So would the Lions lost their first game against KC w/o Kelce and Jones?

I read a lot about this being a young team, now it is overused as an excuse losing to bad teams with losing records.

80% of the Packers schedule this season is against .500 or worse teams.
This is the perfect schedule for a "young team".
****************
Here's the thing.....
Yes, we have a young inexperienced team, especially on offense.

But guess what....they are a young team, by choice.
That is what the architect wanted.

Sure, some of it was caused by bad draft picks.
But it was mostly caused by ignoring the offense, letting it deplete through the years starting with releasing Jordy.
The answer to that was signing Jimmy Graham to the same amount of money?
How did that work out?
That my Packer friends is where all this youth movement started.

The Packers have been trying to replace Jordy Nelson since 2018.
Now their trying to replace both Jordy and Adams here in 2023.
Gute spent 182 million in free agency in 2019.
The only offensive player was Billy Turner.
But Gute did sign veterans Watkins and Funchess.
Yea, i know....failure.

For all the resources (money and 1st round picks spent) the defense has been, and still is generally, a disappointment.

Part of the collateral damage to that was at the expense of the offense.

So where are we now?
At breakfast this morning we were discussing the Packers, when i brought up the question of Watson and Doubs.
Those were our off season #1 and #2 receivers correct?
So i mentioned, where is the "2nd year leap?

Watson looks like a cheap mans MVS, but more frail.

Doubs needs more targets, more consistency.

Right now in receiving yards.
Doubs is ranked 70th in the league.
Watson is ranked 112th in the league.

Keep in mind, Like Love, like Amari Rodgers, Watson was a receiver we traded up for?
2nd year leap?
Sure, there's time...but tick tock, tick tock.
****************
Musgrave is ranked 90th in receiving yards, tied with MVS.

With Jones injuries and reduced production, this offense has no identity.

This is all against mostly losing teams.

This is on Murphy and Gute.

I'm not going to pin this all on the players, they didn't build this roster.

To Cory, Lphill, etc: I agree that this wasn't a pretty win, but . . .
There was energy, effort, enthusiasm and comradery.
Those traits have seldom been displayed in the past three seasons.
If we can build off those three, add better offensive and defensive designs plus better and more consistent execution, this team will eventually be fine.
The improvement has to start someplace, I'll take it for now.
By the end of the season, the bar better be raised though or it will be time to find a replacement at the top.
GPG!

There's a whole lot of this sentiment out there.

178 points. That's the Rams' total points in 2023. 178 points. in 9 Games.

The Packers, who have only managed 3 TD's in the first half of all games played in 2023? 160 points. in 8 Games.

A difference of 18 points total.

But we're all so certain this game is a loss if Stafford is playing?

Hey, buddy, here's a news flash: Stafford has played 8 games in 2023. He's racked up 8 TDs. Jordan Love has played 8 games in 2023. 12 TDs.

I'm sick of lazy bullshit analysis. It's atrocious.

All true. I especially hate the way playing time is not based on merit but on entitlement. We all know that that Johnson can get 5 interceptions and10 pass break-ups but as soon as Savage gets off IR he will start and do his usual job of floating around doing nothing except missing tackles. Runyan will continue to play even if his PFF score is 0. AJ Dillon will continue to get his his carries even if he averages 1.5 yards per. Maybe they won’t play the new guys because they are pretending that they can make the playoffs, like they did last year. Or they can’t seem to face reality, like saying Myers is great when he whiffs every other play. I can’t figure it out.

"NOT fighting for the ball, that's ALL on the coaching staff.".... Not fighting for the ball is not on the coaching staff. That is on the individual player not being hungry enough to impose his will. If he's in a contested catch, that means the coaches put him in the right spot... so how hungry is the player? Go Get it!!! Win it!!! That's on the player.

"NOT fighting for the ball, that's ALL on the coaching staff"

Who wasn't fighting for the ball?

I saw guys fighting for the ball in this game. Outside of the really short pass to Watson, that he basically had no chance on getting, players were fighting for it.

