Hey guys and gals,
Got back to NC Monday Night from snowy Wisconsin. Needless to say, the game was a huge disappointment. I'm sure most of the reasons for the Packers poor showing have been discussed by now, but I wanted to offer a few of my personal observations about Sunday Night:
The defense - My fear going into the game was that the Vikings would come out firing and try and get an early lead on us. Unfortunately my fears were realized on the third play of the game and by the time the game was 5 minutes old, we were down 14-0. This defense has absolutely no consistency from play to play, quarter to quarter and game to game. The players aren't sure of their assignments and they are questioning the schemes. They are fighting on the sidelines (Carroll and Roman) and can't tackle. Not good! It's obvious changes need to be made on that side of the ball and of course it should start with relieving Slowik of his duties. We also need more leadership on defense. Sharper should be the leader, but he can't seem to make it happen and it's hard for the other players to respect him when he is one of the main culprits missing tackles. Besides replacing Slowik and probably Shottenheimer too, I think we need to acquire, through free agency or the draft, a stud player at one of three positions, defensive tackle, middle linebacker (move barnett outside) or safety.
Favre - Had a bad game, no doubt, but when you're put in a 17 point hole and lose your best receiver it's usually a recipe for mistakes. The thing that bothers me the most though, was his boneheaded play just before the half when he threw the ball after running well past the line of scrimmage. We were still very much in the game and a touchdown on that drive would have given us the momentum going into the half. I don't know what he was thinking when he threw the ball, I haven't heard his explanation, but that was not the kind of play we've come to expect from him. I can only think that he's had so much to deal with lately (Deannas chemo, her brother getting killed and Reggies death) that he's just mentally burned out. I hope he doesn't decide to retire. He just needs some rest.
Sherman - He's been able to get the Packers to played inspired games at various times this year, but for some reason they lay these occasional eggs. The inconsistency is maddening. I think it's time to give up the GM role and concentrate on coaching alone. There seems to be some serious communication problems on this team and I have to hold Sherman ultimately responsible. He's just got too much on his plate.
Moss's salute to Packer fans - I was much more embarrased by the Packer defense than what this self absorbed punk did.
In conclusion, if Favre does decide to come back, the Packer organization MUST make sure the team is going to have a realistic shot at going all the way. The 2004 Packers were put together with rubber bands and they snapped at the worst time. It's going to take a combination of the right players and coaches to get it done, but I think we are not that far away.