This Team is Soft or Time for me to Eat Some Crow

Ogsponge

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So I have been spouting off for my nearly 2 years on this board about this team being soft on both offense and defense. I have made no qualms about it. I have always felt that after the SB season, that neither group had the fire or strength to will themselves through a tough game against a tough opponent. I still feel that has been the case in previous years but that was not the case against the Seahawks on Sunday.

Once the defense allowed back to back TD drives I was saying to myself "well here we go again" I did not think that the game was over at that point by any means but after the 2nd TD by SEA I really thought that if the offense did not move the ball and come away with at least a field goal we were going to be in serious trouble.

As you know we got the FG and the Seahawks never scored again, both the offense and the defense stepped up and got it done against a team that has been a thorn in our sides. Raji was a disruptive force in the running game all night, Clay was all over the field and saved a couple plays from being huge gains with sheer speed running Lynch down. Starks ran hard, Aaron was perfect when he had to be, 9 for 9 in the 4th quarter? Yes please may I have another? Montgomery on that last drive? Awesome.

Anyway both sides of the ball showed fire, passion and gritty play at the same time for the first time in long time against a difficult team. I basically think it was an B+ performance all around. The only way it could have been a better grade is if the Seahawks had never scored more than 3 but I will gladly take the hard fought win.

Now I am not going to completely reverse my thought and think we are suddenly the most unstoppable force ever but if the Pack continues to play like they did last night, they will demolish lesser foes and will be able to beat anyone. Looking forward to the rest of the season and invite everyone to join me in praying to the injury gods or (the injury there are no gods if you prefer) for healthy rest of the season as it is the one thing that could derail a great shot at another SB run!
 

PackerfaninCarolina

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I think Morgan Burnett's been taken for granted a little bit, having him back has helped the D out a lot more than we think.

To go back to the OP's original point, our team the year after we won the superbowl just had too much good football too early. Most won't believe it but we did. The year we won the superbowl, we were hobbled by injury and had to squeak by in a lot of games, but hung in there and made our run playing with a chip on our shoulder. Also Starks was enough of a factor that year to cause problems for opposing defenses. 2011, we were so excited to get Jermichael Finley back and be a big play passing attack offense that it became our strength as well as weakness. I mean Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Jermichael Finley all on one team? That's some matchup nightmare stuff right there. Our offense was a scoring machine kinda like the 2001 Rams and 2009 Saints. Problem was we neglected Ryan Grant and James Starks who were there as complimentary RBs only enough to keep defenses honest but we didn't build that team that could rely on a guy carrying that rock to help us out and I think we needed that. The size and strength of Lacy is that factor now. Also on defense the year we won the SB, Cullen Jenkins was a force up front, Tramon Williams had a great playoff run, Woodson had his last great year, Nick Collins was exceptional, and even Peprah did an outstanding job filling in for Burnett. We lost Cullen the next year, Collins had that career-ender, our team was in bad shape overall defensively but our offense was so good we didn't think much of it.

I think being 15-1 and getting so used to being the big bad guys of the NFC, there just wasn't a team we had to play that year that posed a real challenge, I think over the course of that year we lost the high level of play at the end, lost the chip on the shoulder, we declined as the Giants got better.

2012, we were still a good offense but not nearly elite anymore. Still lacked that one running game, defensive line got battered a bit, we beat most pedestrian opponents, but weren't a team to beat the best such as the 9ers, Falcons and Seahawks.

2013 a little similar but getting Lacy helped. While I hated losing Rodgers that year, I think it woke the team out of apathy in a great way, and we went into that unfamiliar territory of having to fight for our life just to get into the playoffs. We were 1 and done but I felt that put a bit of a chip on our shoulder coming into next year.