Nick as usual we agree. The lack of discipline on this team is extremely disappointing. They are playing sloppy football in terms of penalties and technique especially on offense. Footwork on the OL is inconsistent at best.
Failure to replace players like Myers and Runyan to at least try other players makes no sense.

You are correct that Mike Holmgren would have never allowed the current level of performance or on going mistakes. For the matter Mike McCarthy would not have permitted the current situation to on either. As for Lombardi we know where he stood and what he would have done.

Still hoping but not expecting this coaching staff to build off the win against the Rams and stack some success.
We'll see. Thanks, Since '61

Why would you say Watson was a "track guy." The whole situation reminds me of Adams being promising as a rookie and having a poor second season. Glad the team hung in there with him. Watson led all rookies in scores last year without playing a full season. Maybe the issue this year isn't just Watson, since Rodgers had decent success with him his rookie year. We have seen Love struggle with the deep ball.

I'd wait a bit to declare Pickens over Watson.

You still think the head case George Pickens was a better pick????

This “young team “ theme the Packers media is peddling is a bunch of horse crap. It is nothing more than an excuse for bad coaching and bad players. There are other young teams playing disciplined football and other young players playing well (Puca Nacua, Jordan Addison, CJ Stroud, etc.). We don’t have to play well, we’re a young team. Lame!

We've learned our lesson. Remember the times we've locked in home field for the playoffs and a bye?

TK, Underwhelmed is more like it at this point. Thanks, Since '61

Re: run blocking: college teams usually put their best blocker at LT.
LT’s are usually better blocking for pass than run.
Thus, tons of NFL linemen played LT in college, because they were their team’s best lineman.
The NFL is a passing league, so nobody cares.
End result is a load of crappy run blocking in the NFL.
If a team is especially strong in run blocking, it really sets them apart.

I’m exaggerating here, but not by a lot.

McDuffie plays the run-fits better than the big safety. Campbell seems to be getting his stride back. Need the three-four bigs upfront to create logjams. Barry seems to have held back the two more instinctive safeties in Owens and Johnson. Nobody wanted to deal for Savage, or Stokes.

So the excitement for you is that this roster is better than we put out absent injury or an impotent opponent?

Yes, the game pointed to hidden talents and potential that may yet break out if given the chance. Unfortunately, most opponents aren’t that impotent offensively as the Rams, particularly without Stafford and they also don’t have a great D overall.

Moreover, we still have the same coaches and the overall fans was very very similar to those that went before, except for the impotence of the opponent. Yes, there is talent, but this game suggests only that we won’t use it optimally or hinder it against better teams.

Yes we can best teams that it’s obvious aren’t going to score. Any other optimism from this requires delusion except in that if the coaching were different we are probably more talented than many fear and the product put out each week by LaFleur.

I'm excited that this young team doesn't appear to have quit on it's coaching staff. If the coaching is as bad as many believe, it would stand to reason the players would have little motivation to save said coaches.

I am confused by the negativity. They won a game they were supposed to win. Isn't that better than losing a game we were supposed win? No one believes we have suddenly flipped on the switch to the Super Bowl, but if we can't at least garner some level of enjoyment when the team wins, what's the point of following them through the journey?

I say take the win and move on to the next game. "Yeah but" is for Bears fans : )

I was wondering how the team would react to the Douglas trade, they answered with energy, improvements, and comradery.

There has only been one winless team. Very bad teams and very badly led teams therefore can win sometimes in this league. That’s nice but utterly futile: nothing changed before that game or is likely to after to materially alter what we are. Great a win, still a team in a mess.

If that makes you happy, great for you and bad for the Packers and the rest of us if they allow themselves to feel the same way.

"We don't need to live in a world where we are unhappy and pissed off all the time."

This year was supposed to be less about wins and losses than it was to be a year of evaluation to help make decisions for next year and beyond. It was pretty much a consensus on here that seeing incremental improvements from game to game was more important than the wins and losses.

Personally, I'm not seeing those improvements after 8 games. Quite the opposite, to be honest. It seems to me that the team has regressed since week 1, not improved.

