Everybody, Chill the F Out!

Everyone knows the Packers are 5-0, right?

Just making sure, because it doesn’t seem to be the case to some people.

If you have wandered into the Cheesehead TV chat during any game this season, you will have seen all the range of emotions  from fans. From glorious highs to the lowest of lows, the mood of the chat swings like a pendulum on a minute by minute basis. It is interesting to watch, and disturbing at the same time.

It is not the changing mood of the readers that bothers me-that’s our jobs as fans. We have a responsibility as fans to react to the play on the field. It is our job, and one that I personally am happy to undertake on a weekly basis. Rather, its some of the suggestions that have come across the chat that have made me go WOAH, SERIOUSLY? a few times.

When someone suggested that Dom Capers be fired last week, as the Falcons were winning 14-0, the laptop went airborn, and I exclaimed “WHAT?” as loud as I could. Whether this was serious or the world’s worst form of hyperbole to ever come out of a fan’s mouth (or keyboard) is unclear, but it was there. I saw it, as did several others. Ask yourself this question: does anybody really want to go back to the Bob Sanders defense, simply because the Packers have been giving up points this season?

As long as the Packers have Mike McCarthy calling plays, and Aaron Rodgers leading the offense with a ridiculous amount of weapons, they have a chance to win every single game. That’s the advantage of having a high powered offense-if the defense is struggling, the offense can outgun any team they face. That is something that gives me much comfort as a Packer fan.

So what if Clay Matthews isn’t getting sacks? Sacks are a sexy stat, grossly overrated and not the true measure of how a player is performing. Is there anyone else you want rushing your quarterback besides Clay Matthews? Didn’t think so.

Sam Shields play has slipped this season. After his rookie season, his undrafted rookie season in which he was the team’s Nickel back, he has not been tackling well this season.He has also been burned in coverage on more than one occasion. Is anybody ready to have someone else step in and be the team’s nickel back? I’m sticking with my guy, even if he irritates me on a game by game basis.

Charles Woodson is starting to show his age. Against Atlanta, he had 2 missed tackles on the Falcons’ first offensive series. Anyone ready to bench Woodson? Crazy talk.

“There is no pass rush coming from the defensive line” is a particular favorite. The loss of Cullen Jenkins has supposedly killed the Packers pass rush. Jarius Wynn has stepped up with 3 sacks in 5 games (in comparison Jenkins has 5 sacks for the Eagles) so don’t tell me there’s no pass rush.

See a pattern here? For every woah is me that is brought up, it is also refuted by facts that contradict. Not every game is going to be a blowout. Not every play is going to be a touchdown, or a defensive stop for negative 50 yards. Not every player is going to be All World at the end of the season. As long as the Packers continue to perform at a high level, they are clearly the class of the NFL, even with things that need to be (best Mike McCarthy voice) cleaned up. I’ll take that over any other team in the NFL any day of the week.

So, can we stop all the crazy panic talk, and chill the F out? The Packers are 5-0. Relax everybody.