lite the fire under their ass right away!!! GPG!!!

" pretty constant is that Matt LaFleur teams tend to start slowly"

If you start out just running the ball and get the offensive line in a flow with Jacobs gaining all the attention, it can't be too bad a start.

Previously they (for some reason, with me included) hadn't decided on their best five. No excuses this season. Drive the field without penalties and they'll control the line of scrimmage.

On the other hand, if the Loins and the WTFs regress — as many expect — narrow Packer victories may be less significant than we think. Just imagine winning by grace of Dan Campbell’s boneheaded bravado & a Jayden Daniels sophomore slump and then losing to a tougher than expected Giants team. Ya never know.

The keys will the health of the team and the level of play by the OL. MLF is in his 7th season as an NFL HC. No excuses. Prepare the team, mitigate penalties, turnovers and execute. Plus MLF needs to improve his in game decision making. GPG! Thanks, Since '61

To avoid a sluggish start to the season they will need their DEFENSE to step up and create turnovers. Their offense will have trouble putting up points until they get a few games under their belt. They need the DEFENSE to step up. Hopefully they can pick up some additional players to help with their pass rush. GPG

Come out with a wrinkle. Maybe go three wide no huddle offense on the first series. Unleash Savion Williams on a jet sweep. Throw a screen. Keep the Detroit defense off balance early then as the game goes on establish the run and pound them into the dust!

One can recognize past patterns, but the reason for doing so should be self-improvement. If LaFleur wants to grow and if the team is to succeed, then improving starts to both games and seasons has to be a priority benchmark. Without such things material growth is unlikely. Without growth his time as HC is now probably waning.

I sure hope this isn't a continuation of last season ending in a funk, backing into the playoffs. Packers closed out losing their last 3 games as we know...but being out prepared and out played was so disappointing.

The Defense seems sharp, seemingly rounding into form to go lion hunting. The Offense still seems disjointed and not very disciplined with penalties and drops. The STs seem ok with the kicking game...still don't know who the returners are going to be on kicks and punts.

May the next 17 days be incredibly productive for the Packers! Beat the Lions and build the "can do" confidence!

I think that first game is key. Come out prepared, disciplined, and mistake free against the Lions and it should bleed over into Thursday night’s game. I get to travel back for both games. I will do my best to bring them in at 2-0. Hoping for some game-day meet-ups with my CHTV peeps.

First game. 46 to 24 Packers. 2nd game. 31 to 20 Packers

This is the season where they need to put it all together. I expect them to do so starting with week one and win over the Detroit Lions.

The Packers were successful against mediocre teams last year. The Lions, though they have lost pivotal coaches, still have a warrior mentality.
MLF has not made one foundational decision to fix long-standing problems. I have not seen MLF show signs of substantively improving his own weaknesses in game management by hiring a sharp offensive mind. I have not seen improvement in discipline (coaching), I have not seen anything of substance that tells me he will be better. I have also been vocal about what I consider to be mediocre offensive positional coaches such as Butkus and Mahaffey as well as the improperly-promoted, unqualified 'OC', Stenavich.

A HC needs to surround himself with a stellar supporting cast-MLF goes for familiarity/comfort.
These kinds of individuals reinforce each other.

I commented on this week's ago, that the OL has an issue with who owns what position on it, and the answer was a near total of none. Now, it's a rotation based starting lineup which means the issue is still in force. I also mentioned that this team will have too many players selected as (ahem) starters by default and not merit. The seed has been planted, and even if they signify certain players as the starters, we now know that it's a group of at best, questionable ability. Decisive play is hindered by the concept of rotation, not due to injury, but ability, which undermines the cohesiveness needed for position groups to succeed.

I'm keeping my expectations low for the first two games. I don't want to have to go to bed pissed off again this year.

Let's hope Lafleur leaves the challenge flag at home. He's the worst at knowing when to challenge a call on the field.

There's another reason for an expected slow start. The starting offensive line has not played together much, if at all. If you think they can instantly develop timing, etc. then I have some land in Florida to buy. Jordan Love has been hurt recently. Don't look for the offense to be sharp out of the blocks.