I posted something similar yesterday and was told I have a shitty outlook on life as a result. Why can't a fan look at the team they follow and offer constructive criticism without being told they are unhappy and/or pissed off? Personally, I'm neither. It takes more than a football game to muster up those sorts of feelings in me. For those who do get that worked up over a football game that they have no control over, maybe it's time to get a little more balance in their lives.

I hope the 2nd half of the season will finally show everyone those game to game incremental changes we had all hoped for. If not, life goes on and decisions will be made. Such is life in the NFL.

Father, a question. My sister isn't blessed with great looks like me, does God love her as much as he loves the rest of us?

Thank you in advance,

Pantz

They played Zach Wilson and 'Drops-Lazard'

They would have blown the rams out if they didn't have 2 horrible 4th down conversations called back because of horrible offside penalties. And if they didn't have 2 fumbles.

The offense was much better this week.

Back in the grade school days Stock, I would rub some dirt n spit on my knuckles and say "whiners get shiners". Then proceed to crack open a can of whoop ass on the poor soul that did me wrong.

Pantz, needs mending

oh sure, drop the MLB bomb.

Aaron had a strong O-line and vet receivers-
Rodgers did terribly last year with those marginal receivers.
The entire Offense is currently undisciplined.

Biggest problem I'm seeing, mechanically, at this point is that he's not stepping into some of his throws. It's leaving a lot of passes short, especially outside the numbers.

ME073- Rodgers footwork left a lot to be desired. He often threw the ball off his back foot or without any feet on the ground. He got away with it because he had elite arm talent. But if there is something Love should omit from memory is what he saw Rodgers doing with his feet.

Just remember this Dobber. "Some people just want to see the world burn"

I truly don't get it. Packers have been a hot mess for much of the season. When they finally are able to win a game after a 4 game losing streak, people only want to bitch and moan about it. Nothing is good enough.

People are not happy unless they complain. Every week on the Game Balls/Lame Calls when we lose there are 200+ comments on that. When we win, less then 100. People only want to complain.

People need to understand this. This is an evaluation year. Most of these players are going to be huge parts of our future. We are the youngest team in the league. They have to learn to play in this league. They need to learn how to win in this league. And it will require fans to be patient. The best thing for our future is for our young team to start playing well. Think about the Lions a year ago. They started the season out poorly and finished strong. They went into the offseason feeling great about themselves and have started the season very strong.

I'm a lot more interested in our team finishing strong, then losing every week. What fun is it to want your team to suck?

@ Dobber-
I think most fans understand the team is not a contender but wish to see discipline & steady improvement.

There are foundational issues that are not being addressed, fundamentals not being taught, player accountability under-stressed.

I think that's an accurate assessment, dobber. It's a big tent here in the Packers fanbase, and we welcome any and all contradictory opinions. After all, many of us are owners. Personally, I long to see Daniel Ariens and Karl Schmidt team up to give Mark Murphy a public atomic wedgie and somehow hang him by the elastic in his Fruit of the Loom tighty-whities from Curly's right index finger in front to Lambeau. That will fix everything.

If that doesn't work, we should trade and fire everyone. Hold someone accountable, and play the young guys. Bring back the Oklahoma Drill, too.

Fantastic post dobber. Well said.

I hear ya, I just might jump out my basement window.

You guys brought tears to my eyes.

lol!! That's some funny s**t

I wondered if "illusion of complexity" really meant "run Mike McCarthy's offense".

did you happen to watch the jets v. chargers. alan lazard stinking up the joint, terrible pre-snap penalties, sloppy play across the board.

re: joe burrow and Cincinnati - they're one of the best teams in football, they are challenging for a super bowl. it should not come as a surprise that they are, well, good.

I watched it too but never did pick Rasul out. Is he still wearing #29?

@SPGB-
The unease many fans live with is that there will be no consequences for poor play-
same coaches, same FO-
The team is not showing signs of proper teaching by the appearance of incremental improvements and so on.
3rd and 4th year vets chosen by Gute are not providing necessary strength and reliability, therefore too much pressure is placed on young players

Who's fifth year, and second year starting?

Reminds me of the Young and the Restless. And to think how much smarter I would have become if I didn't plan my courses around soap operas...

P

I forgot how good the Lions were the last three seasons.