Sure we started out slow last year, but we knew it was just a matter of time before we'd see the team we all thought we'd see, and sure enough we did. And while I will forever put that NFCCG in that vault of bad illuminati curses, I think it's really put a mission out for this team to make another run at the superbowl this year and finish what they didn't last year. They didn't make that game a talking point this last week but you just knew they wanted to stop Lynch and beat Seattle bad. The defense did allow Wilson to go running some, but they refused to let Lynch out of the bag and they were outstanding with their backs against the wall, something I haven't seen in a while. This team is not soft anymore.
 

Carl

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I think Morgan Burnett's been taken for granted a little bit, having him back has helped the D out a lot more than we think.

To go back to the OP's original point, our team the year after we won the superbowl just had too much good football too early. Most won't believe it but we did. The year we won the superbowl, we were hobbled by injury and had to squeak by in a lot of games, but hung in there and made our run playing with a chip on our shoulder. Also Starks was enough of a factor that year to cause problems for opposing defenses. 2011, we were so excited to get Jermichael Finley back and be a big play passing attack offense that it became our strength as well as weakness. I mean Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Jermichael Finley all on one team? That's some matchup nightmare stuff right there. Our offense was a scoring machine kinda like the 2001 Rams and 2009 Saints. Problem was we neglected Ryan Grant and James Starks who were there as complimentary RBs only enough to keep defenses honest but we didn't build that team that could rely on a guy carrying that rock to help us out and I think we needed that. The size and strength of Lacy is that factor now. Also on defense the year we won the SB, Cullen Jenkins was a force up front, Tramon Williams had a great playoff run, Woodson had his last great year, Nick Collins was exceptional, and even Peprah did an outstanding job filling in for Burnett. We lost Cullen the next year, Collins had that career-ender, our team was in bad shape overall defensively but our offense was so good we didn't think much of it.

I think being 15-1 and getting so used to being the big bad guys of the NFC, there just wasn't a team we had to play that year that posed a real challenge, I think over the course of that year we lost the high level of play at the end, lost the chip on the shoulder, we declined as the Giants got better.

2012, we were still a good offense but not nearly elite anymore. Still lacked that one running game, defensive line got battered a bit, we beat most pedestrian opponents, but weren't a team to beat the best such as the 9ers, Falcons and Seahawks.

2013 a little similar but getting Lacy helped. While I hated losing Rodgers that year, I think it woke the team out of apathy in a great way, and we went into that unfamiliar territory of having to fight for our life just to get into the playoffs. We were 1 and done but I felt that put a bit of a chip on our shoulder coming into next year.

Sure we started out slow last year, but we knew it was just a matter of time before we'd see the team we all thought we'd see, and sure enough we did. And while I will forever put that NFCCG in that vault of bad illuminati curses, I think it's really put a mission out for this team to make another run at the superbowl this year and finish what they didn't last year. They didn't make that game a talking point this last week but you just knew they wanted to stop Lynch and beat Seattle bad. The defense did allow Wilson to go running some, but they refused to let Lynch out of the bag and they were outstanding with their backs against the wall, something I haven't seen in a while. This team is not soft anymore.

Two games in a row (except for 4 minutes of course) they've physically won against one of the most physical teams in the league. Relatively easily also. I agree they are not soft anymore.
 

longtimefan

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Two games in a row (except for 4 minutes of course) they've physically won against one of the most physical teams in the league. Relatively easily also. I agree they are not soft anymore.


Our def fell just shy of being great in those 2 games. I am now expecting very similar results all year long now..Even more so when we get our other def players back
 
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Ogsponge

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Our def fell just shy of being great in those 2 games. I am now expecting very similar results all year long now..Even more so when we get our other def players back
What are they going to do with guion? Put him at end? The way raji has been performing I think that has to be kept just the way it is.
 

RRyder

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What are they going to do with guion? Put him at end? The way raji has been performing I think that has to be kept just the way it is.

Well that was the plan before the season started.
 

