The Titans never stood a chance today, getting absolutely destroyed 55-7 in front of more than seventy thousand of the most dedicated fans on the planet.

Aaron Rodgers threw for over 300 yards and 3 TDs. Randall Cobb set the single season yardage record. The defense held the Titans to under 300 yards en route to sacking Jake Locker 7 times.

It was domination from start to finish.

The captain’s pic was its normal bit of comedic brilliance.

Ho Ho Ho Aaron!

Nice smirk James. Only thing better is catching 7 passes for 100 yards and your 13th TD of the season today.

Merry Christmas from Jayme and John.

GO PACK GO!

This time, the focus is the Minister of Defense, Reggie White.

Hall of Famer, All Pro, and all time great, White was a key part of the revival of the Packers in the early 1990′s. Along with Bob Harlan, Ron Wolf, and Brett Favre, White helped make the Packers a force to be reckoned with once again, culminating with a 35-21 victory in Super Bowl 31.

Gone far too young at the age of 43, his impact on the NFL and in particular the Packers is still felt to this day.

RIP Reggie.

Go Pack Go!

They did not disappoint.

Walking away with a 21-13 victory over the Bears, the Packers clinched their second straight NFC North championship. James Jones had 3 TD catches. Clay Matthews had 2 sacks. It was a wonderful sight to see the Packers clinch in Chicago.

Speaking of wonderful sights:

What are you smoking Aaron?

Think Graham Harrell should have used a stepstool.

Congrats to the Green Bay Packers-your 2012 NFC North Division Champions!

Some may think that his movies are nothing more than childish, infantile journeys into the depths of stupidity.

Others, like myself, think his films are comedic genius.

Regardless of what you may think of Will Ferrell, there is no denying that this is a great pic from last night at Lambeau.

What was he thinking during this moment we may never know. What I’m envisioning is he is summoning his inner Ron Burgandy and shouting “PACKER FANS, ASSEMBLE!!!”

Nice stache. Must be taking lessons from Aaron Rodgers.

The victory continued the Lions losing streak in Wisconsin, which goes back to 1962 (or something like that). More importantly, thanks to the Bears crappin’ the bed against the Vikings, the Packers moved into sole possession of first place in the NFC North.

Before the game, Rodgers and crew continued their tradition as only they can.

Wonder what Finley was thinking when this pic was taken.

Welcome to Bears week. They still suck.

It seems like we are all experiencing a little Déjà vu with the seemingly non stop additions to the Packers injury list this season. It was bad in 2010, but this season is much worse. The Packers just can’t seem to get a break.

Luckily I have a lot of free time to sit and think about things like the Packers injury list.

For some reason this afternoon, the song “Everybody Hurts” by REM came into my head today as a possible theme song for the 2012 Packers. It seemed appropriate, as it certainly seems that this season every single player has been listed on the injury report at least once.

The lyrics didn’t really fit the idea for the song, as it is about the pain every person feels in their life, not the pain football players experience. So I started thinking about the song as a background for some new lyrics, dedicated to the Packers.

Here are some updated lyrics to the song, as it relates to the injuries the Packers are experiencing this season.

I would offer to sing it, but my fee is far too pricey:

Every Packer Hurts 

“When your line is gone..and you just can’t seem to run the ball…Aaron Rodgers stands alone..when you think you’ve scored enough..to win the game…hold on….”

“Don’t let James Starks go….was out till Week 5…every Packer hurts….sometimes”

“When your name’s Mike Neal…you just can’t stay on the field….that makes three years in a row….oh no…”

“Don’t look now, but Clay is down….oh shit, Bulaga’s on the ground…every Packer hurts….sometimes”

“Jennings just can’t go…but he sure wants to doe…Jennings just can’t go….no, no, no, he’s a no go…”

“When you’re Cedric Benson…Lisfranc is not your friend…Even Woodson’s missed time this year…what the fuck?…don’t call him Chuck…”

“Bish please…he can’t play this year…thank goodness we’ve got DJ…oh no we don’t…he can’t play…”

