I guess if there is one thing the Packers can take from yesterday’s loss to the New York is that the Giants are an example of what the Packers hope to do now that they are no longer champions. The Giants won the Super Bowl after the 2007 season then fell off the map. They did make the playoffs the following year but like the Packers lost in the divisional round. Rebuilding followed.

The Giants were able to get back to doorstep of the Super Bowl in just four years. The Packers may need more time than that to get back. The Giants had better core players and just as many on defense as on offense. The Packers are woefully offensive heavy on their core players – Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, Brian Bulaga, Scott Wells, Jordy Nelson and maybe guys like James Jones and Reggie Cobb. On defense they have Clay Mathews and nobody else.

Charles Woodson is well past his prime, can’t cover at all anymore and now can’t get home on blitzes. Tramon Williams went from serviceable to replaceable in one year. The linebacking core is a mess, the Packers shouldn’t be playing a 3-4 defense with that crew. The defensive line couldn’t fight its way out of a wet paper sack.

Barring a change of coordinators and schemes it seems unlikely the Packers can improve the personnel in one offseason, especially considering general managers Ted Thompson’s disdain for free agency. Moving Woodson to safety might help but probably should have been done this year when Nick Collins got hurt. Certainly defense will be the focus of the upcoming NFL Draft.

Just to touch on the offense I think head coach Mike McCarthy relies too heavily on the passing game which severely handicaps the team in games like yesterday when the Giants stifled the Packers’ air attack. You simply have to be able to run the ball in this league to be successful. And that doesn’t mean breaking a long one here and there, it means controlling the clock and slowing the pass rush. Just think how good Aaron Rodgers would be with a running game and more time to pass.

Thompson always says if you’re not getting better your’re getting worse. After seeing his team get worse for a year it will be interesting to see how he handles it. I don’t think there will be any major coaching changes unless Joe Philbin gets a head coaching job somewhere, which I hope he does. After the tragedy here it would be a good time to get a fresh start. Dom Capers will more than likely return barring the same scenario, which one would thing would be unlikely following the Packers poor play this year.

I also hope McCarthy takes his self-scouting serious as it was his play-calling in both losses this year that was highly questionable and a big part of why the team lost. I don’t know what was going on yesterday with all the Harry High-school stuff. Why the Packers didn’t just run their normal stuff is beyond me. Vince Lombardi told you we were going to run and they still couldn’t stop it. The Packers’ offense for 21 of the last 23 games was like that. When you try and get too cute you end up shooting yourself in the foot.

Well, as my Pops always says – “this too, shall pass.” Yeah, it will. But opening day can’t get here soon enough. I hope it’s in East Rutherford on Sept. 6.

I won’t be over this loss for a long time. It was clearly the worst the team has played since Mike McCarthy became coach. Dom Capers should be relieved of his duties tomorrow and Ted Thompson needs to make it clear to McCarthy that this can’t happen again. McCarthy is the one preaching accountability all the time and the time is now. I hope Thompson is working on his “short list” of replacements should the Packers go 5-11 next year.

I don’t care what Aaron Rodgers says, the Packers didn’t lose to a better team today. The Packers lost one game going in, the Giants lost seven. Maybe it’s the new math or something. What Rodgers should have said was they lost to the better prepared team, the more fired up team, the team that wanted it most.

One of the greatest seasons in Packers’ history is followed by one of the worst. And it might be the start of a long slide. The Detroit Lions will certainly be the favorites to win the NFC North next year and with a healthy Jay Cutler the Bears should be solid second. Even with the worst defense in NFL history (a fact, by the way), the Packers should be able to hold off the Vikings for third place.

So as eloquently as Ron Wolf put it back in 1998, the Packers are just a “fart in the wind.” At least Favre made it to two Super Bowls. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.

Can’t wait for opening day. At least we know now it will be on a Sunday.

The Green Bay Packers completed the regular season 15-1 and today face a New York Giants team that went 9-7 and beat the Atlanta Falcons in New York last week. So why exactly is everybody picking the Giants to roll today? I don’t get it. This morning on ESPN’s  The John Kincade Show they said “this game screams Giants”. It does? How does losing seven games and beating cream-puffs down the stretch prepare you for the NFL’s best team?

While I am nervous, after all this is the NFL and look what happened to the mighty Saints yesterday, I think the Packers should win this game rather handily. I think they might feel a little disrespected that everybody and their uncle is picking a team with seven losses to knock them off. And Lambeau Field will be rocking for it’s first playoff game since the 2007 season. I will be shocked if the Packers don’t play well today.

