lets be optimistic for a change....

[Carl]

I said the best teams win the vast majority of times; I'd say better than 90%.
Regular season records are pretty meaningless indicators of playoff success, especially in recent years with the overall balance.Also, to many variables. Who had injury problems during the season? Who had a tougher schedule, etc..
Favorites? The Colts were 19 1/2 point favorites over the Jets in SB3; only in retrospect did people begin to realize that the Jets were at least as good as the Colts, and a matchup nightmare for the Colts.
The Giants were a matchup nightmare for the Packers in 2011, and at least as good a team . They walked into Lambeau and beat the hell out of the Packers. That Packer team was exposed as Aaron Rodgers carrying a cast of mediocrities. That 15-1 record proved to be an illusion.

The 15-1 time also beat the Giants in New York and was three wins away from one of the best stretches of football in NFL history. That team was very good.

We can disagree as those two Giants teams, the Ravens, 201o Packers were not the best teams entering the playoffs. Neither were the 6th seeded Steelers in 2006 and the Patriots beating the Greatest Show on Turf in 2002. That's not close to 90% to me.

They got hot at the right time and I don't see why the Packers can't do it again. That's always a reason to be optimistic.

 

[PackerDNA]

Again, you point to a game in September and try to compare it to a playoff game. That game had no bearing on the playoff game. Of the two, the playoff game is your indicator of which team was the better one. This seeding and getting hot at the right time stuff has taken on a life of it's own, and I'll tell you Carl, I 've been guilty of it myself more than once. Remove all the factors, variables and ups and downs of regular season and replace them with the focus and intensity of the playoffs, and the odds of 'anything can happen' become closer to winning the big lottery.

 

[Carl]

Again, you point to a game in September and try to compare it to a playoff game. That game had no bearing on the playoff game. Of the two, the playoff game is your indicator of which team was the better one. This seeding and getting hot at the right time stuff has taken on a life of it's own, and I'll tell you Carl, I 've been guilty of it myself more than once. Remove all the factors, variables and ups and downs of regular season and replace them with the focus and intensity of the playoffs, and the odds of 'anything can happen' become closer to winning the big lottery.

One game does not say a team is definitely better than the other. It means they were better that day and played a better game. A team just has to get to the playoffs and can win it all by stringing a few of those games together.

Plenty of examples from just this season of the better team not winning: The Steelers are not better than the Colts. Dolphins not better than the Patriots, Bucs not better than the Steelers, Jaguars not better than the Browns, Bears not better than the 49ers, Titans not better than the Chiefs, yet all those teams won head to head.

 

[Carl]

One game does not say a team is definitely better than the other. It means they were better that day and played a better game. A team just has to get to the playoffs and can win it all by stringing a few of those games together.

Plenty of examples from just this season of the better team not winning: The Steelers are not better than the Colts. Dolphins not better than the Patriots, Bucs not better than the Steelers, Jaguars not better than the Browns, Bears not better than the 49ers, Titans not better than the Chiefs, yet all those teams won head to head.

All I'm saying is the Packers could put good games together and win it all and have provided specific examples of teams who have despite not looking like the best team in the regular season.

 

[PackerDNA]

You're missing my point, Carl. Then again, it's probably a case of me doing a lousy job of making my point. So we'll agree to disagree, and all's good.
But optimism needs reasons to thrive, not just 'anything can happen', which is just blind hope, not a reason.

 

[Carl]

You're missing my point, Carl. Then again, it's probably a case of me doing a lousy job of making my point. So we'll agree to disagree, and all's good.
But optimism needs reasons to thrive, not just 'anything can happen', which is just blind hope, not a reason.

I'm okay with disagreeing.

 

[PackerDNA]

You're a good dude, Carl.
And for the record, I hope real hard that you're right. I'd love to see my boys win another world title before I die.

 

[It'sAaron]

I just hope we make the playoffs...from then, anything can happen.

 

[Powarun]

Really? We need this now? After the miracle that was last year of getting into the playoffs? Guys who thought we would be 16-0 this season? How many were thinking 11-5 or 10-6? Packers are where I thought they'd be, Seattle, the division games, and the Saints I was expecting to be 5-3. Honestly the Saints and Seattle show up big at home, especially in prime time. Now if we lose to the Bears next game then we can panic. Jeez, have faith. Really the bye came at the perfect time.

