A loss by the Green Bay Packers to the division-leading Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving would not be a fork in the Packers’ season.
With a loss, the Packers would sit at 5-6-1 with the hope that Aaron Rodgers would be healthy and ready to play the final four games. In all likelihood, the Packers would have to win all four games to have a shot at winning the NFC North and making the playoffs, but the Packers will likely be favored in those four games (vs. ATL, at DAL, vs. PIT, at CHI).
So while six of the eight here at ALLGBP picked the Lions to defeat Matt Flynn and the Packers, that doesn’t mean their season is over.
A Green Bay win would requires less “help”(in the form of losses) from the Lions and Bears. But again, a loss wouldn’t be a death blow, considering both teams’ schedules.
After this week, the Lions schedule is at Philadelphia, vs. Baltimore, vs. NY Giants and at Tampa Bay. If they beat the Packers, the Lions would need to lose two of those four to finish 9-7–behind (what could be) the Packers’ 9-6-1 record.
The 6-5 Bears play at Minnesota this week, vs. Dallas, at Cleveland, at Philadelphia and vs. Green Bay.
So, with a loss on Thanksgiving, the Packers would need to win out to make the playoffs–and they could have Aaron Rodgers back. And potentially, Randall Cobb could find his way back on the field.
Maybe Flynn can win it for Walt Jr., but if he doesn’t, the Packers would still have a legitimate shot at winning the NFC North and punching their ticket to the playoffs.
It’s Thanksgiving, and it’s time to be thankful. With a loss, time would be ticking on the Packers’ season clock, but it would still be ticking.
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Marques is a Journalism student, serving as the Sports Editor of UW-Green Bay\'s campus newspaper The Fourth Estate and a Packers writer at Jersey Al\'s AllGBP.com. Follow Marques on Twitter @MJEversoll.
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Kittens finish at the Vikings. No doubt they are capable of going .500 in their last 4, but the statement ‘the Packers will likely be favored in those four games’ might be a bit of a stretch.
Dallas, Pittsburgh and the Bears are all quality opponents with records roughly equal to the Pack and the fact that 2 of those 3 are away can’t be ignored.
Thanks Marques for trying to talk us off the ledge, especially since your colleagues helped push us out here. Mathematically, you are right about the schedule. Emotionally, I wonder what this team would have left if the Lions kicked us around the field. Today’s effort and, I venture, result will determine the season and this division.
Having said that, I think that we can win this game. The Lions are playing sloppy ball and we have a QB that gives us a chance. For me, this game will be a coaches game. The guys will bring the effort (as they did against the Vikings) will the coaches put them in a position to win. Let’s see what MM, DC and the rest have drawn up. Heaven help us.
This Packers team IS BEAT before they step on the field–you can see it in the players–NO DESIRE, no will to win. It starts and ends with the HC and Mike McCarthy WAS THE BIGGEST TURKEY ON THE FIELD THURSDAY! His offensive strategy was ATROCIOUS–he turned Flynn loose with no huddle offense and ZERO preparation against Vikings and came within a defensive stop from a win. Against the Lions and 3 additional days to prepare-he NEVER gave Flynn the chance to use it to slow down Lions defense, prevent them from ‘D’substitutions, tire them out or give his run game and short passing game some help. PATHETIC PACKERS–they couldn’t beat any of the top collegiate teams right now much less weak NFL teams.
IMO if we lose this game we are done. The Lions might go .500 the rest of the way, but not worse than that. Ditto the Bears.
And we’re NOT going 4-0.
Some of you might still be thinking why this “talented” defense plays so bad. Using Pro Football Focus grades I added up active players grades since 2008. Hawk –44.20 ( worse Packer since 2008 other than Newhouse at -45.50 ). Raji -13.40. Bush -12.90. Worthy -12.60. Jolly -11. McMillan -9.10. Palmer -7.90. D. Jones -7.40. Mulumba -5.40. Neal -5.10. Hyde -2.10.
Using Pro Football Focus grades I compared the Packers and Lions talent levels. The Lions grade better at every facet of the game. Offense 41.60 to 47.20. Defense -29.63 to 34.60. A 64.23 difference! Special teams 7.70 to 11.20. Thompson’s draft and develop only strategy has left a gaping hole in this defense.
It’s just time for the defense to show up. I believe they have Shields, Perry, and Jolly back. Morgan Burnett needs to step up today and show why TT gave him a $24 million contract. The way he’s played this season when he was on the field, it looks more like a move of desperation by Thompson than because Burnett was deserving. Maybe it was, considering the Packers other Safeties are McMillan, Jennings, Banjo, and Richardson. There’s a good chance the Bears could lose to Minnesota this week considering they can’t stop the run. Peterson could run for 300 yards against the Bears. The time is now as Greene told Matthews for this defense to show up. Rodgers has carried this team. It’s time for the defense to show him some love in return.
” Packers’ season isn’t over if they lose on Thanksgiving”
yes it is.
I don’t believe its totally a lack of talent, I think there’s more to it. But watching the game, the packers have been been completely outplayed in all aspects, Including by our castoff Ross. Without the turnovers this would be more laughable than what it is. I’m considering grabbing a bottle to ease the pain for the remainder of the slaughter.
the season is over! This team sucks
This is embarrassing .
