The optimism thread - all may not be lost yet

[PackAttack12]

What we're up against right now is bad. And we're going to talk about all of those things I'm sure as the days and weeks progress. But if there's only one thread to remain almost ENTIRELY positive, lets put it here.

I'll choose to find a potential scenario where the Packers can still make the playoffs.

Looking ahead, we're definitely not going to be going against the toughest part of our schedule.

We've got:

Saints
BYE WEEK
Lions
@Bears
Ravens
@Steelers
Bucs
@Browns

That would be the exact amount of time that Rodgers sat out with the collar bone injury in 2013. Assuming the recovery time would be the same, those are the games that he will miss.

We currently sit at 4-2. For me, it's trying to figure out where you could potentially have 3 wins to get to 7-6, and hope that Rodgers is back in time to win at least 2 of the last 3 to get to a 9-10 win season. That could be enough to get the division.

The best candidates I have for wins would be:

-Lions (3-3) at home after the bye. Division opponent, so McCarthy will have a lot of time to come up with a plan to attack them. Hopefully we can get somewhat healthy during the bye week and come away with a big win.
- Bears (2-4) on the road. They aren't world beaters. They're trying to get a rookie quarterback acclimated. Again, division opponent. Not a potent offense. Hopefully with a little health on the defense we could hold them to a low number of points.
- Ravens (3-3) at home. I've been concerned about this game, but they aren't a team that can just explode to score a bunch of points.
- Browns (0-6) on the road. Let's hope and pray that we at least have THIS game.

We're going to need for the defense to really start forcing some turnovers, for the offense to find a running game, and for Hundley to settle in and show a comfort and poise level behind center to find a way to win some football games.

Lets all keep this in mind: even though Brett Hundley didn't look like a world beater today, he was going against a really good defense on the road in a hostile environment that made even RODGERS look pedestrian last year in week 2. The next two games are at home. 3 of the next 4. He'll be more comfortable at Lambeau.

I'm not one that thinks all is lost YET, I'm going to try to remain as positive as possible and let this thing play out.

So I encourage everyone to give at least one reason to be optimistic. We'll have plenty of time to lose our minds and be upset over the next several weeks. Let's use this one thread to collectively find even the slightest reasons for optimism.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

I think this is an opportunity for the team to learn to stop depending on rodgers so much... Hundley, I am very optimistic he will break out in the next couple weeks. This opportunity is all he needs.
Reminds me of the first showing of #12, against Dallas. Rodgers quickness, and his legs showed he has abilities the old #4 hasn't shown in a long time... Rodgers still, has wheels, of course. But Hundley is a physical guy with some great ability. He will do well once the team regains it's footing from the massive loss of #12...

Then he will bring us a couple 1St rounders in trade next year, if he does do well. Like winning the lotto, on that front.

Getting some guys healthy will be important to keep some positive momentum in this crap storm.

 

[lambeaulambo]

Its the other collar bone on his throwing shoulder. What did he say to Barr?

 

[Mike McCarthy]

Its the other collar bone on his throwing shoulder. What did he say to Barr?

I may not be an expert on lip reading, but I did stay at a holiday inn express last night and I thought he said “fire capers”

 

[adambr2]

Being on his throwing shoulder, I would not expect Rodgers to return during the regular season. I would guess at this point he misses the remainder of the regular season and returns for the playoffs if we get there. MAYBE plays Week 17 if it's a play-in game, but it's going to be a longer recovery period this time.

I think we just have to hope we are good enough with Hundley to go 5-5 the rest of the way, hope that 9-7 is good enough, and hope to get Rodgers back then.

 

[gonzozab]

This is obviously not the thread for me. Rodgers IS the team. We're a 5-11 team without him at best. We went 2-5-1 without him in 2013, and that team had more talent than this one. Teddy has failed Rodgers miserably building a competitive team around him. This is a lost season.

 

[adambr2]

Failing all that, if we go in the toilet and finish 5-11, the silver lining is that that should be plenty of evidence of the talentless roster and/or incompetent coaching staff which should put us in line for some significant off-season changes.

 

[BrokenArrow]

As odd as it sounds, losing a guy like AR can make the games in interim period more rewarding as a fan. When you win so much that you expect to win EVERY game, you have very little reward, emotionally, when you win. By simply winning, you are merely meeting expectations and nobody gets excited unless it's a 42-0 win over the Bears or whoever, and any loss becomes infuriating no matter how good the other team might have been. We're going to have a stretch of very engaging games that should result in a few very rewarding wins, and yes, some very disappointing losses. Hopefully it'll result in some people appreciating just how hard the guys we DO have are willing to fight and we'll have something to talk about other than the same "fire Capers!" and "our defense sucks!" crap we see ad nauseam every... single... time... the other team shows that they happen to be professional football players too.

 

[Carl 2]

So much for the optimism....

 

[adambr2]

This is obviously not the thread for me. Rodgers IS the team. We're a 5-11 team without him at best. We went 2-5-1 without him in 2013, and that team had more talent than this one. Teddy has failed Rodgers miserably building a competitive team around him. This is a lost season.

Well, we're already 4-2. That's the good news. We won the close games early in the season, which looms large now.

To the rest of that, I really don't know. They obviously like Hundley a lot. They felt he was a steal on draft day and reportedly didn't want to give him up for a high pick. This is his 3rd season in the offensive system. If he isn't ready to be the guy by now, he's probably never going to be.

