Why The Packers aren't playing Sunday ?

MAURICE DRAYTON !!!!!!!

"The loss of AJ Dillon does not get enough attention."

I agree with this to a point, but I wonder how many times Rodgers changes the play, from a run by Dillon to a "Hero Ball" toss into double coverage to Adams? I heard "Kill, Kill, Kill" too many times, or saw hand gestures by Rodgers in that game and all season. IIRC, on the Packers first drive, they had a 1st and 10 from the 11 and Dillon ran in it in two plays. I can only imagine what could have been had Dillon not been injured, but I also wonder if Rodgers actually gives him the chance.

"Green Bay’s coaching staff does not adjust well in big games."

After the Lewis fumble I remember thinking to myself, no problem, the Defense is balling out. Just run the offense, SPREAD the ball around, pound Dillon and keep Jones involved. The ONLY thing that happened is they kept Jones involved, partly because of the Dillon injury, but mostly because Rodgers REFUSAL to spread the ball around. Blame MLF or Rodgers, it was both their faults. LaFleur does need to get better with Adjustments. BUT remember LaFleur's teams are undefeated in games Adams has missed with injury which at least makes me go Hmmmm....It ain't ALL on Matt.

"Our defense was very good. The Niners’ defense was better."

Maybe, maybe not. I'm not going to give too much blame to THAT defensive performance. Had Rodgers thrown the ball to ANYONE without the #17 on his jersey, I think I'm Tailgating this weekend at So-Fi Stadium, just about 10 miles from my house with a shitload of Packers fans.

Side Thought...

Did anyone else think it felt like Rodgers was saying goodbye in his MVP acceptance speech last night? My hope, it wasn't a retirement kind of speech, but a speech where he KNOW he's going to be traded because it's financially impossible (almost) to make it work. At least without totaling screwing the Packers for years after he's gone. The moment Rodgers says he's coming back, Gute needs to start playing poker with the few teams that will want Rodgers and get EVERYTHING he can in a trade. Honestly I could give a damn where he goes, as long as we get players and picks...LOTS of them.

Was it because the 49ers were that good or the packers sucked??? GB had everything going for them and then blew it,all three fazes were at fault!!!

"We should have seen it coming"

Everyone on this board and the rest of the world saw it coming so why didn't the MLF?

The loss is on MLF and shows that he is NOT the coach a 39-10 record would normally show. And I'm still ticked off that he seems to have gotten a pass on the loss with all the focus on AR. He hasn't been able to motivate his team at the right time, he hasn't been able to adjust during a game very well at all and he was too (fill in the blank) to fire Drayton mid season. What more is there to say?
He can wave his arms during a game to get the fans involved. Great job for a head coach!

So if AR goes, I'm not expecting much.

Ken, you should've finished with "Mic drop"

One value I hope comes from Rich Bisaccia is that his experience may also help inform how LaFleur makes in game adjustments.

I felt like the Browns game is when I knew the Packers were really in trouble. We were completely outplayed and the interceptions by Mayfield saved us in the game, but it was apparent we were limping towards the playoffs.

Rodgers, despite being arguably the best regular season QB of all time and most talented, doesn’t have the it factor come playoff time. It’s been a great career but not winning a SB last year when we were clearly the best team in the league and then this year’s ending, it seems like bringing him back is just going to produce the same results.

Let us not forget the 2010/11 Super Bowl run - defensive victory in Philly and a very rough game by 12; an all time great performance by 12 against an overrated Falcons team; another dud game by 12 against the bears saved by the D and Jay Cutler. In the Super Bowl, he had a chance to close the game out but still have the ball back to Big Ben only up 6 and the D made the stop. He obviously had a great game nonetheless, but the narrative the Packers would be the Jags without him is tired - it’s not like we wouldn’t spend his $150m on other good players.

Rodgers career has been as amazing and fun to watch as Rodgers is arrogant with his off the field baloney. We have a chance, regardless of the success of Jordan Love, to set ourselves up for another strong decade if we trade 12. The cap is going to skyrocket in a couple years which we can really take advantage of and there’s no sense In mortgaging the future for an aging quarterback. Hopefully they discussed trade destinations in those meetings after the season.

While he has ultimately shown his colors as a foolish, arrogant prima donna, I still hope he goes to the destination of his choice, in the AFC, and appreciate all the amazing memories he’s provided throughout his illustrious career.

I don't think that I have read a better assessment of the 2022 Packers. Well done Ken.

- not playing their best ball going into the playoffs
- Rodgers not having that edge in the crunch
- not making the necessary coaching adjustments
- losing AJ Dillon

I will add one more missing element that I think this team needs. We needed another playmaker, someone who could break a big one or scare a defense. While Davante Adams is good, he isn't a big YAC guy and outside of Aaron Jones breaking the occasional run we don't have killer weapons. Just look at the WRs on these two Super Bowl teams. Not having a true WR2 (OBJ) or catching TE is a problem that defenses don't need to worry about.

https://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/corys-corner-stop-worrying-about-aaron-rod...
***
Before the season began, our superstar quarterback undermined the season, and then he didn't seem to do what was necessary to make it right afterward, resulting in a dysfunction that caused the most crushing of outcomes.
Character counts big time.

