Ravens at Packers Live Game Thread

[weeds]

Injuries aren't an excuse - but c'mon at some point these aggregate injuries are gonna impact outcomes. It happened to the Lions last year and again this year.

Ya know... that "injuries aren't an excuse" coach's post game presser statement for ever and I agree, Injuries aren't an excuse but they are a REASON.

 

[melvin dangerr]

Well we can stop the fire MLF screams, he is not going anywhere soon, it would take a very dramatic post season play to consider this, but I like many are getting tired of his “we have to stop this” “we have to stop doing that” it’s all we have to CRAP, it should be WHEN are going to do something, his career in GB could be short if the team he is the coach of falls flat in there faces, MLF is aware that all the blame falls in his lap, wether lack of talent or injuries, he’s the Head coach and his job to figure out how to win with what he has on the field with no excuses.

 

[weeds]

You must be logged in to see this image or video!

 

[Sanguine camper]

It's true that there isn't any amount of podium statements can't fix players being injured... but actual coaching will cause others to step up, I know this from experience. We always knew that we might lose someone, and when it happened everyone on the team was addressed in team meetings and the coaches tried to address ANY deficiencies that were there. This was definitely different, the weight of this game didn't sneak up on anyone, but a backup QB played a good part in us being BLOWN OUT at home. When the visiting team doesn't even have to punt until the 3rd quarter, that's a pretty big problem. I get that DH is a great, but that doesn't mean he should have one of the best games of his career (and again, did ANY of his TDs look hard?) at our house. I came close to posting about how others things looked, but I won't. The truth is, this type of underperformance is becoming the norm, and when this stops being the exception, something HAS to change.

I think we are both pointing at two of the main reasons for the collapse that we are witnessing. The loss of talent via an avalanche of injuries and a team that lacks intensity and looks unprepared from poor coaching.

 

[David Ciembronowicz]

Intensity, watch the 49er vs. Bear game, both teams showing the kind of intensity that NFL teams should be expected to show every play. Is that coaching, players or both?

 

[milani]

Intensity, watch the 49er vs. Bear game, both teams showing the kind of intensity that NFL teams should be expected to show every play. Is that coaching, players or both?

Notice how #44, Juszczcyk, took out the Bear on the edge that enabled CMC to score for the 9ers. Now THAT is red zone offense. And he is called a Fullback. Something that vanished from the Packers vocabulary.

 

[Firethorn1001]

On the bright side looks like the Bears can't stop anyone either.

 

[Sanguine camper]

I think Kingsley has played every bit as well as Gary honestly, now I also struggle to do it with Parsons out for a time, but you can bet I’m showing Gary and his agent rep after rep of how he struggled to move this year, no longer pushing pocket and getting pushed around by WR chipping….and saying we have to take a pay cut or we cannot justify your employment anymore….

Cutting Gary would give the Packers an extra 11 million next year. Throw in Jenkins and there would probably enough salary cap to go out and shore up the IDL in free agency. I'm less "sanguine" however, that there would be a quality pass rusher available. Those guys usually get resigned.

I would be all in for Gute to use free agency and a third round pick on IDL and use the second round pick on a CB. The fourth round could be used to find more depth at TE or OT. The way Willis playing, the Packers may have wind up with two 4th rounders.

 

[tynimiller]

Cutting Gary would give the Packers an extra 11 million next year. Throw in Jenkins and there would probably enough salary cap to go out and shore up the IDL in free agency. I'm less "sanguine" however, that there would be a quality pass rusher available. Those guys usually get resigned.

I would be all in for Gute to use free agency and a third round pick on IDL and use the second round pick on a CB. The fourth round could be used to find more depth at TE or OT. The way Willis playing, the Packers may have wind up with two 4th rounders.

Willis signings will go into 2027 comp formula. I expect us to wash it some with signings - may not end up with anything

 

[milani]

On the bright side looks like the Bears can't stop anyone either.

9ers have no pass rush. They miss Bosa as much as we miss Parsons. The Rams and Seahawks have better Ds.

 

[SeahawkFan80]

So are you still in the hunt or am I wrong?

 

[tynimiller]

So are you still in the hunt or am I wrong?

