed within 300 miles of a playoff game.

  • AATP

    Me thinks the Packers win against the Hawks in a blow-out, well, a high scoring offensive affair for the Packers and our D steps it up and shuts them down. I take the Pack 28-7 over the Hawks at home. The following week though will all depend on need, will AZ NEED the game or not… if so I think Warner has a hay day passing like Big Ben but I think we do equal damage against them and it once again comes down to who has the ball at the buzzer. Those are my Vegas thoughts – but I’m much like everyone else on this board, I would love to just have the Pack blow everyone out from here to the play-offs and roll into the play-offs as the most feared team going away… I have a dream…

  • Reid

    It’s sure been a roller coaster season, but it beats the heck out of 6-10 or 4-12, or even 8-8.

  • Mel e Mel

    MM had good reason to abandon the run this time. Tampa ran for 120 vs Seattle last week. If the run is Abandoned this week off with MMs head. I am willing to give the D a mulligan for the last game. The D had to be gassed because of the 3 and outs early in the game. My only issue with Capers is the use of Safeties. He deploys them far too deep. Good qbs simply work underneath them. Teams are targeting Jarrett Bush.
    Lets cut Bell some slack. Funny they have the same initials hopefully they are not drinking Jim Beam during games.

  • Steve Cheez

    J in C- good point. Why not just rush zero and leave eleven guys back in coverage?

  • Steve Cheez

    Reid- Thanks for putting things in perspective.

  • Larry

    A great read is BY THE NUMBERS in the article links…its telling that when the game was on the line we didn’t blitz and didn’t have our best people out there. (A REFERENCE TO THE D LINE) If we learn from this maybe the lesson is blitz, blitz, blitz. Hopefully IF we can win the playoff spot this week we can test it on Arizona on week 16.

    Sorry we didn’t connect Reid.

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    Pretty amazing when your season end depends on a couple of backup DBs and a Kicker. Its as if the O and D starters have nothing to do with our fate. If we lose it’ll be because of backups. Truly amazing. Did it occur to you that they are backups in the first place because they’re not as good as the starters? OR………
    Should we be encouraged that the loss could be attributed to backup mistakes who have a chance to greatly learn from the experience of being on that “island” during the film reviews. If they don’t learn and improve because of what happened, they don’t belong here, and won’t be next year. Its that simple.
    In the mean time its my thesis that they shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place; ie, to have the win/loss soley depend on them. Just like a kicker; out of 15/16 games a week 1 or 2 come down to a field goal deciding the outcome. They get paid to withstand that pressure and have the outcome depend on them, but the game probably was won or lost way prior to that kick.
    Win the game and their play is negated to finding someone better in the offseason and moving on. Lose the game and they’re worse than maggots and should be tarred and feathered and ridden out of town on a rail. Just goes to show you the luck factor when a season can come down to one or two plays out of a thousand.

  • iccyfan

    Jarrett Bush on field
    evokes wailing and moaning
    when other team scores
    =======================
    Run Jarrett Bush fast
    chase Mike Wallace flying past
    on way to end zone
    =======================
    Jarrett find Hines Ward
    Do not let behind you deep
    or they get first down

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    I think you’ve found the solution, iccy. Cut Bush, we win the Super Bowl. Or is it keep Bush and we lose out? You are truly a fair weather Packer fan, you go way beyond criticism, and sure don’t help the morale of the other 52 squad members. I wonder if they are pointing at him too?

  • Cody

    Larry, in your sarcasm you speak some truth. Cut Bush and we win. Keep Bush and we lose (more). He is a liability on this team and if you do not admit that, watch the first play of the game. He makes plays like that ALL THE TIME!!!!!! He makes an occasional good hit, but a good corner wouldn’t even allow the catch. I’m not saying that Woodson makes EVERY play, but he doesn’t get blown up on every play like Bush does.
    You really should stop talking Larry, because whatever you’re trying to say does not make any sense at all.

  • Reid

    Larry – I dropped the ball on that one, I should have followed up. Other than the last play, it was a great game. I suspect this one will be an “instant classic” on NFL network, or whatever they call it.

    My opinion on Jarret Bush is, at a minimum, he should have been forced to walk back to Green Bay. He’s just not very good.

