Packers Playoff Hopes on Life Support
By Ed Wood
The patient isn’t dead but nothing short of a Lazarus like recovery will preclude its eventual demise. Without completely rehashing the gut-wrenching details, Kirk Cousins torched the Packers for 342 yards through the air and three touchdown strikes to lead the Vikings to a 24-17 victory over the Packers last week. If that wasn’t the final nail in the coffin, it was the first shovel of dirt on the casket. Green Bay now sits at a disappointing 4-6-1 on the season with five games remaining. Needless to say, the Packers will need to win out in order to have an outside shot at a postseason berth.
If we click on over to Sportsbook Review, home of all things sports betting, we can see that Bookmaker, one of the most trusted and reliable online sportsbooks, is hanging Green Bay as 14-point home favorites over the woeful Arizona Cardinals this week. It’s become a common theme this season that the very worst that the NFL has to offer is so far behind the rest of the league that even a sub .500 team like the Packers are giving two touchdowns to their hapless adversary. And the odd thing is that they will most likely cover the number if there is anything remotely left in their drive to succeed this season. But in order to do so, the team will have to play 60 minutes of non-stop, hell-bent for destruction playoff football.
Aaron Rodgers put it best regarding last week’s loss to the Vikings: "We had a couple good drives, we're rolling there. Then we hit our unfortunate, typical lull, couldn't get it going again."
The silver lining in all of this is that Green Bay plays in the NFC and aside from New Orleans and the LA Rams, there are no teams pulling away. There are six playoff slots available, four division winners and two wildcards, with the Packers looking to cop one of the latter two. There are four teams with 6-5 records (Dallas, Washington, Carolina, and Seattle), the Eagles checking in with a 5-6 mark, and Minnesota leads with a 6-4-1 record. Let’s assume Dallas wins the NFC East and the Redskins do a fast fade without Alex Smith. The Panthers could very well tail off with two divisional games left against the Saints while Seattle has dates against the Vikings and Chiefs. Philadelphia has three potential losses looming against the Cowboys, Rams and Texans and could lose one of their two remaining dates to the Redskins. Even the Vikings have a grueling end-of-year stretch against the Patriots, Seahawks, and Bears.
Now that we know what the competition has in the offing, let’s review the Packers remaining opponents. If they don’t beat the Cardinals then we can all agree this entire subject becomes a moot point. In Week 14 they welcome the struggling Falcons which should be another gimme game for Rodgers and the boys. Week 15 sees the Packers traveling to Soldier Field to take on the Bears in what will be tantamount to a do or die game. Green Bay will wrap their season with winnable games at the Jets and at home against the Lions. If the moon and stars align, with the Pack winning all five games, they will end the season at 9-6-1 while the rest of the scrum will have to lose to essentially all the right teams to keep Green Bay in the playoff mix.
We won’t know how this all plays out but what we do know is that one loss spells elimination. And if you’re so inclined to not only root on the Packers but want to put your money where your heart is, make sure to check out Bookmaker when you’re ready to make your wagers.
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Comments (31)
Thegreatreynoldo
November 29, 2018 at 03:26 am
Parsley, sage, rosemary and Thyme.
TKWorldWide
November 29, 2018 at 05:54 am
Tell her to find me an acre of land
Daren726
November 29, 2018 at 06:03 am
And then the packers will be a true love of mine.
Bure9620
November 29, 2018 at 03:27 am
66/1 to make the playoffs last I checked
TKWorldWide
November 29, 2018 at 05:54 am
So you’re saying there’s a chance...
Packer Dave
November 29, 2018 at 05:28 am
It would be better in the long run if the team tanks this year. We need to revamp the coaching staff and getting a 10-12 slot for the draft would allow Gute to add loads of talent. He'll have some hefty cap space to work with too.
Does anyone really want to see us win a wild card only to get embarrassed?
Daren726
November 29, 2018 at 05:59 am
I don’t see anyway we beat the bears, so no chance of licking in to the playoffs. We will end up with a pretty good pick around 14 to 16
Chuck Farley
November 29, 2018 at 07:51 am
We're assuming the pack doesn't trade it away for a fistfull of late rounders. If so then Russ ball is running the show and he is Mr cheap ball.
EddieLeeIvory
November 29, 2018 at 06:03 am
There should be more Draft talk than playoff talk.
We are a poorly-coached, below average, physically-weak (oh, another injury?), and mentally-weak football team.
Losing to Seattle, Minny, Detroit, Washington.....there are 10 better teams in the NFC.
Bring on the Draft......
TKWorldWide
November 29, 2018 at 06:52 am
Eddie Lee talking about injuries?
Since'61
November 29, 2018 at 07:18 am
In previous seasons our offense was always the strength of the team. Therefore we always had a chance to run the table and play well enough to beat any opponent.