“Every Packer hurts…TJ and Crabtree missed time too…every Packer hurts…sometimes”

“Every Packer hurts…sometimes…”

“So hold on…hold on…you listening Finley? Hold on…Hold on…Hold on…You hear me Randall? Hold on…every Packer Hurts…”

John Rehor is a writer at Cheesehead TV’s Eat More Cheese and co-host of Cheesehead Radio (blogtalkradio.com/cheeseeheadradio). He also hangs out at Dick’s Favorite Blog (www.dicksfavorite.com) He can be contacted at johnrehor@yahoo.com.

Alex Smith was the incumbent, performing near or at a Pro Bowl level thus far in 2012. He sustained a concussion against the Rams on November 11, and hasn’t played since while recovering from this injury.

During his absence, Colin Kaepernick stepped in as the starter, and after two solid performances, has been named the starter for at least one more game, despite Smith’s being cleared to play going forward.

In short, Alex Smith has been Wally Pipp-ed in favor of Kaepernick.

This morning, while listening to Green and Gold Today, the following came across my timeline on the Tweeter:

“Up and Coming: Aaron Rodgers Subs for Injured Brett Favre”

It was five years ago today that for all intents and purposes, the Brett Favre era ended in Green Bay when he was injured against the Cowboys, and third year quarterback Aaron Rodgers entered the game. Although the Packers lost the game 37-27, and Favre would regain his starting spot the following week and for the rest of the season, this game was a glimpse into the future direction of the Packers.

After reading the short recap about the game as well as the game recap on ESPN, I got to thinking-what would happened if the Packers followed a similar path the 49ers are following?

Think about it for a minute: Favre is the starter, gets injured, Rodgers takes over for him, and never relinquishes the starting spot. Would this have changed the outcome of the season? Would the Packers have made it to the Super Bowl this season with Rodgers leading the team the rest of the way? Remember, Mike McCarthy was reportedly close to benching Favre in the NFC Championship Game, making the comment “If that guy weren’t Brett Favre, I’d bench his ass!”

Perhaps just as good a question is if this were to take place is what would the reaction of Favre have been? Would he have been a team player and accepted his new role while the team was continuing to win en route to a Super Bowl victory? Or would he have been the pompous, arrogant Favre that showed all too often in his final years in Green Bay, voicing his displeasure over the decision instead of thinking about the team first?

We will never know the answers to any of these questions, and in the end it does not matter, as both the Packers and Favre went ahead to follow their own paths to the future. But it is an interesting discussion point to wonder what could have happened, if this switch had been made mid season like the 49ers have chosen to do.

Isn’t that a common thought right now?

After a downright embarrassing 38-10 loss to the giants in prime time Sunday, a lot of people are searching for a scapegoat to take their anger out on.

If it was the offense that played poorly, it might be Tom Clements receiving the wrath of Packer fans. If the defense didn’t show up, it’s Dom Capers’ fault. If Special Teams were anything less than special, Shawn Slocum might be the recipient of the anger.  Someone has to be responsible, right?

When the team plays as poorly as it did, it has to be the Head Coach’s responsibility to answer the question “What the hell happened?”

Sunday was perhaps the nadir of McCarthy’s tenure in Green Bay. Thoroughly outplayed in all aspects of the game, he failed to adapt to what the Giants were doing, admitting as much with his comments after the game

He didn’t dodge any questions, and put the full weight of the teams performance on his shoulders:

“I’ll start with just the facts, we were totally beaten this evening. Congratulations to the New York Giants. We were beaten in every facet, really starting with myself.

“I feel when your team performs that way, it starts with the head coach. We had mental errors. The penalties. It was out of character for our football team. Very disappointing loss on ‘Sunday Night Football’ and a big NFC battle.”

“I haven’t felt like this probably since the first game I coached…Beaten very thoroughly tonight. It doesn’t taste good; it doesn’t feel good…”

Like I said, Mike McCarthy sucks.