    LarryTex – what do we have to do to get him to stop letting guys get so far behind him? He looked ridiculous on that first TD.

  • Cody

    my last post.. i meant “LarryTex” not Larry.. sorry Larry..

  • iccyfan

    LemmingTroll – I’m not certain what I did to elicit that indictment with my bad haiku, written as therapy in response to your daily ode to Jarrett Bush. Read the articles, LT – sportswriters are pointing at Jarrett Bush and the coaching staff is answering them honestly (as in he’s not getting the job done). You need to relax – I suggest running out to the local movie rental shop and grabbing something with Walter Matthau…

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    Your intent to embarass me backfires, iccy, in that I would never support someone who can’t get the job done, and that includes your attacks on me personally. I’m waiting until the end of the season to see what improvements can be made and will not take solice in trying to embarass and ridicule my favorite team’s members. Been through this with too many Packer teams and players in the past. I don’t know how good the backups can be or if they can be taught or not, but I’m not going to dump on them. The fact is they contributed to the loss, but did not cause it. Plenty of blame to spread around if you are honest, plenty of game changing plays both good and bad. LemmingTroll, indictment, haiku, Matthau,?
    I’ve never responded to you personally, iccy, until the “fair weather fan” moniker. I have always responded with a reason or a purpose regarding a player or coach. You’re the one who started with the Troll, etc, crap. In my opinion you’ve earned the title, iccy, and your name probably says it all. This season has gone beyond my hope at the beginning of the year, and I could care less who gets the credit for it – they are winning and will make the playoffs. Thought it would take longer.

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    Good grief, and somebody posts with the handle “I HATE JARRETT BUSH”. But I suppose he is a real die hard fan too.
    On the other hand he stated “I don’t understand”, so I’ll take him at his word.

  • iccyfan

    Not so fast LarryTex! You have belittled many over the past several threads with your “biting wit” (why aren’t you calling for Woodson’s head?), not to mention dismissing anyone who criticizes the team as less than a true fan. Yesterday you indicated nobody had earned the right to criticize the team if they hadn’t been a fan pre-Lombardi! Isn’t that a little narrow and self-serving? In short, you do not get to play the victim card here; you’ve been just as antagonistic as I…

    Even so, carry on – I’ll cease and desist after one last comment. It’s not likely Jarrett Bush will ever see my bad attempt at haiku – do you send emails to Bill Huber when his newspaper article devotes nearly a paragraph to Bush in a disparaging review of his weekend’s work? What’s the team more likely to see, my haiku or the multiple newspaper / website articles which call Bush out by name? Are those columnists all fair-weather fans too?

  • AATP

    OOO… LT and Iccy in a pissing match I see, me thinks it’s time to move on…

  • packer_bob

    An argument about the virtues of Jarrett Bush (as a DB) is like an argument about the color of the tooth fairies’ gown—It’s pointles because neither exist!

    LT, clearly you’re no fair weather fan, but defending Bush is putting yourself in an untenable position. It’s like saying Manson wasn’t that bad because he had a great singing voice. Maybe Bush has some virtues, but playing DB doesn’t appear to be one of them.

  • iccyfan

    packer_bob Says: “It’s like saying Manson wasn’t that bad because he had a great singing voice.”

    Charlie or Marilyn?

  • AATP

    HEY!! Marilyn Manson has an angelic voice… :)

  • http://www.packernet.com admin

    Next MF gonna get my metal…

  • Jack in Columbus

    Farve loses road game
    The cold still daunts him greatly
    O line let down

  • iccyfan

    Favre ignores Childress
    No respect for Vikes Head Coach
    Let the good times roll

  • Mike from Arizona

    It is amazing that there is so many commends on BUSH. Nobody is 100%, but 3 out of 4 times his guy gets beat bad…… At this point in the season and with 4 years of evaluation, how can someone with these skills be on the Packers much less in the NFL.

