Focus now shifts from going undefeated to protecting Aaron Rodgers

Travis Duncan

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There's always a gloomy feeling when a team which dominates for the entire season, and then does just the opposite against an weaker opponent. Sometimes the reaction is "Doom and Gloom".

But with the gloom of an undefeated season going by the wayside, some argue tasting defeat in the regular season prevents overconfidence in the playoffs and takes the pressure off along with it.

Regardless of the psychology behind going undefeated , the attention has now shifted on the offensive line and protecting Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers was asked after the game if the loss takes the pressure off. He said, "probably outside the facility", alluding to the extreme focus by the media and fans on the team going 16-0 or even 19-0.

Rodgers also agreed that Sunday's loss was the most he had been hit by defenders in quite some time. Rodgers was sacked four times on Sunday. And to make matters worse, right tackle Bryan Bulaga suffered a knee injury and will have an MRI on Monday. Derek Sherrod replaced Bulaga and then suffered a broken leg. When Sherrod left the game, T.J. Lang moved to right tackle and Evan Deitrich-Smith played at left guard.

Starting left tackle Chad Clifton missed Sunday's game with a hamstring issue and the Packers will look for him to return to the field sometime before the playoffs.

“We’ve got to get healthy. With two guys out, with Bulaga and Derek Sherrod, we need to get healthy,” Rodgers added via ESPN.

"It’d be nice to get Chad back at some point. It was nice to get Josh back today. But the next man up has got to step in and play well.”

Regarding the disappointment of not going undefeated, Mike McCarthy said, "
Really, what is disappointing to me is that we didn’t clinch home-field advantage. That was always the goal. I personally always viewed the undefeated season as, really, just gravy."​

"The goal was to get the home-field advantage and win the Super Bowl."

McCarthy didn't have much to say about the offensive line but no doubt it's on his mind.

He said the team would evaluate it more on Monday when they have the results of Bulaga's MRI.
 

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