Now while many of you are nodding your heads in agreement, I encourage you to stop nodding, take a deep breath, and think for a second about what you’re agreeing to. Do you really believe that McCarthy is a bad coach? Or is the emotion of one loss-ONE LOSS- letting you dictate what you believe today?

Keep in mind this is the same coach who led a team nobody expected to do anything to a NFC Championship Game in 2007.

Remember this is the same coach who led the 2010 team to Super Bowl glory.

This is also the same coach who kept his team focused in 2011 after expectations were set sky high and led them to a 15-1 record, before ultimately losing focus in the playoffs.

Even more recently, this is the same coach who just led the Packers to a five game winning streak.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but good teams will occasionally play bad games. That is exactly what Sunday was-a very, very bad game.

If you take a look at McCarthy’s tenure in Green Bay, every season has included at least one blowout loss (more than 10 points) except for one-2010.

In so many ways, the 2010 season was the worst thing that could have ever happened to Packer fans. On their way to winning the Super Bowl, the 2010 Packers set the expectation for what every season should now be like. Being able to overcome crippling injuries that season is now expected every season.  By never losing by more than 4 points set a standard for what a loss should be. Winning a Super Bowl is now expected every season. And the worst part is there is little to no margin for error.

As fans, many of us have become spoiled rotten because of 2010. We forget what a struggle a 16 game regular season is. We forget about the ups and downs that most teams experience. One thing that many people do is when things go wrong, we are quick to point fingers at the person responsible for leading the team, and say “Get that guy out of here!”

The same guy who led this team to glory not more than two years ago and set the bar for what is expected, and it’s time for a change after one bad game. Because that makes sense.

I’ll admit, there are times that McCarthy makes decisions that leave me scratching my head, wondering “What are you doing?” Case in point: marching a struggling Mason Crosby out to kick a 28 yard field goal which cut the score to 28-10 in the second quarter. The score doesn’t indicate how badly the Packers were being beaten, and I would have gone for the 4^th and 1 to try and continue the drive. But I trusted McCarthy’s decision, the same as I trust all of his decisions as being the right one for the team. And I certainly wouldn’t say he sucked for making this call, or any of the other SMH moments he’s caused.

It could be a lot worse in Green Bay right now than a Mike McCarthy led team. Anyone willing to give Mike Martz a shot?

Mike McCarthy doesn’t suck. But there is something that sucks if you honestly think this: your attitude.

“Mason has got to kick ball thru uprights. We’re always supportive when players go thru things but it is about performance.”

That’s what Mike McCarthy had to say about Mason Crosby after today’s 24-20 victory over the Lions, a game which saw Crosby miss two more field goals.

The two missed kicks were somewhat redeemed with a 39 yarder with 1 minute left, but the lasting impression of McCarthy having to hold back from slamming his headset on the ground after his second miss of the day is indicative of Crosby’s performance this season.

Apparently “clearing the cobwebs” during the bye week didn’t do much to help his performance.

So far this season, Crosby is 11-18 on field goal opportunities.  That includes going 3-7 in his last three games, after getting off to a 5-5 start. To say he is in a funk right now is a severe understatement. Sorry to say, but 61% just is not going to cut it in the NFL.

The question is what do the Packers do with Crosby? This is after all the same player who set a team record with 23 consecutive field goals made between the 2010-11 season. But for much of this season, Crosby has looked more like the 2008-09 version, who would drive fans crazy with inconsistency.

To outright cut Crosby would be foolish. He is signed through 2015 after signing a $14.75 million extension in July 2011. To have millions of dollars of dead money owed to a kicker after a stretch of poor performances seems like a dumb idea.

However, Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy have to start asking the question of whether they trust Crosby enough to put him in the situation to possibly determine a win or loss during the stretch run to the playoffs. One kick could be the difference between a division crown and a home playoff game, and a Wild Card game on the road. Or maybe none of the above.

If nothing else, it is imperative that Ted and Mike get this issue solved before it gets too much further out of hand.