The Giants look to four years ago for confidence, forgetting they lost to the Packers twice since then and gave up 83 points in the process. With that in mind I’ll say the Packers win 35-24. Bring on the 49ers!

If football games are won during the week, the Packers have already lost. The big, bad, New York Giants are the best team in the NFL. Just ask them. Jason Pierre-Paul led the charge Antrel Rolle followed suit. Too bad we have to waste time play the game.

One thing we can do is stop wasting time comparing this game to the 2007 NFC Championship game. That Packers’ team was a rag-tag bunch with the likes of Koren Robinson, Vernand Morency and Bubba Franks on offense and had Atari Bigby and Brady Poppinga starting on defense.  Not to mention the aging quarterback who couldn’t play in cold weather anymore. The Giants still had Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan and Plaxico Burress and already had won two playoff games. Like the 2010 Packers, they were on a mission.

Since then the Packers took one year to get used to Aaron Rodgers but have been getting better by the year and captured a Super Bowl title of their own. The Giants have bounced back this year after missing the playoffs two years in a row. Currently they have beaten two mediocre teams and one just good team to get a chance at the Packers, who have won 21 of their last 22 games.

Many a team talked about beating the Packers this year, the one team that didn’t talk got the job done. The Packers may not have a bulletin board but judging by the results of the regular season word gets around. I have a feeling the Packers will be more than ready to take the field come Sunday.

There is simply no way to determine how the death of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin’s son affects the team and there is no reason to even think about it. It is a horrible tragedy and every player will deal with it in a different way. Maybe it brings them together even more on Sunday or maybe they try too hard and play poorly. We all remember how Brett Favre played a day after his dad died, but there is only one Brett Favre when it comes to toughness. Hard to expect that of anybody else.

Friday is going to be a rough day for the team with the funeral being on everyone’s mind. I certainly would not expect Philbin to be at the game Sunday, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he was. They don’t call it the “Packers’ Family” for nothing.

RIP Michael Philbin

Well, maybe they didn’t shock the world, but it was a shock to to me anyway. How can the Packers’ “B” team rip up the full throttle Detroit Lions 45-41 today? This has to be the four-letter network’s ultimate “Come on man!”. Six touchdown passes by Flynn? Really?

To say I’m shocked would be an understatement. I will say I had a pretty good feeling that head coach Mike McCarthy would do the right thing and let Matt Flynn take ownership of this game from the get-go and sit Aaron Rodgers. I bet Flynn knew he was starting when he entered the game against the Bears last week.

It is going to be sad to see Flynn leave next year, but he may become the only free agent quarterback in NFL history to have thrown for six touchdown passes in one game. His contribution to the Packers will never be forgotten, and Flynn is the type of guy, like Rodgers, that appreciates those who helped him along the way. Flynn could be the next Packers’ backup quarterback to lead a team to the Super Bowl.

For me, I was just hoping we could make a game of it without Rodgers. I was looking at 14-2 with the Lions playing all out to get the fifth seed in the NFC, and that was fine with me.

All of a sudden a game broke out. And how!

I think it was a great job of coaching this week by McCarthy to get his team ready to win a game against a playoff team and without playing his key players. If the Lions were to win their playoff game they know they have to come back to Lambeau but this time it will be Aaron Rodgers at QB. It’s got to be in the back of their mind when they play next week.

This ended up being one of the best games in NFL history, at least score-wise, and if you don’t like defense. In the Packers’ defense they rested their key players. It won’t go down as a defensive beauty, but the Packers got it done once again.

I am so glad we have a bye next week. And I do think we sent a little message today. I know the defense has it’s problems, but we are down to a three game season.

Outside of Dallas I think this season the Packers have already defeated any team they will face in two weeks, so that will be a factor. Payback is a bitch in the NFL. I am not going to root for any team in particular next week. I’ll just be ready for playoff football in Lambeau Field in two weeks.

Can’t wait!

Go Pack go!

The Packers are 14-1 for the season and now I am 12-3 in my predictions for their games. I was glad to be wrong twice, not so on the third. The Packers destroyed the Bears 35-21 in another game that fit the Packers mode of operation this year – bend but don’t break defense and an offense that takes advantage of it’s chances.

The Bears marched up and down the field in the first half, probably playing their best half of football since Jay Cutler got hurt, but still trailed by 11. They cut it to four but the 21-point Packers’ outburst that followed started garbage time early once again. It was good to see Aaron Rodgers and the offense bounce back against a good Bears’ defense. 35 points on the Bears? Not too shabby.

So now what? The Packers locked up home field advantage and have a completely meaningless game this week against the Lions. Even more meaningless than a preseason game if you ask me, at least in the preseason you have guys fighting for jobs. Which leads to the question of the day. Why on God’s green earth would Aaron Rodgers be in uniform Sunday?

