Unfamiliar Waters for Packers Fans Brings Both Frustration and Hope
The potential for missing the playoffs two years in a row is an unfamiliar feeling for a lot of Packers fans.
By Ryan Brunner
For many of today’s Green Bay Packers fans, the 2017 season and into the 2018 season thus far has been a time that they haven’t experienced much in their fandom for the green and gold. Looking back to the 1993 season, a season where the Packers ended a playoff drought that began after the 1982 season, the franchise has only missed the NFC playoffs just six times in 25 seasons. Barring a series of miraculous events this year, the Packers will likely be missing their seventh playoff appearance in 26 years.
A quick look back at the seasons since 1993 where the Packers missed the playoffs provides both some ominous undertones as well as some reasons to have hope for the future. Here are the missed playoff seasons with some curious notes regarding each:
- 1999 – The Packers had a mediocre 8-8 season with Brett Favre under center. This was the only season under head coach Ray Rhodes, who was fired at the conclusion of the season.
- 2000 – In Mike Sherman’s first year as the head coach, the Packers finished 9-7 and barely missed a Wild Card spot in the playoffs.
- 2005 – After a putrid 4-12 season, the Packers relieve head coach Mike Sherman of his duties.
- 2006 – In Mike McCarthy’s first season as head coach, the Packers finished 8-8 but showed a lot of promise by finishing the season on a four-game winning streak.
- 2008 – After the Brett Favre offseason debacle, a season after losing a heartbreaking NFC Championship game at Lambeau Field, Aaron Rodgers took over under center for the Packers and the team stumbled to a 6-10 record.
- 2017 – Entering Minnesota with a 4-1 record and hopes high for a Super Bowl run, the snapping of Aaron Rodgers’ collarbone in week six all but ended the hopes for a team that would be taken over by Brett Hundley. The team finished the year at 7-9.
If the chips don’t fall just right the remainder of this season and the Packers miss out on the playoffs, it would mark the third time since 1993 that the Packers have missed the playoffs two years in a row. If this were to happen, history is definitely not on the side of head coach Mike McCarthy. Looking back on the seasons where the Packers missed the playoffs in consecutive years, the first season of the two saw the head coach being relieved of their duties following the season and the following season was a new coach adjusting to life as a new NFL head coach. While McCarthy’s situation is slightly different now potentially seeing his second missed playoffs in a row, the anomaly of no Aaron Rodgers likely gave him a free pass last year. As most have speculated, a full season with the current roster missing the playoffs likely spells the end of McCarthy’s fabulous run in Green Bay.
But if history can teach us a lesson on the positive side of things, the Packers franchise has a great history of following these playoff droughts with positive changes that have led to future success for the team. Both Sherman and McCarthy had their successes coaching some great teams that went on some exciting playoff runs, even though Sherman’s success was much shorter-lived than McCarthy’s. If the Packers do have to embark on a new coaching search following the 2018 season, Green Bay will likely be a sought-after destination for the highest profile candidates based on the fact that Aaron Rodgers remains with the team and a new GM is in place that has shown a brief propensity for making bold moves to better the team.
With one recent season of missing the playoffs and another on the horizon for the Packers, fans really are facing a funk that they haven’t felt in quite some time and I totally get the frustration. This 2018 Packers team entered the season with the highest of hopes and the performance on the field has left more than enough to be desired. But just like in almost any aspect life, a dud of a year just happens and we pick up the pieces, make changes to prevent it from happening again and move on to bigger and better things.
With a 76% rate of being in the playoffs over the past 25+ years entering this season, the Packers faithful have been a bit spoiled over the years and maybe a taste of humble pie is just what the doctor ordered. But rather than being angry about the coaching, the play of the quarterback or the overall execution on the field, why not look forward to watching the rest of the season play out while still cheering for the miracle 9-6-1 playoff appearance? If that doesn’t happen, we can all look forward to some much-needed changes happening in the future of this franchise and the potential of starting another great playoff appearance streak. History is on our side.
________________________
Ryan Brunner is an avid Packers fan hailing from Chippewa Falls, WI. He is a firm believer that punters are NFL players too! Follow him on Twitter @brunwardo
Comments (39)
arthurl
November 27, 2018 at 03:18 pm
Poor decisions with player personnel and coaching has finally caught up to the Pack and reset is required. It started last season when TT and Capers were removed and now MM probably won't be coaching this team in 2019. I believe with Rodgers, the return to playoffs will be quicker than most teams. Get the right coach, draft some key talent, maybe add one/two FA's, clear the dead weight....could see different team next season I hope as far as wins go. Bright spots this season have been the play of Clark, Martinez, Adams, and the rooks. Shout out to Bulaga, who has been very solid for a guy that has had all those injuries in prior seasons.
dblbogey
November 27, 2018 at 04:30 pm
Bulaga is underappreciated. He's now pretty average but has always been a gamer and played through injuries because the team had no backup plan. If he'd been luckier with injuries, he's have had a few pro bowl years.
Leatherhead
November 28, 2018 at 08:46 am
Bulaga has had a pretty decent season, according to PFF. He's been on the field for most of the snaps, and he's done as well or better than most of the starting RTs in the league.