What Thompson and McCarthy should be doing is searching the free agent lists for available kickers to bring into Green Bay. Having a kicker come in does not mean that Crosby is going to be released tomorrow. But if performance is what matters, as McCarthy has implied, it would definitely send the message to Crosby’s performance is unacceptable, and necessary moves will be made if it continues.

There is nothing wrong with competition. However, there is everything wrong with sticking with the status quo when the status quo is not doing their job well.

Confidence is the word that has been surrounding Crosby since his latest funk started. So how is that confidence affected with every mounting miss? Perhaps a better way to look at is is how is Crosby’s confidence affected when there is no competition brought in to at least send him a message?

That’s what Ted and Mike need to figure out, sooner than later.

John Rehor is a writer at Cheesehead TV’s Eat More Cheese and co-host of Cheesehead Radio (blogtalkradio.com/cheeseeheadradio). He can be contacted at johnrehor@yahoo.com.

A less than crisp effort for most of the game, the Packers escaped with a 24-20 victory.

Despite some rust, in particular on offense, before the game Aaron Rodgers and Graham Harrell showed they had no bye week rust in their weekly captain’s pic photobomb.

Two names which are forever etched in the history of the Green Bay Packers for a number of reasons.

From their pairing in 2006 to the magical 2007 season to the trading of Brett Favre and the beginning of the Aaron Rodgers era through a Super Bowl victory and a franchise best 15-1 regular season record, Ted and Mike have formed one of the best GM-Head Coach marriages in the NFL. They have already written themselves into the history books of the Packers with what they have done in 6 plus seasons, with much left to be written.

The 2012 season is no exception.

Heading into the season, they knew changes had to be made. They knew they would not be able to win another Super Bowl without fixing a piss poor defense. Dom Capers and crew knew they had to perform if they wanted to avoid the wrath of over reacting fans as well as keep their jobs. So what did Ted do? Restock the defense in the draft with their first six picks.

Problem solved.

There wasn’t much of a need to worry about the offense. After blowing the doors off the record books in 2012, Aaron Rodgers and company were coming back with a vengeance this season. With incumbents Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Randall Cobb, Donald Driver, and even Jermichael Finley among others back on the field in 2012, the offense figured to be just as good. Adding Cedric Benson was expected to make the offense even better.

No problem.

Special Teams are never a concern with Shawn Slocum leading the charge. With the ever reliable Mason Crosby kicking, Tim Masthay punting, and Randall Cobb returning kicks like a man possessed, there was never a reason to worry about Special Teams heading into the season.

No issues here.

Lets flash forward to the present and see how things are shaping up.

First round pick Nick Perry, drafted to be Clay Matthews counterpart for years to come-out for the season.

Desmond Bishop, tackling machine-out for the season.

His replacement, DJ Smith-out for the season.

Perennial Pro Bowler and emotional leader of the team Charles Woodson-out until December with a broken collarbone.

Clay Matthews-nursing a sore hamstring (again).

Cedric Benson, the supposed savior at running back-out until December, perhaps the entire season.

Bryan Bulaga, starting right tackle and on the verge of greatness-out for the season.

Mason Crosby-currently kicking a less than stellar 67% on field goal attempts.

And what has Ted Thompson done to stop the insanity? To put and end to all fears that everything is going to be OK? Nothing. Not one thing other than sign a few practice squad guys and a previously released linebacker.

Yet despite all this, the Packers are sitting at 6-3, one game behind Chicago in the division standings, lurking in the playoff hunt.

Seems to me we’ve been down this road before, when injuries and question marks hovered over the Packers. And somehow, they managed to pull together and win the prize every team sets their sights on at the beginning of the season.

The 2012 season still has much to play out. With almost half the schedule still to go plus the playoffs, there is no telling what direction the fate of the Packers will go. We all hope it goes well, but the truth is we simply do not know what the end result will be.