Almost 500 yds to 57 total yards..the gulf between these two teams is almost the width of the ocean between us.
Happy Thanksgiving from Scotland 🙂
Fortunately, I can’t remember the last time the Packers were this bad.
You been away the last couple of weeks?
So packers have no defensive line, no offensive line, the receivers can’t get open. Linebackers can’t tackle, Special teams can’t locate the runner. Wow. Its the coaches. THey have blown this game. They should have done everything imaginable…stunts, gimmicks. That was the only chance. But the coaches need to bend over and get spanked. That was awful show. Shame on them.
GB should have just forfeited. That would have been about as honorable as that showing.
Yes, it’s over now. There true colors come out. This is a team ripe for a big change. Starting with management and coaching. Time to throw out the bath water and the baby. Keep three players, Rodger, Mathews, Nelson and can all the rest after you get rid of the lousy coaches they have.
Keep Rodgers, Nelson, Cobb , Mathews and Lacey. Gut the rest of these losers
That’s strange, I’ve been crucified on this and other websites for saying the same thing. This has been a process in the making by TT drafts since 2010. The Packers have won in spite of the poor coaching, blown draft picks,refusal to take part in FA for one reason, Aaron Rodgers. Take him from the equation and you have a 2-14 team at best. What’s sad is because of Ted’s desperation at the Safety position, he’s managed to waste 24 million on Morgan Burnett. Today’s defense was the same exact defense that started in week one. This all should have happened last year, Dorsey named GM, Andy Reid hired, and a real D-Coordinator brought in. Now we have Murphy, probably to scared to fire TT, which means MM will be given a pass, and they promote one of their crappy assistants to be the Defensive Coordinator, hell maybe even Perry or Whitt knowing Thompson and MM.
Hey Brother. I love the Packers. I have season tickets and I have 2 shares of stock. But I have been saying the sames things for a long while now, and I get crucified also. These people don’t want to hear or see the truth. I think this game may have woke some people up though. I do have a question, how do we know the coaching is so bad if the talent provided is so poor.
I know you have John, and I also have a share of stock. My den (Man Cave) is a Packers shrine. You and I have been beating the same drum. But I also think whats happened on the field, especially defensively people can no longer just blame Capers. You have to look at the players, all picked by TT. But I ask myself the same question as well, what’s going to be done. TT had a decent draft this past year and I still think Perry, Worthy, and Daniels weren’t BAD picks for TT. But I wonder what happens if he takes Courtney Upshaw from Alabama instead of Perry, you know a LB in College. Same with Devin Still instead of Worthy. Daniels, for where he was drafted I don’t have a issue other than he’s to small. McCarthy’s offense hasn’t been the same since Philbin left. Adjustments are a thing of the past for MM. Capers staff has to go, same with Campen, and Slocum. For 3 years running, receivers have roomed free in the defensive backfield. Yesterday Aikman was laughing because half the players were in zone, the other half in man. The issue is, I don’t have ANY faith in Mark Murphy. A team owned by some Billionaire would clean house. TT, MM, DC and all of those coaches would be gone after this year. You can’t blame injuries only because every team has them. Tough choices ahead but my guess, the defensive staff and Slocum are gone for sure. MM and TT are allowed a year to get it right and TT is encouraged to look at FA as a option to plug the many holes. For those TT supporters I have one question. How can you be considered a great GM and not have replaced Nick Collins after 45 games and counting. This past draft was DEEP in Safety, one of the deepest in years and he ignored it AGAIN, then signed Burnett to a $24 million contract!! Wow…
Agreed. The 2010 draft was terrible: a tackle who might be OK but can’t stay on the field + a bunch of guys. 2011 was about the same: Randall Cobb and a bunch of guys. The all D 2012 draft isn’t looking much better.
Then there are the scouting failures with the Jeff Saturday & Seneca Wallace signings. Those guys had nothing left in the tank. The front office is going to have to step it up.
Well, you were ‘crucified’ because its a hard thing to prove when a team wins games…but still never really dominates and plays a complete game. So, once A-rod went down…it is painfully obvious now. hope you feel vindicated 😉
I respect your opinion packett but have a response that provides a argument, the 2011 Colts. Manning went down and they finished 2-14. They cleaned house because ownership could no longer deny that Manning was so good, he covers up how bad the rest of the team was, just like Rodgers has. If this team was well coached, had the talent everybody insists they have, would they be 0-4-1 since Rodgers injury? Well coached teams with good GM’s don’t go 0-4-1.
I know exactly what you mean . I have been saying the same things for the last couple years. Living in INDY, I saw first hand when the franchise QB goes down it shows just how much he makes up for the lack of talent around him. This falls on TT & MM. MM made the statement this week that he feels the coaching staff is the organizations strong suit. This man is either delusional, or the most arrogant individual in the NFL, and I thought Jerry Jones had that all sewn up
Yeah, the Lions & Bears are capable of blowing some games, and if Rodgers comes back, the Packers could win some of their remaining games. Maybe if they get lucky they can even back into the playoffs at 7-8-1 or something. But who cares? This is a bad team that has the good fortune to have Aaron Rodgers at QB. They need a few more quality players to be a serious contender.
