Barring the costly fumble by Thurman, Brett cost us the game - no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He had an opportunity to drive down field and not once, but twice threw the ball up to be picked off. The first pick we got a gift with the roughing the passer call and were given another chance. Then a couple of plays later, with nearly a minute left he throws that ball up for grabs. Game over.
Does this mean we should bench Brett Farve? Hell no! Brett Farve will have his good games and he will have his god awful games. But, if he plays a little smarter, he's still our best weapon on offense. And I know many of you would like to sit back and throw the rest of the games this season to get a good draft pick, but that attitude would do nothing but cultivate perennial losers. The Packers need to try and win every last game. Hopefully if we can win a few at the end, the momentum will carry into next year. But I digress. Farve needed to play smarter, and the only way to do that is to have the guts to smack him in the face and tell him to be patient. All game long he tried striking quickly and it cost him big time -once with the interception in the first half, and the game killing one at the end. Despite his poor decision making, he still has all the ability to win games and is still a good QB, and it is in the best interests of the Packers to keep him around as long as possible.
As for Sherman's coaching today, I disagree with part of Tromadz comments about pulling the guards. Rolling Brett out gives him time, and he has always been great throwing outside the pocket. As for the running game, they didn't always execute the sweeps the best, but these were some of the biggest holes I've seen all year. Sherman didn't make any obvious poor playcalling as much today, but he let another close game go which is heartbreaking. Good coaches win close games. He succeeded last year in that category. This year he failed.
Bates has done a fantastic job with a bunch of nobodys all year long. But the run defense today was an abomination. KGB is too damned small (the idea of putting him at LB is interesting but too late in his career) as he and the rest of the Dline was consumed by the Philly line. And when we're playing against a backup QB and 3 backup O-linemen that is downright embarrassing. McMahon was running around on us like Vick. And with his passing being so inept, I don't know why we didn't have Barnett spy him like we did versus Atlanta. His legs kept their drives alive. Also, it seemed as though we blitzed a lot more than usual but got no penetration. And if we did get back, we overpursued and another QB scramble for a first.
All in all, it's just another frustration added to the L column. Next week is at Chicago, and we better play balls out to end their win streak and expose them for the one-dimensional team they are.