    Commends should be to TT and MM only. If he has limited talent and/or cannot be coached…

    These are the types of players who make great teams …. Mediocre

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    Ha, ha, ha, ha, too much. Lets set the record straight once and for all.
    Its obvious that my being patient with Bush is because I don’t think he has had the experience to be an NFL CB or even at this point, a nickle. Don’t know yet about whether he can be taught or not. He certainly is not ready at this point, even after 4 years, albeit with Harris, Woodson, and Williams ahead of him. He flopped in ’07 in a limited test and then got hurt. All the while he has contributed on specials and thats why he is here – not to play CB. My hackles are raised when anybody attacts one of my guys, Packer fan (worse) or not. I’m not championing him as much as trying to protect someone that might have potential and not letting him be destroyed prematurely without having a true season at the position beyond the scout team.
    I’d do that for any member of the team, and it does hurt to see Packer fans try to destroy one of our own. Like they’re trying to give themselves an excuse for being Packer fans when they lose a game or have a 6-10 season, jump on the guy who can least defend himself. I don’t think he is too pleased either, when viewing the film.
    Criticism is fair when pointing out mistakes, and not correcting same is intolerable, but goes well beyond just the player. I agree, and as I used to tell my kids – ENOUGH!

  • Jeff

    You people all need to realize that the Pittsburgh Steelers are the defending champs and they have pride and we were going to get their best shot and in spite of all of this , the Packers still should have won this game. I however do not understand why the defense that sacked Big Ben 5 times was playing prevent, Clay Matthews needed to be on the edge rushing the passer on every play on that last drive.
    I will say this and I do not care who I offend,, the officials in no way were going to let the Packers win this game after Tomlin went for that on side kick. Just think about this, the city of Pittsburgh would have ran Tomlin out on a rail if his on side kick knocked them out of the playoff picture and you would have had every media outlit saying that Tomlin being a black coach is getting treated unfairly.

  • iccyfan

    Whoa, Nellie!

  • Oddball

    Re: Bush. I have to think that if someone better was available, he’d be here.

    I watched the highlights again – two Bush plays stood out – the opening TD to Wallace and a long pass later in the game to Ward. The highlights are still up there on the NFL site.

    Both times, BR had 5-6 seconds before having to release the ball. Both times, badly as Bush got beat, there was no safety anywhere close to the play. If JB is as bad as well all seem to think, what the hell is he doing 40 yards down the field man-up on a guy like Hines Ward? By receptions and TDs, he’s their #1 guy. Holmes has more yardage, but not by much.

    Yeah, Mike Wallace burned him early. He wasn’t even close. But he was still ten yards closer than our pro bowl safety. I’d be happy as can be to have a better DB signed somehow, but I think there’s more going on here than can be solved by chanting “Bush sucks”.

    Jeff – I’m not sure I can go that far with ya. I generally try to stick to my “don’t abuse the zebras” mantra, but there certainly were a couple plays in there where I think we really got jobbed.

  • Oddball

    that’s it – the truth will be revealed.

    iccyfan is Ed Garvey

  • Larry

    Jeff…way out of bounds..you need to turn off Rush L every now and then.

  • Larry

    I said it before…if there were a corner better on the team than Bush would’nt be there…and right now is no time to sign a street free agent to start nickle in a 3-4. I’m wanting better technique for Xmas. I’m with the blitz group…as a WHOLE our LB’s are better than DB’s. Go with the blitz!

    Happy Holidays to all!

  • Jack in Columbus

    Has thet questionable fumble/incompletion of Rothie’s been reviewed and commented upon by the NFL head office yet? Sure looked like a fumble to me. I do not think it cost us the game did, though. Mason Crosby’s low self image and the Three Man (Non)Rush took care of that.

  • zach

    Lol Al, aware on the MarylinM quote. Nice.

  • Mel e Mel

    Just so everyone is aware Roger Goodell went to college in and started his career in Pittsburgh.

  • Mel e Mel

    The Saints cut John Carney. He would do fine right now.
    I asked for Levi Jones to be signed, I want to apologize for that. The Giants abused him last night. Carney is a proven commodity. We have no idea whats going on with Crosby, Stills and Nash. But I am tired of Helplessly Hoping

  • Mel e Mel

    One more thing. Go to the Vikings boards. The rats are jumping ship. I wonder when the vike ship will actually burn at see.