What I do know is if the Packers season ends up going the way I hope it does, with another Lombardi Trophy being hoisted up in New Orleans this February, the 2012 Packers season will go down, at least in my mind, as the best job Ted and Mike have done in their time in Green Bay.

With expectations set through the roof following last season’s 15-1 regular season, many teams would have folded under the pressure of watching so many players fall victim to the injury bug. But not the Packers. Ted has stuck by his philosophy of build from within, even when the temptation to make a splashy trade or sign the “big name” free agent. Mike has kept this team focused, even when the doubters were doubting, even when injuries were causing many to say “not again.” They stayed true to their beliefs, maintained focus, and the team just keeps on winning.

Here’s hoping that trend continues.

A very hellish 2  months of work is finally done. For a while, it was not looking too promising. There was a real possibility work would have to continue on Sundays. But buckling down paid off, so Sundays are once again reserved for football watching, beer and brat inducing comas every weekend. Thank goodness.

You know what else that means? More time to put coherent sentences together and call them a blog post. I know the 4 of you who visit this site on a regular basis will be happy to hear that. So yes, I’m back, even though I never really left.

The bad thing is the timing. Getting caught up with work during the bye week leaves for not much to talk about on the Packers front. Mainly because the Packers are not playing this week, but also because every “big” discussion point has already been covered this week. So rather than rehash what has already been discussed, here are a few random thoughts I’ve had as the Packers head into the bye week:

• The possibility of Bryan Bulaga being gone several weeks, possibly the rest of the season, scares the hell out of me. TJ Lang did fine when he moved out to RT against the Cardinals. And Evan Dietrich-Smith more than carried his weight when he took over at LG for Lang. But I really like the idea of having EDS as the ultimate swing guy on the OL, someone who can step in and take over anywhere except LT at any time. Making him a starter with rookies Don Barclay and Greg Van Roten as the only backups heading into the stretch run scares me. Is Herb Taylor still available?
• During last week’s rushing explosion, I commented that I was not overly impressed with the running attack. The three headed beast of Alex Green and James Starks, and Mr. Everything Randall Cobb gained a ton of yards (143 to be exact) but didn’t have that WOW factor. I’ve changed my tune on the running game-I don’t care how the yards are gained, just get them. Ugly yards are just as good as finesse yards.
• How has Brad Jones gone from being a part time starting OLB (part of the Zombo WaldenJones trio the Packers trotted out in 2010-2011) to full time starter at ILB-and performed so well? Must be that expert coaching by Dom Capers.
• For goodness sakes Ted, GET ANOTHER LEG INTO GREEN BAY! If for no other reason to give the incumbent something to think about. Mason Crosby is currently at the bottom of the league in terms of accuracy with a stellar 67%. Not sure if everyone is aware of this, but it does tend to snow in Green Bay in the winter. So if he is struggling in relatively decent weather, what is going to happen when the weather turns? Clear all the cobwebs you need to this week Mason, as long as it results in making field goals.
• It is sad to see Donald Driver’s swan song season go the way it has. Minimally involved on the offense is not what anyone expected.
• It is great to see James Jones emerge in the offense. As someone who has always supported him, the season he is having is like the ultimate middle finger to everyone who ever doubted him.
• Kind of hope Greg Jennings is back sooner than later. Not only because his being on the field helps the offense, and not just because it would be nice to see him finish his Packer career strong, but his not playing is killing my fantasy team.
• More Tom Crabtree. Please. It’s nice having a TE who can catch the ball.
• The winner of the NFC North will be decided in Chicago on December 16. And I become more convinced every week the winner of the NFC Championship will be decided January 20 between these two teams. Not sure I could handle another Packers/Bears NFC Championship Game.
• Every time I see a shot of the new seats at Lambeau, I still think to myself “those are way too high.” Every. Time.
• Aaron Rodgers is not going to win the MVP this season. I’m convinced it’s already been decided that Peyton Manning is going to win the award. Perhaps by some long shot the powers that be will award a co-MVP, like they did with Favre and Barry Sanders in 1997, but I just don’t see it happening. Manning has long been a darling of the league, and after sitting out last season, he is back to being Peyton Manning. Rodgers is having another outstanding season, but Manning wins because, well, he’s Peyton Manning.