For 2018 the offense has not been a strength for the team but more of a question mark. The defense is improving but still has a long way to go and is pretty battered and bruised by this point.
Our Special Teams are a turnover and/or a penalty waiting to happen. So while I hate to give up on the season and I still realize that anything can happen I'm not expecting a stars align, everything break right scenario for this team. They will likely win their next 2 games but after that the final road trip awaits and we know what that means. Thanks, Since '61
packerbackerjim
November 29, 2018 at 11:02 am
As to the Special Teams foibles, where is George Allen when you need him? Nolan Cromwell?
LeotisHarris
November 29, 2018 at 09:32 pm
Alas, George has been pushing up daisies since 1990, and Nolan's last stop was in 2012 as Senior Offensive Assistant of the Cleveland Browns.
Ask not for whom the bell tolls...
packerbackerjim
November 30, 2018 at 08:04 am
What???? I didn’t get to send a card!
Razer
November 29, 2018 at 07:24 am
Pulled a hammy thinking about the playoffs.
TKWorldWide
November 29, 2018 at 03:48 pm
Yours?
Or someone else’s?
pacman
November 29, 2018 at 07:43 am
I recall many years ago when Notre Dame was in a tailspin but still a country favorite and they were offered a bowl spot in one of the little bowls. They turned it down saying they didn't think they deserved it.
Even if the Packers miraculously make the playoffs by beating some very bad teams and the Bears, they should turn it down out of respect to the rest of the league.
Fire MM, Philbin, Zook. Keep Pettine.
Get AR a shrink.
Ask fans for forgiveness for mismanaging team.
Packers0808
November 29, 2018 at 10:52 am
Really fire McCarthy and keep Pettine? Remember you are saying McCarthy no good but he hires Pettine, so he knows football. McCarthy is NOT the problem it is Rodgers! He got his money and like a lot of players , like Haynesworth for instance, he doesn't care much anymore. Just watch his body actions, he could give a sh-- less! Big mistake to blame all of it on McCarthy. If they let him go many teams will clamor for his services! It would be as stupid to let him go like it was Hyde etc!
LeotisHarris
November 29, 2018 at 09:22 pm
Lord. I didn't expect there to be clamoring.
Can we at least ask for the QB coach to be fired? Or Zook? There'd be no clamoring for Zook, right?
TKWorldWide
November 30, 2018 at 12:06 pm
I love a good clamor.
Chuck Farley
November 29, 2018 at 07:52 am
Hey if az comes out throwing who how's how many yards and points they can put up.
TKWorldWide
November 30, 2018 at 02:10 pm
If they throw at 23 it could be six points going the other way.
Doug Niemczynski
November 29, 2018 at 09:19 am
Fire MM
Bench Rodgers
Put anyone in who hasn't played
Try and win, but if you don't, who cares
Clean out more of the upper management
Let's move on from 2018!
jeremyjjbrown
November 29, 2018 at 09:20 am
"Packers Playoff Hopes on Life Support"
Pull the Plug.
TKWorldWide
November 29, 2018 at 03:50 pm
Euthanasia?
Or
Youth in Asia?
Tktman
November 29, 2018 at 09:32 am
I'm convinced they have not and will not figure out the injury thing after watching them for many years. So another Super bowl is a pipe dream!!
TKWorldWide
November 29, 2018 at 03:51 pm
Has she got a Tktman to ride?
And she don’t care?
TKWorldWide
November 29, 2018 at 03:52 pm
Lucy
In the sky
With Diamonds?
Savage57
November 29, 2018 at 11:26 am
Calling a game against the Falcons a 'gimme game' is tempting fate. They're going through the same thing as the Packers and if memory serves me, they've pretty much owned the Packers the last few times they've played.
Fire_Gute
November 29, 2018 at 04:18 pm
I can't believe how many Packers playoff related articles are still out there. You know what GB hasn't done yet this year. Win 2 games in a row. You know what GB hasn't done in quite a few years. Not get embarrassed by the Falcons. I don't care if we win by 70,were not making the playoffs.
LeotisHarris
November 29, 2018 at 09:14 pm
What's with you goobers? Do you think Ed Wood gives a Head Linesman's tinkle about what you think of the current woes of the aforementioned NFL franchise in Green Bay. No, he most certainly does not. He's here to help you win and win big, baby!
Uncle Ed's concerned you may part with your hard-earned money without proper guidance from, let's just say, a guy who knows a guy who might know a guy. Even better, in this case it's some guys who knows 'bout sah-tis-ticks, and has them a system!
Get with the program and put your money where your heart is, but only after you check out Bookmaker when you’re ready to make your wagers. #TheMoreYouKnow