Defensively the secondary has been upended by injuries to Hobbs and McKinney. This all works for players looking to impress, but the reality is neither side of the ball has had extended time together.

If past practice is how you can predict the future look for another slow start and a slow start this year could be a disaster.

Look for more injuries coming out of the Seattle game Saturday. Seems like the pattern in the first two games.

I know the die-hard fans will blister me for this but it needs to be said: don't look for great things this year. The division is too strong, the schedule is brutal and there's a long stretch after the early bye week that might spell bad times if more injuries arise.

If I'm wrong they will end the season 11-6. But they could just as easily end up 6-11.

Has it really been that bad? I don't think so, with the one glaring exception of the Saints a few years back where we clearly weren't ready to play. Take a look at the first few games of each MLF season, though, and we've usually had a winning record. Last season we lost the opener, but it was on a neutral field to the eventual SB champion.

If I were the opponents' defense, I would still make Love prove he can beat you. So MLF needs to have a plan to get Love on track immediately and loosen things up for the running game. Some people expect a dropoff for the Lions due to the loss of their coordinators, but that could be exaggerated; defense was an in-house promotion and offense is largely the same players. Washington can be had at home as long as Daniels is kept in check--so here is a test for Gary and LVN that needs to be passed with flying colors. Cooper, too.

The beginning of the season is just an extension of the exhibition (pre-season) games. Players are still rounding into shape. They haven't gotten a lot of padded reps due to the rules limiting contact during training camps. The QB and WR's are still getting used to each other (with some exceptions), and the WR's seem to still have too many "Oops!" drops.
There are also injuries. Always a problem. Add in that the team just doesn't seem to respond well to LaFleur as a motivator. There was a lot of laughter about Campbell and his "knee biters". But those Lions teams come prepared to take your head off and spit down your neck in every game. They are a physical team and have no fear or respect for "finesse teams" like the Packers.
IT may not be time to replace LaFleur just yet, but it is a subject that should be discussed, as he seems to be out coached all too often, especially in big games. Usually you know what kind of player you have after three years. After seven, it would seem a HC has reached his peak. And if this is the best we can expect- to slip into the playoffs and then wilt under the pressure, it would be time to the GM to make a tough decision.

The Packers have had a few opening-week stinkers in the LaFleur era, but I don't think they are slow starters during the early weeks of the season overall.

Last year they were definitely slow starters in games against the best opponents. There may have been something wrong with how they were preparing. It's something that needs to be improved this year.

Two huge games to start the season, I love it!

So, it appears that few People here believe the Packers have players that are good enough, Or a coach that is good enough or a QB that is good enough or an assistant coach that isn’t good enough, or something. We simply are not good enough. Yes, we’ll beat mediocre teams,, we’ll flash, but ultimately we won’t be good enough.

I think this team is good enough to win the Super Bowl this year, and I think will come out and beat Detroit convincingly. The nattering nabobs of negativity are going to have a long season.

Our defense from going from a 3-4 to 4-3 did a great job keeping us in games..2nd year in the system will be better.

The offense needs to start fast.

Lions games at home. Love pick.

Actually the playoff game they did to. Unfortunately the bs call on Nixon set the tone.

Offensive needs to start fast. Defense will hold down the fort. Need to go 8-0 at home. And 2-0 in the playoff at home

I felt the slow starts were due to lack true game practice. With AR, it took 2 games to get the offensive rhythm back. Then defense didn't seem ready to tackle. I felt like last year that the first game was not that bad.

But yea, it takes 2 games for MLF teams to get back into it. Timing isn't there, too many mistakes, etc... But they always flash moments of what could happen if they get it together.

They wouldn't have beaten Tampa Bay either, or the Rams which was another possibility in last year's playoffs. Again, I see "The defense has to carry the offense for a few games.". If they have the same, almost non-existent pass rush they had last year, they'll be 0-2 to start the season. I'm not exactly convinced the CB situation is a good one... here's hoping. Maybe Goff has one of his unexplainable "What happened" games to open the season.