That’s it for now. Everyone have a great bye weekend. Here’s hoping the Texans destroy the Bears Sunday Night and give the Packers a little help in the standings.

It is even more dangerous when the madman in question is the person who is running your favorite football team.

Since the day Ted Thompson was put in charge of running football operations for the Packers, people have tried to get inside the head of Ted to try and figure out what he was going to do. Armchair GMs always knew which players he was going to draft, who he was going to (not) sign in free agency, and who the Packers were going to trade for better than Ted.

And without fail, every one of these assumptions were wrong. Well, almost every one (see Justin Harrell-superbust.)

Well, it happened again this week.

I stumbled across this article, in which the author makes the mistake of trying to get inside the head of Ted as it comes to the future of Charles Woodson. And while the article is well written, I could not help but think that he was making the classic mistake of trying to predict what Ted will do. And that is a dangerous game to play.

We all know how important Woodson has been to the Packers since he signed with them in 2006. He has gone from a top cover corner to a Defensive Player of the Year, ball hawking hybrid. His mere presence on the field is something opposing teams have struggled to deal with for years now.

It is clear that since winning the DPOY in 2009, Woodson’s performance on the field has declined.  He does not have the speed to keep up with many wide receivers anymore. He does take too many chances when it comes to predicting where a ball will be in an effort to make a game changing play. And his tackling has become much more suspect than it had previously been. But he is still considered by many to be one of the top defenders in the NFL, and that is why assuming he is done in Green Bay after this season is dangerous.

Someone else currently on the Packers roster underwent the exact same treatment this past off season: Donald Driver.

After the 2011 campaign saw Driver drop further and further down the depth chart, many assumed that he would not be back with the Packers this season. Some predicted he would retire, while others (including myself) thought he would be released at the end of training camp, and would continue his career with another team. Yet we were all proven wrong when Driver renegotiated his contract, and made the final roster.

Once again, the game of assuming what Ted Thompson will do was proven to be a fruitless exercise. And the same thing may happen with Woodson this off season.

There are a few factors working against Woodson for 2013. A $9 million salary for starters doesn’t help. Being 36 years old does not help either. But as Ted has proven with Driver, what looks to be the smart decision to John Q. Fan may not be the best decision as it comes to the Packers and the mad genius who runs the football operations for them.

Assuming Woodson is gone after this season is pointless. It makes an ass out of you and me. Instead, I’ll sit back and recite that old mantra as far as the decisions Ted makes for the Packers goes:

In Ted We Trust.

No matter how many passes he dropped, no matter how many routes he may have pulled up short on, no matter how much promise he had and supposedly never took advantage of, James Jones is the one player I have always supported.

From the moment he first arrived in Green Bay, Jones has been a favorite of mine. His rookie campaign (47 receptions, 676 yards, 2 TDs) during that magical 2007 season helped the Packers reach the NFC Championship Game. His career was ready to take off.

Or so we thought.

Over the next few seasons, Jones was mired in statistical mediocrity. Between 2008 and 2009, Jones totaled 52 receptions and 714 yards, a severe drop off from a very impressive rookie season. Partly due to injury, partly due to lack of opportunity, Jones was unable to capitalize on an impressive start to his career.

But he never thought about failure.

Even after getting back on track statistically in 2010 and 2011, averaging 44 receptions and 657 yards, Jones developed the reputation of dropping passes at the most inopportune times. He had a constant target on his back, becoming a favorite scapegoat for fans to hurl their abuse toward.

But he never thought about failure.

Jones has become the most traded player in Packer history, as armchair GMs were always willing to give up Jones to another team for anyone, just to get him off the Packers. He couldn’t catch or run a proper route were just a few of the reasons so many were  ready to dump Jones.

But he never thought about failure.

