Cheesehead
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 2,854
- 0
Curt from Oronoco, MN
I'm really stumped by the "go for it" talk. What does that even mean? How often is any team "one or two" players away from a guaranteed Super Bowl, and simultaneously those one or two players are actually out there and available within the cap? Not to mention, the years of cap misery that would collectively cost, regardless of outcome. It would be pretty depressing to think that a Super Bowl win is the only result that would mark a season as a success. Thirty-one teams miss the mark every year.
Allow me to translate…It means, "My team lost and I need someone or something to blame." It's kinda funny, though. The last time the Packers won a Super Bowl, they didn't sign a single unrestricted free agent and drafted a backup tackle with their first-round pick. They did claim Howard Green and Erik Walden off waivers, though. Oh, and traded for Anthony Smith.
Gary from Benevides, Brazil
Wow, Jesus brought a pencil to a keyboard fight. This loss was so much like the 2014 loss because if any one of about 20 plays had gone differently or even typically, the result could have been completely different. There was one issue in Mike's "rant" that I have been wondering about but seriously doubt there is any way you can know. With so many run/pass options that are called, how much of the "abandoned the run blame" belongs to the coach and how much belongs to the QB?
You're right. There is no way to know that. LaFleur is the first to say the buck stops with him on play-calling but so much is dictated by what the Packers are seeing in the heat of battle. Certainly, the offense didn't hit the target with 53 drop-backs and 16 designed runs.
Dale from Norwich, England
Hi II, just wondered what your opinion is with Green Bay parting ways with Mike Pettine? I know a lot of mistakes have been made (especially in the championship game), but improvements were starting to be seen regarding stopping the run which was our biggest problem. Do you think he should have been given another season? Love you guys, by the way!
I see both sides of the argument and probably would've understood either way. Obviously, we'll see what LaFleur has to say about it on Monday but Pettine's oversight of the defense helped provide important stability between the Mike McCarthy and LaFleur Eras. There's no question the defense made some big strides this year but there's probably also something to be said for LaFleur being able to hire his own defensive coordinator at this point. There's a lot of young talent in this defense. I'll be very curious to see who LaFleur tabs to set the vision now for 2021.
Mike from Mebane, NC
The point was made about taking special teams seriously. With a new special-teams coach, we can only hope. It should be near and dear to our mind given our history with Desmond Howard. What are your expectations for the new coach to see if we are taking ST seriously?
Explosive plays and trickery are fun, but the Packers need to get back to basics on special teams. They have shore up their coverage units, and figure out what was going wrong on these field-goal and punt blocks this year. Good special-team units don't force big plays into existence. Instead, they do all the little things right and capitalize on the opposition's mistakes. Once that happens, we can get back to talking about returning touchdowns and pulling off fancy fakes.
Dave from Roswell, GA
I'm probably going to get banned for saying this but GB ultimately lost this game in the trenches. Tampa's OL and DL were dominating. Rodgers played a whale of a game, while under constant pressure. If Tom Brady were under that kind of pressure, he would have folded like a house of cards and been screaming at his offensive line.
You're not going to get banned for pointing out Rodgers was sacked five times and pressured on 16 of his drop-backs. Those are the facts. But again, there isn't one single reason for losing in the NFL. It was a lack of execution in all three phases that ousted the Packers from the playoffs. That's it. The pressure on Rodgers was a part of that.
James from Appleton, WI
I finally understand that playing in the cold is like playing at high altitude. You may not feel it at first but it wears on you. That's why getting the ball twice on interceptions and going three-and-out both times was so shocking. The Bucs were down and needed to be knocked out. All I can think of is the Packers kept trying to deliver that KO in big plays when a flurry of steady plays would do. Did the Packers just get caught up in the moment?
Yes, but it wasn't cold Sunday. It was a beautiful January day in Green Bay. When I stepped outside on Thursday and saw 0-degrees on the thermometer, I immediately thought to myself, 'Oh, now you decided to be Wisconsin." I don't think the Packers were caught up in the moment. It's a game of moves and countermoves. The Bucs played the board better.
Brandon from Margate, FL
One of the "off-season moves" that I'm most interested in is seeing how Devin Funchess fits into the offense. Many fans who were clamoring for GB to draft a WR in the first round forget that GB got a guy that they truly believed could be a No. 2 receiver to Davante Adams' No. 1. If Marquez Valdes-Scantling continues to catch the football like he did on Sunday, Adams plays like he did this year and Allen Lazard can stay healthy, this receiving corps could be very dangerous. Not to mention Big Robert Tonyan!
And after watching the second year of Matt LaFleur's offense, the more I'm convinced Funchess was a great fit for it. We'll see what the offseason holds.
Vince from Flagstaff, AZ
I think that this is the year to accumulate as many draft picks as possible. With decreased number of college games, changes in combine testing, and player interview opportunities, I feel like the draft is more of a gamble than in years past. Having more darts to throw is never bad, but now more than ever. What are your thoughts and what might this year's compensatory picks look like?
The Packers should be receiving three compensatory picks here after losing Bryan Bulaga, Blake Martinez and Kyler Fackrell. OverTheCap's compensatory cancellation chart has them getting a fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round pick.