Nothing changed. We were the 7th seed even if we lose both. We had to win both and Bears had to lose both for us to flip and be the #2 seed.

 

[ExpatPacker]

9ers have no pass rush. They miss Bosa as much as we miss Parsons. The Rams and Seahawks have better Ds.

Bears have no pass rush either. Purdy barely got touched except for that one sack. he had all the time in the world to throw

 

[OldSchool101]

The GM which literally until this year has been lights out with nearly every sizable FA signing in his tenure?

The same GM that didn’t ignore a franchise QB in the draft that fell and made about as seamless transition from an old HoF QB to a new one and stayed contenders - something not easy at all?

The same GM that convinced one of the best and most premiere players to jump ship and come to us this year?

The same GM that continues along with his staff draft quite well, with really the only critique being he has a system of draft and develop which is slower than many fans want.

Gute is an awesome GM and well deserving of a long term extension.

I get the MLF criticism and likely wouldn’t do long term deal with him at this point - likely one year deal or a two or three with both sides knowing 2026 is it if we don’t see noticeable improvement.

Totally agree with that eval

I had Brian through 2024 as a B+/A- grade on a C scale average. Now I think many would agree they 2025 was not a good draft so far. Then, on top of that, we scored about a “D” on Banks and Hobbs for their $$ (I like to factor $$ spent). Might even argue that Morgan and Van Ness not making any strides is a ding.

Yet we’re taking about an 8 year spectrum here. For me he’s in that B grade area. Gutey is still making moves and we’re not done for the season as of this point. We have lost some pretty substantial players. Kraft, Elgton PLUS losing a Pair of Day 1 draft picks (Wyatt and Parsons) and then Tom, Reed, Watson missing substantial time all factors. Next to QB it’s a list of substantial contributors and it’s obvious it’s impacted us in both phases. Yet we just somehow can help from beating ourselves also.

We’re a Bears OT Loss away from fighting for a 3 seed this week, yet some of these posters act like they lost their Momma. Actually worse!
I lost my Momma a month ago and I’m not walking around pouting like babies who ran out of formula. They need to get over it already.

 

[OldSchool101]

Intensity, watch the 49er vs. Bear game, both teams showing the kind of intensity that NFL teams should be expected to show every play. Is that coaching, players or both?

Well the Bears benefited from a fumble to beat GB. 99% chance they lose the Green Bay 2X if we don’t fumble. Is a fumble lacking intensity? I think that’s hard to argue that.
The truth is that Chicago got spanked for 55 minutes. That also happened at Soldier Field! Sometimes players have to make a play like collect an onside Kick. Is that too much for a coach to ask? No

It took Chicago every last second of regulation just to play catchup after an absolutely miserable performance imo. The looks on Chicago fans face was telling. They were lifeless fans that were ready to pack up and head home in sorrowful and humiliating fashion, certainly not your version of a fan watching some explosive, powerful, all encompassing team who throttles everyone. I witnessed those faces so please spare me the embellishment of the facts. Chicago Won and it took them 5 Quarters to score 22 points. Thats 4.5 Points per quarter for a team with a Top 3 rushing and Top 10 scoring Offense. Really a pretty pathetic performance IF it’s against a team with no energy. They had 9 points before that turnover! What a joke against an awful Defense in GB.

Chicago went 1-1, nearly losing to a team who’s tattered and limping around and as you say, has no energy and are so bad they should fire everyone. Yet that awful team was 1 fumble from a potential Division sweep.
9 points through 55 minutes? And still kicking for an onside and a prayer just to live?? Pathetic level.
If The Packers are 1/3 as bad as you make them. Everyone in Chicago should be fired immediately. Even many analysts that have no allegiance to GB said Chicago didn’t deserve to win. So Chicago didn’t deserve to win against a lifeless team is what you are claiming.

 

[OldSchool101]

Also if a Poster has a right to want to fire our Head Coach or General Manager or both (which is exactly what some of us were responding to) then we as fans have every right to question said poster’s prerogative. So I’m not apologizing for protecting our team if that’s what some select posters are implying.