Now in 2012, Jones has become the most important wide receiver on the Packers roster. With injuries sidelining both Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, Jones has turned up his game more than a few notches. With 36 receptions, 401 yards, and 7 TDs already this season, he has become the ultimate super sub, playing his best football at a time when the Packers absolutely need him the most.

It’s a good thing he never thought about failure.

I had the opportunity to meet James Jones in 2008 at the Packers Draft Party. The thing that I remember most about him is how he signed the mini helmet I handed him.  Right next to his name, he inscribed “NTAF”, which I later found out stood for “Never Think About Failure.” That is precisely how Jones has handled his entire career. By never thinking about failure, he has become that much become that much better of a player.

It’s a good way to live one’s life as well.

An element of calm has finally settled over Packer Nation after several weeks of tumultuous times. A 42-24 drubbing over the previously unbeaten Texans has quieted doubts about whether this team was still a force to be reckoned with after a slow start out of the gate. Aaron Rodgers played like Aaron Rodgers-MVP. The defense completely shut down arguably the best running back in the NFL, limiting Arian Foster to 29 yards on 17 carries. It was like 2011 all over again-with a much better defensive performance.

And with that win, the cycle from calm to chaos continued for the Packer faithful. In 60 minutes, we went from one foot dangling off the ledge to both feet planted firmly on the ground, back on track to a successful season, and another Super Bowl victory within sight.

I hate to be the one to do this, but let’s pump the brakes a little bit, and look at a few takeaways from the Texans game before crowning the Packers champions again.

Mike McCarthy and his staff did a masterful job game planning for the Texans. A near perfect game plan. They knew exactly where and how to hit the Texans, both offensively and defensively. No Cedric Benson? No problem, we’ll just run Alex Green right at you. No Greg Jennings? No problem. James Jones is more than proving his worth this season. A very limited Jermichael Finely? That’s OK, we’ve got Tom Crabtree. BJ Raji out? Jerel Worthy showed why he was a second round choice this past April. And lets not forget Aaron Rodgers, who was ridiculous in passing for 6 touchdowns in what was easily his best performance since last year. Like I said, it was a near perfect game plan executed at the highest level.

But this is also the same coaching staff who has come out with some real head scratchers to start the season. Examples are the Seahawks game, where it looked like the Packers forgot how to play on offense. Or the Colts game, where McCarthy and his staff blew an 18 point lead and lost to one of the worst teams in football. The game against the Texans has not erased the sting of these loses. At least, not yet.

During the Texans game, the Packers sustained several injuries, the effects of which have yet to be felt. Linebacker DJ Smith was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Aaron Rodgers was listed on the injury report Wednesday with a calf injury, and while expected to play, one has to wonder how much this will affect his mobility. Lingering injuries to other key players such as Jennings, Raji, and Finley have to cause one to stop and ask just how many more players can get hurt before the roster starts to bend just a little too much.

injuries are part of the NFL. They happen to every team every year. How the Packers can respond to them is going to say a lot about how this season will go.

Perhaps lost in the glory of a dominating victory was the blocked punt the Texans had in the fourth quarter.  This was the first glaring Special Teams snafu for the Packers in some time. Shawn Slocum has gone from goat to hero in the eyes of Packer fans. Having Tim Masthay and Randall Cobb at your disposal hasn’t hurt either. But it was kind of odd to see this type of play occur in such a runaway victory for the Packers.

So far this season, the Packers have alternated loss-win, now sitting at 3-3.  The win against the Texans was exactly the type of victory Packer fans needed to calm everyone’s nerves. What I would like to see is another strong performance against the Rams this Sunday. Doing this would help remove some of the doubts I still have, and others may have as well. A less than stellar performance, and the vicious cycle of calm to chaos would continue yet again.

John Rehor is a writer at Cheesehead TV’s Eat More Cheese and co-host of Cheesehead Radio (blogtalkradio.com/cheeseeheadradio). He can be contacted on Twitter at twitter.com/jrehor or by email at johnrehor@yahoo.com