PikeBadger

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So I have been spouting off for my nearly 2 years on this board about this team being soft on both offense and defense. I have made no qualms about it. I have always felt that after the SB season, that neither group had the fire or strength to will themselves through a tough game against a tough opponent. I still feel that has been the case in previous years but that was not the case against the Seahawks on Sunday.

Once the defense allowed back to back TD drives I was saying to myself "well here we go again" I did not think that the game was over at that point by any means but after the 2nd TD by SEA I really thought that if the offense did not move the ball and come away with at least a field goal we were going to be in serious trouble.

As you know we got the FG and the Seahawks never scored again, both the offense and the defense stepped up and got it done against a team that has been a thorn in our sides. Raji was a disruptive force in the running game all night, Clay was all over the field and saved a couple plays from being huge gains with sheer speed running Lynch down. Starks ran hard, Aaron was perfect when he had to be, 9 for 9 in the 4th quarter? Yes please may I have another? Montgomery on that last drive? Awesome.

Anyway both sides of the ball showed fire, passion and gritty play at the same time for the first time in long time against a difficult team. I basically think it was an B+ performance all around. The only way it could have been a better grade is if the Seahawks had never scored more than 3 but I will gladly take the hard fought win.

Now I am not going to completely reverse my thought and think we are suddenly the most unstoppable force ever but if the Pack continues to play like they did last night, they will demolish lesser foes and will be able to beat anyone. Looking forward to the rest of the season and invite everyone to join me in praying to the injury gods or (the injury there are no gods if you prefer) for healthy rest of the season as it is the one thing that could derail a great shot at another SB run!
Ok, if you won't, I will. This could be the most irrestible force ever. I like this team a lot. We've got a tough schedule and the road goes directly through the valley of the shadow of death, but, I think time will bear out the fact that we ARE, the baddest mothers in the valley.
 

Zartan

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Good teams find ways to win. As it always has been the case.
 

PFanCan

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What are they going to do with guion? Put him at end? The way raji has been performing I think that has to be kept just the way it is.

It's a long season. Would be a bad idea to play Raji too much, even if he was playing well. Big guys get worn down. Guion will get plenty of snaps.
 

Beagle

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Soft compared to............?

I can't think of a single one of the other 31 NFL teams that look at their roster and see a Packers game as anything but a major problem.

Naturally the Cowboys will destroy you next time we play but that's a different kettle of starfish
 

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When Guion comes back I expect him to take Pennel's spot at DE in the base (Guion-Raji-Daniels). He may spell Raji some at NT if Raji continues to play as he has and earns snaps rushing the passer in the 2-4-5.
 

PackerDNA

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Solid win against the Hawks. And IMO, the Packers were the more physical team for the second time in a row.
This isn't a soft team anymore, mentally or physically.
 

toolkien

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Personally, I don't think the team is "soft", it is just that the regular season and post season are "administrated" two different ways. "Speeding Ticket" penalties are called in the regular season, but less so in the post-season. More hand checking is allowed, more creative interaction by offensive linemen is allowed, more action after the whistle is allowed in the playoffs. Couple that with playoff opponents taking more chances at getting turnovers (because turnovers essentially determine who will be champion) and the Packers seemed ill prepared for the post-season. I put that on McCarthy (and staff). A regular season game five and a divisional playoff game are going to be very different animals, and it seemed that it took until about 2013 for McCarthy to catch up to that notion, unfortunately Rodgers was out for most of that year, and last year the Packers simply did an embarrassing pratfall.

Teams are fairly homogenous (and have been since about 1995). QB's and coaching consistency make for a successful season, and GM'ing supplying consistent potency makes for longevity. The Packers have the QB'ing (The Man) and Thompson has supplied adequate potency, the Packers just find a way to be inconsistent come the post-season. You don't have to revolutionize your team, you just have to prepare it for the vagaries of the post-season; not think you can just rely on QB/WR halos of the regular season and minty breath.

In short, McCarthy needs a to find a way to not release his inner Marty Schottenheimer.
 

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