Green Bay Packers tried. They actually tried to make it ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, but they came up with, as NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt eloquently put it, Bupkus.
Across eight games, the Packers are having their worst start since Jerome Bettis’ final season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After starting the season 3-1, they have lost four games in a row. Even during that bad 6-9-1 2018 season in which Mike McCarthy was fired midway through, they didn’t lose that many games in a row.
It’s not as if the Packers’ main office is going to spend this season wearing pink BluBlockers. They knew the defense was underperforming, and the output from their pass catchers was even worse than expected.
Management tried to increase the reception force widely by trying to trade for Chase Claypool, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Packers offered the second pick, but the Steelers instead accepted the Chicago Bears’ second pick.
https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1587804642943049730
In addition to not improving an already underperforming squad, there is disagreement within the ranks and it has nothing to do with Aaron Rodgers to Pat McAfee that he played great and that some of his teammates should ride some pines after the loss to the Washington Commanders.
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The grumblings are coming from the defensive side of the ball. The Packers’ defense is currently 20th in weighted DVOA and some of the players are placing the blame on the coaching staff. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported that the defensive players are “Increasingly disappointing” with play calls and plans. Joe Barry is in his second season as the Packers defensive coordinator, having held that title once before with the Washington football franchise in 2015 and 2016.
The Packers’ record is so bad, they still have an outside chance at a playoff berth. They’re in that 3-5 pile with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, and Chicago Bears. That’s not far from the 4-4 San Francisco 49ers – who currently have the last spot of the wild card – and the Washington Commanders.
A late-season rebound shouldn’t be out of the question. Romeo Doubs showed some improvement on Sunday with a big touchdown, and the Packers fought bravely, on the road, against arguably the best team in the NFL – the Buffalo Bills.
Sunday is a chance for the Packers to stay on track with their game against the Detroit Lions, but for anything to change, they must accept their reality. No reinforcements other than injured players were on the roster at the end of the summer. As for the defence, judging from Matt LaFluer’s quotes, he doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to fire Barry. Asked about potential coaching changes on Monday, he told the media: “Absolutely not.”
Today’s Green Bay Packers will be the Green Bay Packers arriving on January 7, 2023, in addition to some minor additions needed due to the inevitable injuries in football. For this season to change completely, they’ll have to stop complaining about their situation, and remember there’s a reason the majority of pros chose them to win their league. There’s talent in that dressing room.
They’ve stuck together for the rest of this season and should have learned to live with it better.