I have mentioned it before that MLF’s offense is one that can win in Green Bay but the trigger man has to be willing to follow the script…hasn’t happened for the past two years. I watched the replay and Rodgers was different pre-fumble verses post fumble. He is not a cold weather QB against a stiff pass rush.
I’ve watched the SB win a dozen times and yeah often their offense was stopped by dropped passes, but they never tried to pound the ball to set up their passing game. That game should have never been that close. That was either MM or Rodgers changing their plan.
So IMHO it’s time to move on. There won’t be another dance next year unless 15 players cut their salaries drastically to try it again or a financial miracle. So enjoy last few years and look forward to a quick rebuild.

AR doesnt have it anymore, esp his heart....and his legs. How many times did AR pick up a HUGE 1st down w his legs? that doesnt happen anymore. Allen, Mahommes, Burrow, even Stafford in the playoffs, have picked up huge 1st downs running. AR cant anymore. and remember last year when he could have run it on 3rd and either scored or gotten close, but didnt? cause he didnt have the heart to do it. AR's lack of guts to run it on is why i think MLF kicked a FG on 4th down. im ready for AR to leave. will we take a step back? yes, but its time. AR wont deliver another SB. time to see if Love has it. we dont know. NO ONE knows, but time to find out......

My take actually goes way back to that Seattle playoff game. We were like on the 7 yard line, first down and a TD would have buried a mistake laden Seattle team. Rodgers audibuled three consecutive runs and we were stopped. My take, he was so afraid of the two pro bowl safties and tossing a pick, he ran the ball so the failure didn't fall on his shoulders.
Now looking ahead you can see it in every playoff game, fear of himself causing a loss.
If I'm right, he finds someone he has trust in and mostly throws the ball to that person who is his safety net? To him it's not about winning but more about not having to be the cause of a loss. Otherwise why not throw the ball around,attack mode in spades? Only in reg season does he play like that. In playoff games he goes into his she'll. He is protecting his ego and reputation from being attacked.

Accepting reality is hard because one must first end the denial flaw that dwells deep inside Packerland. There are some that are so embedded in that flawed trait that ignorant things flow from their mouth like this beauty from a PackerTalk podcast ( It's Over Johnny )recently. " The Packers would defeat the Niners' 9 times out of 10" while completely ignoring that GB lost 3 of the last 4 to the Niners, and compelled me to stop listening immediately. Is this the half-glass full way of thinking and seeing things that will bring Championships home again and whoever disagrees is a reality pessimist who speaks to the flaw of this denial trait?

Thanks to you Ken Lass, if only for a short time, tossing aside the flawed deny everything trait of Packerland and now we can hope the FO can do same.

Wow. Reading these comments you would think this was a Jacksonville Jaguars forum. Rodgers sucks, LaFleur sucks, the offense sucks, the whole team sucks. /s
Yeah, what sucks is we lost to the 9ers in a game played in weather this team is not designed to play well in. The frustration is real and palpable. But there is definitely a lot of baby in the bath water that folks seem ready to throw out.
Let’s hope the Front Office has cooler heads in their approach to 2022.

The reason why the Packers arent playing is because the team lost.
The coaching staff: MLF says its on him and he did not have his guys ready to play. My question is why, because this is the same thing you have said for the past three years. Special Teams was a cluster. Defense was the only solid unit on the field. The offense did the exact same thing they did all season. They did not commit to the run. When the run game was stopped they lost it as a unit and decided to spead the ball out and target one guy to force the ball down the field.
This team can win a SB BUT they need to be consistent in all three phases of the game period. Teams win and Teams lose.
NOW LETS MOVE ON!! Figure out the money, players etc and lets build this team up. 2023-2024..we are winning it all!

I dont want to hear the crap about a cold weather team. This team stalled offensivley in dome weather, warm weather, brisk weather. They were not a complete unit in all three phases. Most importantly, this offense cannot get out of its own way. They make it to difficult to make positive plays in my opinion!

The videos don't lie, players wide open underneath for first downs numerous times. In this modern QB dominated offenses, we have great talents, however some seem to just get carried away with throwing the ball downfield. Mahomes, who I think could be the best I ever saw in my 50+ seasons of watching Football, had a big part in losing their playoff game. Bengals and had max coverage on KCs great receivers and left Mahomes alone, instead of looking downfield Mahomes could have tucked the ball and run for numerous first downs. Brady (even though they lost) and especially Stafford spread the ball around even to an unknown Blanton.