You have to really stretch to find a reason to play Rodgers. Here is what you will hear:

1. He won’t be sharp for the playoffs if he doesn’t hand off five times in the first quarter Sunday.

How stupid is that theory. Rodgers was pretty sharp against the Saints opening day with about the same amount of rest but a lot less wear and tear. Doesn’t hold water.

2. Packers need to go into the playoffs on a high note.

Complete B.S. The Packers are the defending world champions, they aren’t a bunch of playoff novices. They played 20 hard games last year and 15 this year. They need the rest.

3. Fill in the blank. I got nothing.

Backup quarterback Matt Flynn should be getting a majority of the reps this week in practice and should get the start on Sunday. If Rodgers is getting the majority of the snaps and plays one series on Sunday then head coach Mike McCarthy is not giving his team a chance to win like he says he is to the media. Let Rodgers rest this week and pick up again next week in earnest while preparing for either the Falcons, Lions, or whoever wins the Giants-Cowboys game.

This isn’t a Brett Favre thing where Rodgers is trying to keep a string going. That will never happen again in the NFL. This is all about not letting Rodgers risk a fluke injury in a meaningless game that will have no effect the upcoming playoff games. It’s a win-win situation. Flynn will get some valuable experience so if Rodgers were to get hurt in the playoffs at least Flynn isn’t coming in cold.

Come on coach, for the fans’ sake, take away the only possible thing we have to worry about this week. Do the right thing and sit the possible NFL’s Most Valuable Player.

I hate to say it but I have a bad feeling about tonight’s game against the Bears. The Packers are riddled with injuries to their offensive line and had their confidence shaken to the core last week in Kansas City. So often you see a long winning streak end with a losing streak.

The Bears have nothing on offense that should scare anyone but the Packers have a habit of making no-names superstars. I can see the Bears’ defense playing a great game and getting just enough out of the offense to keep the Packers a week away from clinching home field advantage. Bears 21, Packers 20.

Now that the Green Bay Packers kissed their perfect season goodbye they can get back to focusing on the real task, Super Bowl 46. ESPN can take down the ticker and half the media trucks parked at Lambeau will soon be leaving. No more questions about perfection, no more questions about who will or won’t play the last two games. That ‘s good, because it’s Bear week and the Bears would love to kick the Packers while they are down.

Yesterday the Packers stunk up Arrowhead Stadium on both sides of the ball. The offense was totally ineffective against a Chiefs defense that tore apart the Packers’ makeshift offensive line. Former MVP frontrunner Aaron Rodgers was under duress all day and looked very average, as any quarterback would under that kind of heat. The ball was not coming out and when it did it was off target.

Of course some of the passes that were on target were flat out dropped by the receivers. There is just no excuse for that. Like Ron Wolf would say if you can’t catch, play guard. And the way Jermichael Finley is going guard or tackle might end up being his best position. If Finley had just held on to some of those early passes we may be talking about 14-0. His mistakes were big plays that should have occurred and could have turned the game in the Packers’ favor.

I don’t believe catching the ball can really be taught, you either can do it or you can’t. If you have to think about catching the ball you are not going to last very long. For whatever reason Finley is not right in the head and like the yips in golf, I’m not sure it can be fixed. The Packers would probable be wise to let him move on in the offseason.

The Packers’ defense was not horrible yesterday, they again had some big stops, the only thing missing was the turnover. And with no help from the offense they were on the field forever. The incredible lack of a pass rush was the biggest problem, Kyle Orton was never touched and had all day to throw. Why the Packers have been unable to generate any pass rush with essentially the same unit as last year is perplexing.

I was hoping the 49ers would lose tonight but it doesn’t look like that will happen so the Packers will need to win one of their last two to clinch hom field providing the 49ers also beat the Seahawks and Rams. Had the Packers clinched home field advantage they could have formulated a game plan for the playoffs and not worried about the Bears or Lions. Now it is Bear Week in earnest.

That could be a good thing though, the Packers can go out and take out their frustrations on the Bears. The Bears are shell of their former selves without Jay Cutler, Matt Forte and now Johnny Knox but their defense is intact, so it will not be a cake walk by any stretch.

I know one thing. Sunday can’t get here fast enough.

The Packers put their undefeated record on the line in about three hours against a terrible Kansas City Chiefs team that should be out of the game by halftime. But that is only on paper. I think Mike McCarthy will have to do dome of his best coaching today to keep the Packers focused on what is really the equivalent of a preseason game.