In addition. IF Chicago is so all powerful. There better be some intricate level apologies the next game they lose and darn sure better not be against GB because there’s no excuse.

 

[DABIGZ]

Also if a Poster has a right to want to fire our Head Coach or General Manager or both (which is exactly what some of us were responding to) then we as fans have every right to question said poster’s prerogative. So I’m not apologizing for protecting our team if that’s what some select posters are implying.

In addition. IF Chicago is so all powerful. There better be some intricate level apologies the next game they lose and darn sure better not be against GB because there’s no excuse.

I'm in agreement to this.

But if Chicago absolutely destroys us in the first round, then let's have a conversation about where this team is going.

 

[Sanguine camper]

Totally agree with that eval

I had Brian through 2024 as a B+/A- grade on a C scale average. Now I think many would agree they 2025 was not a good draft so far. Then, on top of that, we scored about a “D” on Banks and Hobbs for their $$ (I like to factor $$ spent). Might even argue that Morgan and Van Ness not making any strides is a ding.

Yet we’re taking about an 8 year spectrum here. For me he’s in that B grade area. Gutey is still making moves and we’re not done for the season as of this point. We have lost some pretty substantial players. Kraft, Elgton PLUS losing a Pair of Day 1 draft picks (Wyatt and Parsons) and then Tom, Reed, Watson missing substantial time all factors. Next to QB it’s a list of substantial contributors and it’s obvious it’s impacted us in both phases. Yet we just somehow can help from beating ourselves also.

We’re a Bears OT Loss away from fighting for a 3 seed this week, yet some of these posters act like they lost their Momma. Actually worse!
I lost my Momma a month ago and I’m not walking around pouting like babies who ran out of formula. They need to get over it already.

I also agree that Gute deserves a B grade over his 8 years. He does a lot of different tasks well with his only major drawback being his propensity to just whif in the first round. I think he tends to reach too much in the first round and drafts way too many "project" players.

I would give MLF a C grade. He does some things very well but also has a much longer list of shortcomings than Gute.

 

[OldSchool101]

I'm in agreement to this.

But if Chicago absolutely destroys us in the first round, then let's have a conversation about where this team is going.

I wouldn’t have confidence that said group would hold their end of that bargain. I’ve been in the live game threads too much. These same posters not only declared losses at halftime that we ended up winning.. they asked for the Head Coach to be fired! Brilliant Dr Watson!
So that conversation has already happened and for a select group it started well before last week. It’s an unfortunate fact that the group you speak of has already declared not only this season as a loss, but every season going forward into eternity future.

How about letting the season play out first! That should’ve been obvious to begin with. I mean you qualify 2 weeks in advance and were acting like the 2026 season ended. We all get frustrated watching games, but let’s be reasonable. It’s not like we started 3-7

 

[milani]

I wouldn’t have confidence that said group would hold their end of that bargain. I’ve been in the live game threads too much. These same posters not only declared losses at halftime that we ended up winning.. they asked for the Head Coach to be fired! Brilliant Dr Watson!
So that conversation has already happened and for a select group it started well before last week. It’s an unfortunate fact that the group you speak of has already declared not only this season as a loss, but every season going forward into eternity future.

How about letting the season play out first! That should’ve been obvious to begin with. I mean you qualify 2 weeks in advance and were acting like the 2026 season ended. We all get frustrated watching games, but let’s be reasonable. It’s not like we started 3-7

We have had some historical playoff destructions with other coaches.
The Rams and Warner blew us out under Sherman. The 9ers ran us out under both MM and MLF. And even the Falcons destroyed us in an NFC Championship.
And the usual parties called for a new HC.

 

[OldSchool101]

We have had some historical playoff destructions with other coaches.
The Rams and Warner blew us out under Sherman. The 9ers ran us out under both MM and MLF. And even the Falcons destroyed us in an NFC Championship.
And the usual parties called for a new HC.

Yes. I’ve come to the conclusion that 90% of the time that someone calls for a Head Coach to be fired? I’m talking about a season that’s not just the obvious ones, like starting with a 2-9 record.
The 90% are eventually correct around 10% of the time.