 

[Carl]

You're a good dude, Carl.
And for the record, I hope real hard that you're right. I'd love to see my boys win another world title before I die.

Unless the Packers are eliminated from the playoffs, there's always a reason for optimism.

 

[realcaliforniacheese]

I don't disagree... but... we can say the same about almost every team in the NFL this year other than maybe Dallas and Arizona.

Ok, scratch Dallas off the list.

 

[realcaliforniacheese]

Honestly, We have a 4 game steak in which we pretty much dominated on both O and D. We Roll into NO, Have some miscues in the red zone. Lose our starting guard and his replacement is abused. Our QB comes up lame and a D missing Key starters lays an egg. All this talk of "We can't win the big game against good teams" How was this a big game? How is this a great team? they have only won in that artificially noisy dome this year. The season is far from over and I can't wait till we come back from the bye. My advice to all you chicken little's and wanna be football experts is get some perspective and a spine.

This is football, this is what happens during a football season and this is what makes this game so great. If there were no adversity to overcome, no drama, no glory, no angst and no adrenaline rush, jump in the air pumping your fist joy, then I might as well watch baseball. My hats off to the Saints for playing a good game but this game is not the end. It is no indication of where this team will be in December and January. It's just one bad game.

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

Why will we take the North? What makes you guys so sure? Because this isn't the same Lions team... They have come back two weeks in a row to win when they wouldn't have done that in previous years. I think some ppl are way to over confident that we will just win the division. If the Packers don't win the North they won't make the playoffs. Mark it down, save the thread, I don't care ...but I'm standing by this statement until the end. San Francisco is going to get Bowman and Willis back soon,Dallas and Arizona look to the real deal and Philly and Seattle aren't going anywhere. We need to finish 11-5

Just for the record..........Are you actually a Packer Fan ??? Read the above thread ^^^^ ,go to church, have a good nights sleep and R-E-L-A-X. All will be good.

 

[NOMOFO]

Why will we take the North? What makes you guys so sure? Because this isn't the same Lions team... They have come back two weeks in a row to win when they wouldn't have done that in previous years. I think some ppl are way to over confident that we will just win the division. If the Packers don't win the North they won't make the playoffs. Mark it down, save the thread, I don't care ...but I'm standing by this statement until the end. San Francisco is going to get Bowman and Willis back soon,Dallas and Arizona look to the real deal and Philly and Seattle aren't going anywhere. We need to finish 11-5

Yes, it actually is the same Lions team. Let's be honest here. If you were a Lions fan, you would be saying "We have not done anything yet until we finally win the division over Green Bay".

Again, this is a giant pet peeve of mine. It's like the people that pick the Falcons as one of the teams to beat, every single season for the past 4 or so! What logic is there in that when we know exactly who they are and who their top players are? I'll never take Atlanta to win anything with Matty Melt as their QB.

I like Stafford but I don't think he's capable of winning this division at this point in time and I don't know why I should think they are better suited to do that this year than any other year. I saw they had to send a guy home from London this weekend for disciplinary reasons. Sounds like the same old Lions to me.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Yes, it actually is the same Lions team. Let's be honest here. If you were a Lions fan, you would be saying "We have not done anything yet until we finally win the division over Green Bay".

I like Stafford but I don't think he's capable of winning this division at this point in time and I don't know why I should think they are better suited to do that this year than any other year. I saw they had to send a guy home from London this weekend for disciplinary reasons. Sounds like the same old Lions to me.

This is for sure not the Lions team from past seasons. They´re way more disclipined under Caldwell and the way they dealt with C.J. Mosley actually proves that (Schwartz wouldn´t have punished him).

In addition their remaining schedule isn´t a tough one with road games at Arizona, New England and Green Bay the only tough matchups. The Packers will have a tough time winning the division this season as the Lions will be in the mix right until the end.

 

[JBlood]

Just for the record..........Are you actually a Packer Fan ??? Read the above thread ^^^^ ,go to church, have a good nights sleep and R-E-L-A-X. All will be good.

We're all Packers fans here. Nothing wrong with being critical of the direction of the team. I'm disappointed with a team that doesn't block and tackle well--and hasn't for 4 years. It's hard to win Championships by trying to confuse the other side with a myriad of plays and schemes, instead of beating the snot out of them week after week with good fundamental football.