Most of the points in this article are bunk - but I do agree with 2 of the major points. The Packers and AR are not a great cold weather team unless rejigged to a big Oline and bruising backs who can just push the other teams around. And it was not just because Dillon was hurt and it was not just because Bak was hurt and MVS and Tonyon were out - but those were big factors. We beat the Rams last year because Kupp was out and Donald was hurting. That happens and it happened to us. But we had done enough to win the game except ST's lost the game for us - not the defense not the offense - but special teams put 10 points into play against us. Finally I agree that Lafleur needs to work on his in game adjustments - we saw that the D did some good in game adjustments and that one of the reasons the D was better this year. Maybe we shouldnt be fighting so hard for the first overall seeding into the playoffs.

I still maintain, had the punt not been blocked for a TD, the Packers would have won the game and probably beats the Rams.

However the scrapping of the quick 2-3 second passing game, motions and runs in the first quarter and a half for the long MM-like 5-7 sec drop backs, for long developing plays targeting Adams was bewildering.

What, 53 yards in the second half. Geez!

I have to disagree with Ken in that I certainly didn't see it coming.

I thought the 49ers led by Jimmy G with a broken thumb and shoulder issues had no chance against the Packers. They had ALMOST no chance, but the very long shot came in for them.

I really can't add much of what others have said on the negative and positive side of the issues. One thing I am tired of is the frozen tundra mystic and the big advantage the Packers have and opposing teams being intimidated to play there in the cold weather. I realize this may have been the case in the past and is largely media-driven at this point, but we should all put this to bed for good. It was mentioned by a few in here and I agree. As already pointed out, warm-weather teams have come in and beat us, in our stadium, in fowl, cold weather conditions. Not just once but several times actually. We should construct a team that can win in any conditions. One thing I don't recall being mentioned is the 3 week layoff we had. The 49ers reminded me of the Packers last SB team. They were in do or die games just to get into the playoffs and were on a roll. I agree with a few others that the Packers already peaked it seems and not playing their best ball at the end of the season. I don't think the long layoff helped out, despite the fact we scored first and had another drive going before the fumble. As others have pointed out the 9ers adjusted, played better and we didn't. The weeks before the game I sensed this euphoria that the Packers had the bye, would be rested, be getting players back, it would be at home in cold weather. I really sensed this as blind faith and wonder if the players lost a bit of an edge as a result. GPG next year!

What no one that I've seen has ever mentioned was that they really missed MVS. He played pretty well the first time vs that defense and might have made the difference in the playoffs

They are not playing on sunday, because their QB tossed the game forcing the ball to the same reciever, while others were wide open@ As for special teams, the punter had a brain fart when he went for a third step. He needed to drop kick on a two step. But the under play at QB cost the game.

Our D gave up 6 points. Theirs gave up 10. Ours was better.

Queue the downvotes from people that cannot stand to hear negative opinions....

The Packers have a close yer eyes gawd awful front office in Gute and Ball. Ball and Gute ought to be giving half their pay checks to Matt LaFleur. If the Packers coaching staff was anything short of brilliant, those two would be sitting on a much hotter seat. Those two are the biggest reasons behind the failure to complete the journey, IMO.

Ball puts them in cap hell. That's not open to debate. He did it in New Orleans. He's doing it again. His only possible defense is that he was ordered to do so by Murphy and/or Gute.

Gute pisses away draft picks that can get them out of cap hell with annually trading up in highly questionable ways with less than impressive results. Love, Savage and Amari Rodgers are guys that cost them more than one pick and have not justified that. Gute started so strong navigating the draft in his first year. I loved the moves up and down that landed Jaire in round 1 in 2019. Too bad that went to his head.

If you don't buy into the notion that Gute's trading up has been problematic, then try to make sense of this: He drafted a QB of the future to succeed the HoF QB they have. He did zilch to provide either of those two with the pass catching weapons they need to maximize their play. It's baffling to me. I know some of y'all are impressed with beating up on the likes of Detroit in the regular season. I'm not. I'm more focused on the utter offensive failure in the playoffs. That lies solely at the feet of their incredibly weak WR group outside of Davante, IMO. That's on Gute.

I’m not sure I agree with much of this analysis at all.

Came down to the FO not plugging the ST’s leaky boat the last three years.

And AR not having a playoff-killer mentality. He should’ve been traded June 1, 2021. Should still trade him.

Looking forward to being an underdog again — should be refreshing.

But I fully appreciate the column and the thoughtful discussion it has created. Well done!

1. The GB passing game isn't for GB's weather in Jan. The playoff game should have featured a lot of running, and grinding it out. Dillon is quite important to running game and should not have been used as a returner.
2. Repeated game planning failure around pressure, not an epic failure like the KC game with Love. MLF relies on AR figuring it out and beating it.
3. MLF never correcting special teams all year.
4. AR not spreading it around or accepting check downs, which also led to more pressure. Completely ignored open TEs.
5. The change up for OL starters, particularly Newsome benched.
6. Coaches and AR get lazy in regular season against the mediocre and bad teams, and completely ignore the warning signs.
7. QB has too much power and can ignore almost any play called. Can you imagine Holmgren putting up with AR's BS?

tldr; Stuff that works in regular season isn't going to fly in Jan and against better defenses.