I don't know what's going to happen the rest of the way. Maybe Hundley falls flat on his face and we win 2 games the rest of the season. Or maybe he lives up to the promise that the staff obviously feels he has and leads us to a 10-6 record and wins the North. I really don't know. But I do think you need to give him at least a full week of prep with the ones and see what happens next week before writing off the season as lost.

 

[BrokenArrow]

This is a lost season.

So... why are you wasting your time here?

 

[BrokenArrow]

Well, we're already 4-2. That's the good news. We won the close games early in the season, which looms large now.

To the rest of that, I really don't know. They obviously like Hundley a lot. They felt he was a steal on draft day and reportedly didn't want to give him up for a high pick. This is his 3rd season in the offensive system. If he isn't ready to be the guy by now, he's probably never going to be.

I don't know what's going to happen the rest of the way. Maybe Hundley falls flat on his face and we win 2 games the rest of the season. Or maybe he lives up to the promise that the staff obviously feels he has and leads us to a 10-6 record and wins the North. I really don't know. But I do think you need to give him at least a full week of prep with the ones and see what happens next week before writing off the season as lost.

I think you have to give him at least 2 or 3 weeks. For the last 5 weeks he's been pretending to be Dak Prescott, Case Keenum, Russell Wilson, Andy Dalton, etc... Now he finally gets a chance to be himself and practice as a Packer for a change. I think with Rodgers tutoring him along the way, he may turn out pretty decent. Maybe he'll be a surprise and win get us into the playoffs without #12. In that case, his trade value will shoot way up.

 

[adambr2]

Also keep in mind 3 very important things:

1) Minnesota is not nearly as good as they feel like they are right now.

2) Detroit is not that good.

3) Chicago is not that good.

 

[XPack]

Hundley vs Trubisky vs Keenum vs Bradford

Looks about even imo. We still have a chance to wrap up the division....if the rest of the team stays off the doctors table.

 

[XPack]

Also keep in mind 3 very important things:

1) Minnesota is not nearly as good as they feel like they are right now.

2) Detroit is not that good.

3) Chicago is not that good.

Neither are we.

It's toss up.

 

[kevans74]

The most optimistic thing is...

Hundley definitely showed that he has the "physical tools" to be very good in the NFL today, you could see that if you watched the game

Rust/lack of reps/prep(not seeing a safety) were the result of 2 of his interceptions

I honestly expect him to play pretty well..

 

[PackAttack12]

I liked what I heard in Hundley's postgame presser. Essentially said it sucks for Aaron but we're moving forward and I will be ready and prepared to lead this team. "Aaron's Aaron, and I'm Brett". I like the confidence.

We should definitely wait and see before we assume that the sky is falling and the ground is separating beneath our feet.

 

[kevans74]

I forgot to add,

Hundley's first "start" will be AT HOME

And not exactly against a "good" defense like the Vikings...

So that could/should bode well for his confidence also and the situation

 

[longtimefan]

We should definitely wait and see before we assume that the sky is falling and the ground is separating beneath our feet.

Well said

 

[AKCheese]

We're tied for the division lead. We lost a game on the road against a GOOD defense when our QB got knocked out and we thrust a young inexperienced guy in there. Sky is not falling. With prep time if Hundley can't lead this team to .500 ball with the games we have left, we aren't a very good TEAM. If we go south, our draft status improves, Davante Adams probably get's cheaper, we regroup and move on. If Hundley get's us in the playoffs.... good job, his trade value goes up... anything can happen in "the tourney"

 

[Zartan]

I think Rodgers will come back this season. I gotta believe that his collarbone can heal in 7 weeks or so like last time.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

I liked what I heard in Hundley's postgame presser. Essentially said it sucks for Aaron but we're moving forward and I will be ready and prepared to lead this team. "Aaron's Aaron, and I'm Brett". I like the confidence.

We should definitely wait and see before we assume that the sky is falling and the ground is separating beneath our feet.

Someone mentioned Rodgers wasn't holding his shoulder down like collar bone injuries.....
Maybe there is a chance it wasn't broken. Just cracked... might allow him to throw earlier, and be ready earlier...

 

[longtimefan]

Someone mentioned Rodgers wasn't holding his shoulder down like collar bone injuries.....
Maybe there is a chance it wasn't broken. Just cracked... might allow him to throw earlier, and be ready earlier...

I said that..

But last time he didn't hold it either, he was actually running wo supporting it..

Maybe was wishful thinking in my part

 

[HardRightEdge]

So much for the optimism....

You reap what you sow.

 

[annuvin]

To the rest of that, I really don't know. They obviously like Hundley a lot. They felt he was a steal on draft day and reportedly didn't want to give him up for a high pick. This is his 3rd season in the offensive system. If he isn't ready to be the guy by now, he's probably never going to be.

I don't know what's going to happen the rest of the way. Maybe Hundley falls flat on his face and we win 2 games the rest of the season. Or maybe he lives up to the promise that the staff obviously feels he has and leads us to a 10-6 record and wins the North. I really don't know. But I do think you need to give him at least a full week of prep with the ones and see what happens next week before writing off the season as lost.

Great points. We should give the guy a chance before we write him off as a scrub. People that know football far better than anyone here picked him for a reason.