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The team I picked to get to the Super Bowl from the NFC is finished. I know, I know. They can rally and sneak into the playoffs. But ask this question: What is there about this team that gives you the idea that’s even possible?
The Packers are a mess.
They lost to the Detroit Lions on the road Sunday, to a team with a defense that came in historically bad, and in doing so looked terrible on offense. Aaron Rodgers threw three picks, two inside the 5-yard line, and the entire offense looked disjointed.
If the Lions defense can’t cure your offense, nothing can.
Green Bay is lost.
Some blame the receivers. Others will blame the injuries. Even others will blame Rodgers. It all fits.
But the reality is this team isn’t the same Packers we’ve come to expect in the Rodgers years. They don’t scare anybody on offense, which is a harsh sentence to write considering how great Rodgers has been in his career.
At 3-6, with five straight losses, the Packers don’t look to have any chance to turn it around. That’s why they are done. In the NFC, where a 9-8 record might get you into the playoffs, that would mean the Packers would need to go 6-2 in their final eight games.
Anybody see that happening? Didn’t think so.
They also lost their best pass rusher in Rashan Gary for the season with a torn ACL on Sunday. In addition, rookie receiver Romeo Doubs left Sunday’s game in a walking boot, as did starting corner Eric Stokes and running back Aaron Jones.
That’s way too much to overcome for a team that is too limited anyway.
The Packers opened the season second in my Power Rankings. They are now down to 28th. Think about that for a second. The Packers are 28th. That’s absurd.
The Minnesota Vikings, who are 7-1, have locked up the NFC North, which means the Packers’ only chance to make the postseason would be as a wild-card team. Normally, I would say it’s doable. But look at the schedule. The next three games are home against the Cowboys and Titans and then on the road to play the undefeated Eagles. They also have games left with the Vikings and the 6-3 Dolphins.
Like I said, they are done.
Aaron Rodgers watching the playoffs doesn’t seem right. But it’s happening. It’s over.
Biggest Movers
|
Rk |
Teams |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
They are clearly the best team in the NFL. It’s time they get their due for it instead of finding ways to pick them apart. | — | 8-0-0 |
2 |
|
They didn’t look great in beating the Titans, who were playing without Ryan Tannehill. But they found a way, which is a sign of a good team. | 1 | 6-2-0 |
3 |
|
All they do is keep winning games. It’s six straight now. They face a big game this week on the road at Buffalo. | 1 | 7-1-0 |
4 |
|
They have to get back to playing up-tempo offense again, although Josh Allen’s elbow injury bears watching. They face a tough challenge against the Vikings this week. | 2 | 6-2-0 |
5 |
|
They come off the bye with a road game against the Packers, which isn’t as daunting as it sounds. It’s a Mike McCarthy revenge game. | — | 6-2-0 |
6 |
|
The offense has been a heck of a story, but if the defense doesn’t improve it might not matter. They have to be better on that side of the ball. | 1 | 6-3-0 |
7 |
|
The way they dominated the Saints on the road Monday night serves as notice to the rest of the league. The defense is back in a big way. | 1 | 6-3-0 |
8 |
|
They showed the type of team they are by taking the Chiefs to overtime without their starting quarterback. They are tough and physical. | 2 | 5-3-0 |
9 |
|
It’s time to give Pete Carroll credit for what he’s doing this season. At 6-3, they lead the division as they head to Germany to play the Bucs. | — | 6-3-0 |
10 |
|
They come off their bye with a tough game with the Chargers on Sunday night. They look to carry over their momentum from the week before the bye when they blew out the Rams. | — | 4-4-0 |
11 |
|
They got Joe Mixon going against the Panthers, which is big for the second half. They head into the bye feeling good about themselves now. | — | 5-4-0 |
12 |
|
They come off their bye with a winnable home game against the Texans. That’s the type of game they can’t afford to lose. | — | 6-2-0 |
13 |
|
They are 5-4 and haven’t really played that well this season. The defense came up big against the Colts. | — | 5-4-0 |
14 |
|
That was a huge win against the Bills. It’s time to take notice of that defense. It is top 10 and playing great football as the offense comes along. | — | 6-3-0 |
15 |
|
They won their fourth close game of the season against Atlanta, which was a must-win game. The offense showed some life in the passing game, which it had to do. | — | 5-3-0 |
16 |
|
They lost another close game Sunday in losing to the Chargers. They have competed all year long, which is a tribute to coach Arthur Smith. | — | 4-5-0 |
17 |
|
They might have saved their season with the late-game drive to beat the Rams. That’s how we expected this offense to look. | — | 4-5-0 |
18 |
|
Their three-game winning streak was snapped by blowing a late lead against the Vikings. They can’t afford that in their division. | — | 4-5-0 |
19 |
|
They come off the bye with a tough road game at Miami to face the Dolphins. The defense will be tested in that one. | 2 | 3-5-0 |
20 |
|
So much for the idea that the defense could carry this team for a bit. They were pushed around by the Ravens. | — | 3-6-0 |
21 |
|
They blew the lead late against Tampa Bay, which means they are in big trouble. The offense is non-existent right now. | 2 | 3-5-0 |
22 |
|
They come off the bye with a brutal road trip at Tennessee. The good news is they found some offense in beating the Jaguars before the bye. | 2 | 3-5-0 |
23 |
|
After losing at home to the Seahawks, they are in big trouble in the division race. They just can’t get anything going this season. | 2 | 3-6-0 |
24 |
|
Maybe it wasn’t Matt Ryan after all. Sam Ehlinger was awful against the Patriots, which led to the firing of coach Frank Reich. This team is a mess. | 2 | 3-5-1 |
25 |
|
This team is likely playing for next season, which means it’s about Kenny Pickett improving going forward. That starts this week against the Saints. | 2 | 2-6-0 |
26 |
|
Rallying from 17 down to beat the Raiders could be what gets this young team going. The bad news is it plays at Kansas City this week to try and do it. | 2 | 3-6-0 |
27 |
|
They showed some real improvement on defense, which got them a victory over Aaron Rodgers. That’s progress and a good sign for this team. | 4 | 2-6-0 |
28 |
|
This is a bad football team. They look lifeless on offense. Aaron Rodgers is struggling in a big way. | 9 | 3-6-0 |
29 |
|
Is the heat on Josh McDaniels? Probably not, but this team is a major disappointment so far. | 3 | 2-6-0 |
30 |
|
Justin Fields has really come on in recent weeks. He can really run it, but he’s throwing it better as well. | — | 3-6-0 |
31 |
|
So much for the idea that P.J. Walker would rescue this team. They need a quarterback. Period. | 2 | 2-7-0 |
32 |
|
They just don’t have the players to win games week in and week out. Did we expect it any different? | — | 1-6-1 |
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