The Packers have very little to play for other than to officially claim home field advantage throughout the playoffs, but how big of a motivation factor is that when they won the Super Bowl last by playing three road games just to get to the big game.

In the betting circles this is the ultimate “don’t make sense pick”. There is absolutely no way the Chiefs should keep the game close. Yet somehow they do. I’ll say Packers 31, Chiefs 21.

12:12 PM: Wow! Packers let the Chiefs march right down the field on their first drive, thankfully they only got three. Pathetic performance though by the defense to start out with. Let’s see what Aaron Rodgers can do now.

12:19 PM: Finley couldn’t catch a cold. If they keep him it will be a big mistake. Guy is a head case and not as good as advertised.

12:27 PM: Offense off to a horrible start as well. This might be day we didn’t come ready to play. Crosby misses two kicks in a row and the Chiefs have great field position. Could be a long day today, but who cares? Steelers will beat the 49ers tomorrow night.

12:33PM: Packers’ defense is back to its usual self. If the Chiefs could score TDs we would be in trouble. Come on offense, get your stuff together now.

12:41 PM: Two bad calls on Jordy, officials took their payola this week. Three and out by the Packers’ offense coming up.

12:49 PM: I’ve never seen so many dropped balls in one game in my life. Just get Rodgers out of there and move on. Why risk it?

12:56 PM: This is by far the worst the defense has looked all year, and that’s saying something. They are letting Kyle Orton pick them apart. Our first loss has the makings of a blowout.

12:59 PM: Well, they got it out of their system. I think it takes the pressure off. Now we can focus on the real task at hand and that is the Super Bowl.

1:07 PM: Even Rodgers isn’t sharp today. This is really ugly.

1:22 PM: That was easily the worst half of football this year by the Packers. Amazingly only down six. Told you McCarthy was going to have to do some coaching today.

1:37 PM: Cobb at QB? Knock off the high school stuff and run your offense.

1:51 PM: Signs of life by the offense. Finley actually caught a pass, then celebrated like an idiot. DD with the touchdown catch. 7-6 Pack.

1:57 PM: Defense lets them right back in it. Chiefs are not quitting yet.

2:25 PM: I guess any other week the defense would be getting credit for keeping them out of the end zone. But today the offense can’t get going. I’m ok with a loss today, next week the questions from the media will be cut in half, and if Pittsburgh does indeed beat the 49ers tomorrow we can rest the last two weeks. So it’s all good.

2:32 PM: Now we should really pull Rodgers, why get him killed?

2:47 PM: Game over. The players were not ready to play today. That’s how you get injuries like we have today and that is how you get beat. 13-1 is still great. Go Steelers!

After destroying the still in contention Oakland Raiders yesterday the Packers will huge favorites to beat the woeful Kansas City Chiefs, who fired their head coach today. If that does indeed happen the Packers will have only one thing to play for the rest of the regular season – 16-0. How much is that worth to them?

Head coach Mike McCarthy will have to decide. Is it worth it to risk the ultimate prize for a smaller prize that in the grand scheme of things means nothing. Nobody cares that the Patriots went 16-0 in 2007, all we remember is that they didn’t go 19-0. The ring is the thing. If Rodgers goes down against the Bears or Lions there won’t be any repeat championship in Titletown.

It’s possible McCarthy tipped his hand yesterday by pulling Rodgers in the third quarter with the Packers comfortably ahead. Maybe he wanted to get Matt Flynn as many live reps as possible in anticipation of him playing a majority of the final two games.

I guess I’m part of the undecided people of the Packernet poll. I want the best of both worlds, rest for Rodgers but two wins to give them a chance at 19-0, which has never been done. Flynn could probably beat the Bears even if Rodgers never took a snap. The Bears gave up 191 yards passing to Tim Tebow in the fourth and fifth quarters alone yesterday. Not bad for a “running back” as Brian Urlacher called him afterwards. The Bears are reeling without Jay Cutler. Much like the Packers would be without Rodgers.

My gut feeling is there is no way McCarthy sits Rodgers against the Bears on Christmas night in front of a national TV audience.  Of course every thing depends on beating the Chiefs first. If the Chiefs pull the biggest upset of the year, with respect to St. Louis for knocking off the Saints, the question is moot. Then it’s play to win against the Bears and if they win that game they rest everybody against the Lions.  The Packers can clinch home field with a loss if Pittsburgh beats the 49ers. Then its…well, you get the point.

McCarthy will have a decision to make. If he is looking for help from previous teams he won’t find it. The Colts laid down at 14-0 in 2009 and lost the Super Bowl and the Patriots went all out in 2007 and lost the Super Bowl. Glad I don’t have to make that call.

What do you think?