And of course the entire nation got to witness this embarrassment.
Rush, rush, pass. Rush, rush, pass. You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out. You do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around, that’s what McCarthy is all about.
“We’re a wounded football team”. No McCarthy, you’re looking at it all wrong! Let’s play a different game McCarthy. Let’s suppose Stafford, Ponder, Manning, Foles, or McCown, the last five opposing QB’s in the last 5 games, all that the Packers allowed to look like Pro Bowlers, were Rodgers replacement. Would the Packers miserable lousy defense be any better? Would the lousy Specialty Teams be any better? Would Capers call defensive plays different? Would McCarthy call anything other than rush, rush, pass for 5 yards, punt? Would the physical trainers train the players any different? Would the Packers still allow 200+ rushing yards a game, 300+ passing yards? The point is that though ARod is sorely missed, he is not the reason for the Packers play since he went down. Stop saying that all would be different if ARod was playing. ARod made the coaches look good ( and I use the term “good” very loosely). But without him, the team is a lousy team made worse by the lousy coaches.Don’t put the blame on ARod’s shoulders. Don’t blame the injuries for the season. GB has spoiled brat players (BJ Raji turned down $8 million a year). They are not mean and lean (except for Matthews). They are not elite. They are simply pathetic. If any MM, DC, Specialty Team coach, and a few tons of players are kept, we will never see another Super Bowl for long time.
This was epic proportions bad – on all fronts. The packers are worrying me. I had gotten comfortable cheering for a decent team. They are starting to remind me of the packers of the 70s. The season is circling the bowl, they will never be a force if losing a quarterback results in the entire team, coaching stafff… being exposed as pushovers. I’m hoping for some rays of hope to carry through the off-season.
Right now I am hoping Rodgers stays benched all year because even if the team were to qualify for the playoffs it’d be eliminated right off the bat. So why risk The Franchise with a broken collarbone?
Dom Capers has got to go. As for TT and/or MM … totally cleaning house seems like something of a panic move. But if TT keeps 5 TE players AGAIN in 2014 I will start having doubts. GB needs to get tough in the trenches.
Not only that Kurt, how about a Safety and Inside LB? Keep Shields, dump Williams and House.
Yes, the defensive backfield situation really lower the morale. A lot has been invested in that squad and the results have been horrible. I am hoping (wishing?) a coaching change can get more out of some of the same talent.
I guess the same thing applies to LB too. There’s 3 #1 picks out there, after all. But not 3 #1 pick-type production.
First off, I have been a major fan of the Packers for over fifty years, through thick and especially thin of the late 60’s post Lombardi through the 90’s when Favre started playing…This is the most inept ‘team’ and game, I have seen in that time period.
We have officially hit bottom. Hold Rodgers out the remainder of the year…get blown-out in the next four games, fire MM, TT, unload most of the players, and start over with Rodgers, Nelson, Cobb, Sitton, Baktiari, Matthews, Lattimore, and very few others…
This was a total embarassment. We are and have been the worst team in the league since Rodgers went down.
Hope everyone, outside of this slaughter, had a good Thanksgiving.
I guess we were all fooled in thinking the defense had actually improved this season?
We are done even if Rodgers comes back, lions implode and we run the table to make the playoffs. That is nowhere near a playoff caliber defense.
Serious reviewing and reflection is needed at the end of the season.
Game ball to masthey, his leg has got to be tired. Losing is one thing, but that was all-time bad. Luckily we weren’t playing Tampa. Wasn’t that the frigging LIONS? Good “teams” don’t do that, regardless of their qb’s status. Our starting d was all playing. Yuck. The game plan looked like the one borrowed from their first preseason game. Putrid. Flynn was a deer in the headlights. On national tv and over thankgiving turkey. As painful as it was, it needed to happen. If things are that bad when Rodgers is gone, they’ll never go very far with him playing. Bite the bullet now instead of trying to cobble something together. It’s more than adjustments that need to be made. They need an honest assessment, to see what they’ve got and where to go in order to grow. The includes everthing – top to bottom. I can accept them for what they are if they build from there. My only concern is that an honest assessment is made. I’m not saying fire any specific coaches or players, but if they don’t honestly do this, we’re facing the same next year.
Defense gave up 350 YARDS OF OFFENSE IN THE FIRST HALF? Mike Holmgren, Vince Lombardi would have to be carried OFF the field with strokes, they would’ve been so mad and McCarthy says Packers HAVE to win out to challenge for a playoff spot. The BIGGEST TURKEY ON FIELD WAS McCarthy on Thurs. his team was EMBARRASSED, especially HIS offensive game planning. He couldn’t have called a WORSE game plan unless he was PAID OFF, it was so bad. ZERO ‘no huddle’ offense to at least tire Lions defense, stop the D substitutions, and give his run game and short pass offense some help. NO NEED for Rodgers to chance an injury this season, Packers likely were finished by halftime on Thursday.