  • iccyfan

    Oddball Says: “that’s it – the truth will be revealed. iccyfan is Ed Garvey”

    No I am not Ed
    Crosby Stills and Nash miss Young
    Carney is dirt old

  • RayL

    Seriously? If there were a better DB than JB he would here now? REALLY? How about Mike McKenzie? Or Oprah for that matter…LOL JB looks like Ahmad Carroll ALL DAY..

  • oddball

    Mike is not available anymore. Mock Thompson for that if you want, but didn’t he basically force his way out of here complaining the whole way about what a provincial shithole Green Bay is? Something tells me NO was gonna win that battle.

    Oprah costs too much for a nickel back.

    Maybe she could add heft to the pass rush when Jolly gets locked up.

  • Jeff

    Way out of bounds? Why? just because I speak my mind.
    Turn of Rush Limbaugh and turn on who?? Reverend Wright ????? Al Sharpton?
    That is my opinion and I have a right to it.
    There was even a holding penalty that could have been called on that final play.

  • Mel e Mel

    Jeff I missed you at the Mein Kampf discussion group yesterday. By the way the south did lose the war. Well I guess I am wrong again I always believed Larry Tex was the silliest one on this board. Did you know the Rooney family (Steelers Owners) invented the Rooney Rule for minority coaches?? You have a right to your opinion but its right next to the flat earth/NASA is a hoax crowd.

  • packer_bob

    I was referring to Charlie Manson, Iccy, not Marilyn. No way could you talk about Marilyn Manson as having an excellent singing voice, plus Charlie has the better set of tits and sense of dress.

    Whoever put Bush and Ahmad Carroll in the same sentence had it right, this guy has been continually burned and will be continually burned. I believe if he can’t defend by now, he probably will never be able to defend, but he’s what we’ve got right now and I would agree that looking for some better option off the street right now is not going to happen.

    As I said a few weeks back, we’re gonna roll with what we’ve got and just have to hope those we have get it together. It hasn’t worked out so bad so far! Let’s keep the pass rush on and hope the opposing QB doesn’t have enough time for the long completion down the field.

  • Larry

    and for what it’s worth…the Buffalo starting QB this week is Brian Brohm. Certainly didn’t deserve to be at GB but I am interested to see what the kid can do? Maybe Meredith will be protecting his blind side…could be preseason all over again for Buffalo!

    I like tha analogy of Bush and Carroll…although Bush tends to loose coverage and Carroll tended toward PI. It should be noted that both are still in the league. Thus confirming that decent 3/4/5 CB’s don’t grow on trees.

    I’m not sure why more 5/6/7th round receivers aren’t converted..they would have ball skills and decent speed…guess its the contact or coverage angle.

  • iccyfan

    packer_bob Says: “Whoever put Bush and Ahmad Carroll in the same sentence had it right”

    I’m going to respectfully disagree with this comparison. Not that Batman Carroll was ever a favorite of mine, but every player who dons the Packer uniform deserves at least a token defense. Carroll was a rookie thrown immediately into the fire. He was a pass interference penalty waiting to happen, but at least he was aggressive and close enough to his charge to interfere! Lastly, Ahmad did collect a couple of interceptions during his short time with the team. Ahmad Carroll’s greatest transgression came from his brash nature and the fact he was drafted in the first round. FTR, the Jets cut him midseason – I don’t think he could be any worse than what we’re throwing out there now, but Ted’s not going to revisit that decision! :)

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    Juxtapose the Carroll/Bush-Bell comments with the Finley interview: is there “a safety or linebacker that can cover him one on one.” Response: “Not that I’ve seen”.
    He has some merit in his boast if he (and others) can hang on to the ball. With a little running mixed in we should be able to increase our time of possession closer to what we were doing earlier in the year. Keep the nickle and dime off the field as much as possible, and while we’re at it, was Chiller knicked up? Why no “Oakie” instead of the n/d in the PIT game? Against the weaker teams we had almost a two-one TOP even with the poor 3rd qtrs. We’ve got weak and strong teams to finish up and I put the onus on the coaching staff.
    Per Butler, Bell should have been on the sideline so as to get help from the safety. But, the film I saw had the safety (Collins or Atari? Don’t know) under the crossbar pretty much taking himself out of the play. Coach ‘em up!

Newer Comments →