Heatherthepackgirl
Cheesehead
Green Bay - Patience isn't something football fans tend to display when their team gets whipped to the tune of a combined 73-10 in consecutive home games, but that's about the only thing the Green Bay Packers can ask of their faithful right now.
Aside from some minor changes aimed at getting more players involved in the action and a vow from coach Mike McCarthy to cure the malaise that has struck his young team, the Packers can't offer much hope that things will get better soon.
Depending on how you look at it, they are either a team in transition waiting for the gears to catch or a bona fide stinker with nothing going for them but a 57,000-person season-ticket waiting list. After losing, 38-10, to the New York Jets on Sunday, it's hard to imagine the Packers' fans having much more patience after seeing the team go 8-20 over the past two seasons.
"That's an easy thing for me to say and a hard thing for fans to stomach," general manager Ted Thompson said Monday of being patient. "It's our responsibility to play better than we played, certainly (in) our two most recent home games. We're going to try to rectify that. But sometimes it's not a straight road you travel on."
It's true that the Packers fit a solid effort against the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks between a 35-0 stinker against New England and the 28-point loss to the Jets, but it's three straight losses anyway you look at it. The fact the losses to the Patriots and Jets represent the worst two-game margin of defeat at home in the National Football League this season only serves as confirmation that this team is miles away from being a contender.
Given its youth - Green Bay was the youngest team in the NFL at the start of the season and the roster consists of 19 rookies and first-year players - some thought this would be a team that struggled early and hit its stride late. Instead, it struggled early, hit its stride midseason and has swooned late.
There are still four games left in the season, but after the loss Sunday it's hard to imagine the Packers winning more than one or two of them. The team that lost to the Patriots and Jets might be the team the Packers really are.
"It's incumbent upon us to play better than that," Thompson said. "I think those are two pretty good teams, but that being said, I think all of us, myself included, are disappointed. Seattle was a Super Bowl team that we played fairly competitively on the road in kind of tough conditions. And we were making some strides prior to the New England game.
"But I don't think it's some sort of indication where we're at. I think even though it's not a straight uphill climb, I think we are improving."
Thompson said he didn't sleep much Sunday night and came to the office early Monday to watch the game video. He was most interested in seeing players' individual efforts.
He came away convinced that the team hadn't quit on McCarthy.
"You watch the tape and guys were playing," Thompson said. "Sometimes in the wrong direction, but they were playing and playing hard. I certainly thought that was a positive."
What he didn't see was 53 players coming together and performing like a team. Thompson said he often viewed practice to see whether there is chemistry among the players and coaches, and from what he has observed there isn't a division among the ranks. But he also didn't see a team that was performing in sync Sunday.
"There have been several games, some we've been able to win, some we lost, that I did see that coming together," Thompson said. "I'm not saying there was a splinter in our team, I'm just saying yesterday and against New England, I just don't think we played as a team as we probably could have and have.
"It's an ongoing process. Sometimes you take two steps forward and two steps back and start over again. That's what we're working on now. I don't think that's a complete reflection (of where the team is at)."
Before he met with reporters for his noon news conference, McCarthy, Thompson and the rest of the football staff discussed what they could do to make the most out of the final month of the season. McCarthy wasn't in favor of making dramatic changes, such as firing coaches or benching starters, but he and Thompson agreed it was time to look at other players.
"We will be looking at opportunities created for some of our other players or how we use certain people," McCarthy said. "I mean, you have only so many options, and we are looking into them."
There really isn't a lot the Packers can do as far as looking at young players because most of their young players are already playing, especially on offense. But they might want to look at rookie tight end Zac Alcorn in place of veteran Bubba Franks, who is playing poorly.
On defense, defensive backs Jarrett Bush and Charlie Peprah might warrant some time in a six-defensive back scheme and Tyrone Culver could take time away from a struggling Nick Collins.