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

We're all Packers fans here. Nothing wrong with being critical of the direction of the team. I'm disappointed with a team that doesn't block and tackle well--and hasn't for 4 years. It's hard to win Championships by trying to confuse the other side with a myriad of plays and schemes, instead of beating the snot out of them week after week with good fundamental football.

I stand/sit rebuked I just grow weary of negative stuff. We were beaten by a better team, in their house, by a class QB. Crap happens.

 

[NOMOFO]

This is for sure not the Lions team from past seasons. They´re way more disclipined under Caldwell and the way they dealt with C.J. Mosley actually proves that (Schwartz wouldn´t have punished him).

In addition their remaining schedule isn´t a tough one with road games at Arizona, New England and Green Bay the only tough matchups. The Packers will have a tough time winning the division this season as the Lions will be in the mix right until the end.

Really? Again, why the need to try so hard to give other teams the benefit of the doubt but your own team none of that? You take the glass half full with the other team but always half empty with the Packers.

Clearly it's the same mentality on that team given that Mosley even pulled that! If they were "way more disciplined" he wouldn't have pulled that. I suspect Ndamukong Suh's pending free agency probably has juuuuuusssst a little to do with his being a good little boy in Detroit. It's not exactly new news that guys hitting free agency are known to clean up their acts.

...and again... I didn't see anyone suggesting the Lions wouldn't be there at the end. Being there and winning it however are two different things. I'll say it again...and I've said it and been correct 100% of the time the past 3 years. The Lions, Bears and Falcons are all the most consistently over-rated teams in football. For some reason they're constantly kicked around as one of the leagues top teams and ones to watch out for...and it never happens! You can't even give me any legit reasons we should think it's a different team, other than some nebulous say nothing comment about "discipline".

 

[OldSchool101]

Honestly, We have a 4 game steak in which we pretty much dominated on both O and D. We Roll into NO, Have some miscues in the red zone. Lose our starting guard and his replacement is abused. Our QB comes up lame and a D missing Key starters lays an egg. All this talk of "We can't win the big game against good teams" How was this a big game? How is this a great team? they have only won in that artificially noisy dome this year. The season is far from over and I can't wait till we come back from the bye. My advice to all you chicken little's and wanna be football experts is get some perspective and a spine.

This is football, this is what happens during a football season and this is what makes this game so great. If there were no adversity to overcome, no drama, no glory, no angst and no adrenaline rush, jump in the air pumping your fist joy, then I might as well watch baseball. My hats off to the Saints for playing a good game but this game is not the end. It is no indication of where this team will be in December and January. It's just one bad game.

Exactly. Add to that NO had a MUST win game against us. They were staring 2-5 in the face and it wasn't pretty vs. being in the run for 1st place in their division. At halftime I told my brother in law (wearing #9 Saints jersey in enemy territory) this game would come down to turnovers.. I didn't realize how prolific That statement was gonna be.

 

[NOMOFO]

I stand/sit rebuked I just grow weary of negative stuff. We were beaten by a better team, in their house, by a class QB. Crap happens.

Yep. I'm disappointed that the Packers didn't take advantage of the chance they had to really make a statement. It sucks that we couldn't have come out of the game feeling better than we do about the team in several areas. The fact remains however, the Packers have as good of a shot as any in the NFC and every team has issues right now that a person could point to.

 

[Raptorman]

We're all Packers fans here. Nothing wrong with being critical of the direction of the team. I'm disappointed with a team that doesn't block and tackle well--and hasn't for 4 years. It's hard to win Championships by trying to confuse the other side with a myriad of plays and schemes, instead of beating the snot out of them week after week with good fundamental football.

Well, not ALL of us are.

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

Yep. I'm disappointed that the Packers didn't take advantage of the chance they had to really make a statement. It sucks that we couldn't have come out of the game feeling better than we do about the team in several areas. The fact remains however, the Packers have as good of a shot as any in the NFC and every team has issues right now that a person could point to.

I stand/sit rebuked again

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

Well, not ALL of us are.

but we feel sorry for you . I wait for yet another rebuke.....lol

 

[NOMOFO]

I stand/sit rebuked again

? I was agreeing with you Bill.

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

? I was agreeing with you Bill.

I know . I was joking