 

[DABIGZ]

Yes. I’ve come to the conclusion that 90% of the time that someone calls for a Head Coach to be fired? I’m talking about a season that’s not just the obvious ones, like starting with a 2-9 record.
The 90% are eventually correct around 10% of the time.

To play devil's advocate, in back to back years we are backing into the playoffs with no momentum. I also think being the 7th seed three years straight, with no improvements, is wearing thin on people.

 

[Sanguine camper]

I wouldn’t have confidence that said group would hold their end of that bargain. I’ve been in the live game threads too much. These same posters not only declared losses at halftime that we ended up winning.. they asked for the Head Coach to be fired! Brilliant Dr Watson!
So that conversation has already happened and for a select group it started well before last week. It’s an unfortunate fact that the group you speak of has already declared not only this season as a loss, but every season going forward into eternity future.

How about letting the season play out first! That should’ve been obvious to begin with. I mean you qualify 2 weeks in advance and were acting like the 2026 season ended. We all get frustrated watching games, but let’s be reasonable. It’s not like we started 3-7

I think a lot of people on this site are assuming the season is a bust because it looks a lot like other so-called promising seasons that went down in flames from stupid mistakes or soft football.

If the Packers make a miraculous turnaround, some people on this site , me included, will be eating a lot of crow.

If the season ends in another dud, however, then the people who took off the rose colored glasses will be the astute commentators as opposed to people who are fine with mediocre teams and think very little needs to change in Green Bay.

We'll see. Hope I'm wrong but I have little confidence after seeing how despirited the Packers looked vs the Ravens.

 

[OldSchool101]

To play devil's advocate, in back to back years we are backing into the playoffs with no momentum. I also think being the 7th seed three years straight, with no improvements, is wearing thin on people.

Sure. There are some areas of concern. For me it’s Redzone Offense and turnover ratio. I think we’re ranked 26th in takeaway differential. That’s a key area that imo is coached up. This years team has actually went backwards into the bottom sector. Tye other area is Punt Return where we’ve been a carousel of non production. We’re losing 5 yards per PR off potential. It’s like getting a 5 yard infraction on every punt all year.

On the flip side. We are an OT loss from what likely would’ve been a 6-0 Division sweep and a chance at a #3 Seed etc. It’s never good to come up on the wrong end of the stick, but we did just enough earlier this season to buy ourselves a ticket to the tournament. 18 teams can’t say that.

It’s hard to continually be competitive in the league. In my research, We are the 8th most successful team in the league on average since Matt took over Tied with The Bengals. Yet we can close the gap with Tampa and pass Cincinnati with a Win. 1 WC Win and we’re 7th most successful and rising. I think I see 2-3 more teams we can catch in 2025 if we just Wn a Divisional.

 

[OldSchool101]

I think a lot of people on this site are assuming the season is a bust because it looks a lot like other so-called promising seasons that went down in flames from stupid mistakes or soft football.

If the Packers make a miraculous turnaround, some people on this site , me included, will be eating a lot of crow.

If the season ends in another dud, however, then the people who took off the rose colored glasses will be the astute commentators as opposed to people who are fine with mediocre teams and think very little needs to change in Green Bay.

We'll see. Hope I'm wrong but I have little confidence after seeing how despirited the Packers looked vs the Ravens.

That’s fair. In the meantime you can choose to wallow in pity or you can enjoy what football is left. I’m just not built to sulk and walk around like Eeyore.

As far as that last game. It was demoralizing but also in reality if you were choose a game to lose this year? I would’ve picked the Ravens because in truth it had zero direct consequences on our positioning. One could even argue that our eyes were opened a little to the reality of how we could be bested through the run. To this juncture only 1 or 2 teams ran on us all season. Some would say that was a blessing in disguise.

So I just look at an obstacle as a learning lesson instead of driving around looking in a rear view mirror and potentially crashing in the process. Learn from it and it’s not a mistake type thing. As far as traversing life by demoralizing myself with living in the past? You’ll never convince me in a lifetime that setbacks are not lessons to grow. My entire Faith is built on that premises and I’ve had countless setbacks that ended up being victories. Bro I’ve lived Jeremiah 29. I wouldn’t erase my setbacks in life for a $million dollars.

I live by No Regrets