"We're going to evaluate everybody and see if guys deserve a shot," defensive coordinator Bob Sanders said. "We'll try to evaluate everything here in the next 48 hours."
Aside from some minor changes aimed at getting more players involved in the action and a vow from coach Mike McCarthy to cure the malaise that has struck his young team, the Packers can't offer much hope that things will get better soon.
Depending on how you look at it, they are either a team in transition waiting for the gears to catch or a bona fide stinker with nothing going for them but a 57,000-person season-ticket waiting list. After losing, 38-10, to the New York Jets on Sunday, it's hard to imagine the Packers' fans having much more patience after seeing the team go 8-20 over the past two seasons.
"That's an easy thing for me to say and a hard thing for fans to stomach," general manager Ted Thompson said Monday of being patient. "It's our responsibility to play better than we played, certainly (in) our two most recent home games. We're going to try to rectify that. But sometimes it's not a straight road you travel on."
It's true that the Packers fit a solid effort against the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks between a 35-0 stinker against New England and the 28-point loss to the Jets, but it's three straight losses anyway you look at it. The fact the losses to the Patriots and Jets represent the worst two-game margin of defeat at home in the National Football League this season only serves as confirmation that this team is miles away from being a contender.
Given its youth - Green Bay was the youngest team in the NFL at the start of the season and the roster consists of 19 rookies and first-year players - some thought this would be a team that struggled early and hit its stride late. Instead, it struggled early, hit its stride midseason and has swooned late.
There are still four games left in the season, but after the loss Sunday it's hard to imagine the Packers winning more than one or two of them. The team that lost to the Patriots and Jets might be the team the Packers really are.
"It's incumbent upon us to play better than that," Thompson said. "I think those are two pretty good teams, but that being said, I think all of us, myself included, are disappointed. Seattle was a Super Bowl team that we played fairly competitively on the road in kind of tough conditions. And we were making some strides prior to the New England game.
"But I don't think it's some sort of indication where we're at. I think even though it's not a straight uphill climb, I think we are improving."
Thompson said he didn't sleep much Sunday night and came to the office early Monday to watch the game video. He was most interested in seeing players' individual efforts.
He came away convinced that the team hadn't quit on McCarthy.
"You watch the tape and guys were playing," Thompson said. "Sometimes in the wrong direction, but they were playing and playing hard. I certainly thought that was a positive."
What he didn't see was 53 players coming together and performing like a team. Thompson said he often viewed practice to see whether there is chemistry among the players and coaches, and from what he has observed there isn't a division among the ranks. But he also didn't see a team that was performing in sync Sunday.
"There have been several games, some we've been able to win, some we lost, that I did see that coming together," Thompson said. "I'm not saying there was a splinter in our team, I'm just saying yesterday and against New England, I just don't think we played as a team as we probably could have and have.
"It's an ongoing process. Sometimes you take two steps forward and two steps back and start over again. That's what we're working on now. I don't think that's a complete reflection (of where the team is at)."
Before he met with reporters for his noon news conference, McCarthy, Thompson and the rest of the football staff discussed what they could do to make the most out of the final month of the season. McCarthy wasn't in favor of making dramatic changes, such as firing coaches or benching starters, but he and Thompson agreed it was time to look at other players.
"We will be looking at opportunities created for some of our other players or how we use certain people," McCarthy said. "I mean, you have only so many options, and we are looking into them."
There really isn't a lot the Packers can do as far as looking at young players because most of their young players are already playing, especially on offense. But they might want to look at rookie tight end Zac Alcorn in place of veteran Bubba Franks, who is playing poorly.
On defense, defensive backs Jarrett Bush and Charlie Peprah might warrant some time in a six-defensive back scheme and Tyrone Culver could take time away from a struggling Nick Collins.
"We're going to evaluate everybody and see if guys deserve a shot," defensive coordinator Bob Sanders said. "We'll try to evaluate everything here in the next 48 hours."
