Gut Check Time For The Pack

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After falling short this past January in the NFC Championship Game, the Green Bay Packers came out like gangbusters to begin the 2015 National Football League season. The Packers won their first six games this season and it appeared that the road to Super Bowl 50 from the NFC side would be going through Green Bay. But things have changed rather quickly for the Packers as they’ve lost their last three games and in the process, the smooth ride to Super Bowl 50 for Green Bay doesn’t seem as guaranteed.

Aaron Rodgers

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is one of the best in the business at what he does which is evident by his two National Football League MVP Awards along with his Super Bowl MVP Award. When Rodgers is operating inside of the pocket, he is as cool as they come while he is the process of picking apart opposing defenses. But in recent weeks it has not been as smooth for Rodgers and the Packers.

In Week 5, Rodgers was picked off twice by the St. Louis Rams which ended a streak of 587 pass attempts at home without an interception. The Packers were able to defeat the Rams by the score of 24-10, but in the past three games, the opposing defenses have gotten the better of Rodgers and the Green Bay offense.

 

In a battle of unbeatens, the Packers traveled to take on the Denver Broncos in Week 8. But Rodgers and the Packers offense were unable to get anything going as he only managed to throw for 77 yards and Green Bay lost 29-10. The Packers were looking to rebound in Week 9 when they traveled to face the Carolina Panthers as the winner of this game would more than likely have the inside as far as obtaining home-field advantage throughout the NFC Playoffs. The Packers fell behind the Panthers 27-3 by halftime before staging a furious rally in the fourth quarter. A late Packers touchdown cut the Panthers lead to 38-36. But when Rodgers failed to find a wide open wide receiver in Randall Cobb on the two-point conversion, it sealed the Packers fate in the loss. This past Sunday, the Packers found themselves hosting the Detroit Lions who Green Bay had not lost to at home since 1991. The Lions also came into the game with a meager record of 1-7 and it was expected that the Packers would cruise to a victory and get back on track. But the game was dominated by the Lions defense that recorded 3 sacks on Rodgers while keeping him and the Packers offense off balance. Packers kicker Mason Crosby missed a potential game-winning, 52-yard field goal as time expired which sent Green Bay to their third consecutive loss, and as they are preparing to face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, this is a team that is indeed searching for answers.

The Packers offensive line has had their hands full recently as they have been unable to provide Rodgers with solid protection in the pocket while also failing to open holes for Green Bay’s running game. The Packers have only seen one running back (James Starks) gain at least 100 yards on the ground in a game this season and he did that in Week 6 versus the San Diego Chargers. This season the Packers are 17th in the National Football League in rushing, but they’ve lacked continuity due to the blocking up front. Questions have also arisen about the physical condition of Packers running back Eddie Lacy who’s bruising style is important to any potential Green Bay success. After gaining over 2,300 yards in his first two seasons with the Packers, Lacy has struggled this season and now a groin injury has him sidelined. And just as the Packers need Lacy on top of his game, the absence of wide receiver Jordy Nelson is beginning to loom larger.

Since being drafted by the Packers in 2008, Nelson has been Rodgers’ go-to wide receiver which resulted in him getting a four-year, $39 million extension in 2014 to continue catching passes in Green Bay. Last season Nelson enjoyed the best season for a Packers wide receiver in franchise history as he gained 1,519 receiving yards. But this summer, Nelson suffered a torn ACL in a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers which has put him on the shelf in 2015. The Packers brought back former wide receiver James Jones who does lead the team in receiving touchdowns with 6. But along with wide receivers Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams, Jones has not been able to make up for the loss of Nelson who opened things up in the passing game for the Packers.

Under defensive coordinator Dom Capers, the Packers defense is ranked 22nd this season, but they have enjoyed solid play in their front seven which is led by nose tackle B.J. Raji, along with outside linebackers Clay Matthews III and veteran Julius Peppers. But on this recent losing streak, the Packers just have not been able to string together enough big plays to lead to a victory.

The Packers are looking to get out of their rut, and it doesn’t help them that the Vikings have caught fire in the NFC North. While the Packers have lost three consecutive games, the Vikings have won their last five to take over first place in the division. The Packers and Vikings are set to meet this Sunday in Minneapolis with first place in the NFC North on the line in their first of two meetings this season. And with the temperature expected to be around 36 degrees at kickoff, the Vikings are looking to seize the momentum and potentially bury the Packers for good in the divisional race.

Mike McCarthy

But for Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, he is a master motivator and he knows how to make adjustments in-game as well as during the week. As a head coach, McCarthy has a career winning percentage .655 which also includes the postseason. And as this is the Packers first three-game losing streak with Rodgers under center, they must find a way to get their rhythm back against a Vikings defense that is currently ranked 9th in the National Football League in total defense, while also looking to slow down running back Adrian Peterson who has been a runaway freight train in 2015 as he currently leads the NFL in rushing with 961 yards. Peterson is also on pace to gain at least 1,200 yards on the ground for the seventh time as a professional.

What the Packers must do is find a spark early that will get them going while also taking the Vikings home crowd out of the contest. And whether that it Matthews or one of his defensive teammates making a big play, or someone on the Packers offense stepping up to become an unsung hero, this is gut check time for Green Bay as this contest along with the next few weeks will make or break a season that earlier seemed destined to have the Vince Lombardi Trophy once again destined to return to “Titletown”.

Source: Pro-football-reference.com

 

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By | 2015-11-20T10:43:59+00:00 November 20th, 2015|Categories: National Football League|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

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