He's under contract, at a pretty reasonable price for a starting veteran RT. If we release him after this season, he'd be a little over 1.5 million in dead cap but we'd save on his nearly $7 million salary....assuming we can find a quality replacement. Not Spriggs, not Murphy, not McCray.
KenEllis
November 27, 2018 at 03:21 pm
Hope?
If the Packers do not make the playoffs for the second straight year, this time with Aaron Rodgers starting all the games, and Mike McCarthy returns to coach the team in 2019, this fan will have given up all hope for the team to return to the Super Bowl.
I may be a die-hard Packer fan but I am not so stupid as to continue buying the BS that has been coming out of the Packers stale organization the last few years.
Rip the rest of the band aid off and start fresh with an innovative new coach and the fans will start HOPING again.
Leatherhead
November 27, 2018 at 03:45 pm
Ripping off the bandaid probably involves a new coaching staff, with a new scheme.....And a younger, cheaper, QB to make a run with.
Skip greenBayless
November 27, 2018 at 04:25 pm
Gute did one thing that impressed me. He had the balls to get rid of the 2nd and some might even say THE most popular beloved aging guy on this team in Jordy Nelson. He was better liked than even Rodgers in my opinion. Now if Gute can do that and survive what's to say he can't do the same with Rodgers, who's even older and also starting to slip in play?
He appears headed toward another youth movement next year with all those stockpiled draft picks. The one thing that doesn't make sense to me is the rushing to sign an aging Aaron Rodgers to that franchise killing contract? The only reason Gute would do that in my opinion would be if he already believes he has Rodgers successor on the team. He must believe in rookie Tim Boyle like I do. That's the only reason he would do that.
I guess I am fine with Rodgers playing a year or two more and Boyle taking over from there if this is the case. Maybe the galvanizing moment was Boyle's magnificent play behind the scenes in practice that said to Gute that we are going to be just fine in the future at qb. We just didn't hear about it. My two sources inside 1265 confirms to me that the Packers are in fact galvanized and giddy over Boyle.
TKWorldWide
November 27, 2018 at 04:26 pm
Not Kizer?
Looks like the next Patrick Mahomes to me.
Skip greenBayless
November 27, 2018 at 04:40 pm
Kizer was a mistake by the lake. Elliott Wolf and John Dorsey were laughing and high fiving when they traded us that junk car for Damarious Randall. Gute got taken on that one by two smooth criminals I'll give em that one. Gute made up for it with the signing of Tim Boyle who was an absolute jackpot hit. A needle in the haystack. A million to one shot. Gute's career will be tied with Tim Boyle and it will turn out fantastic. We just need to get thru the next year or two of instability with an aging Aaron Rodgers. Right now we're in no man's land. Rodgers is in total control of the Packers. He decides pretty much everything and that to be honest sucks.
TKWorldWide
November 27, 2018 at 04:52 pm
I think to be honest is human, and to forgive divine.
(What to forgive Divine FOR, I’m not sure of; but it might have something to do with something he ate once.)
dobber
November 28, 2018 at 09:30 am
"Right now we're in no man's land. Rodgers is in total control of the Packers. He decides pretty much everything and that to be honest sucks."
No player is ever truly in control. The coaching staff puts him on the field. IF-- ARod is truly swinging the hammer right now in the Packer organization, then MM needs to make the bold move to sit him down and teach him a little modesty. To someone like #12 whose brand means a lot to him, a little public shaming will go a long way. It will likely truly end MMs tenure in GB, but it also likely earns him points with GMs around the league looking for a new HC.
Samson
November 27, 2018 at 04:23 pm
"Probably" is the key word. -- There's absolutely no reason to believe that this 53-man roster can't be improved to a championship level even with AR & his mega-million dollar contract. -- Free-agency along with a solid draft in 2019 can improve any team in one short year.
For me, AR is still the key going forward. -- The most important position on any NFL team is the QB. -- AR has several years left of superior play. -- The Packers just need one thing: --- a better coaching staff, period!!
Leatherhead
November 28, 2018 at 08:55 am
The 53 man roster we started with, or the one we have now?
I have a lot of doubt about Rodgers play over the next "several years". A new coach would almost certainly bring a new scheme, which our 35 year old multiple MVP would have to embrace. Examples of that working around the league are pretty rare. And a big part of Rodgers game is getting out of the pocket, and that's getting harder for him as the age and injuries start piling up. He's not going to get faster, or more injury resistant, going forward.
In 2005, we hired a new GM. He drafted our next QB in the first round a few months later. After one season, he replaced the HC. The HC and old QB worked together for two years before they didn't want to anymore.
Gute has the same job ahead of him that Thompson did in 2005: Transition the team from the old QB to the new one. He hasn't put the next guy on the roster, yet., that I can see..
In 2018, we hired a new GM.
ricky
November 27, 2018 at 03:32 pm
So, the fans are spoiled and deserve some humble pie? Interesting. Maybe you should try to sell that in Patriots land. Anyway, definitely time to have a fresh set of eyes look at this team, bring Rodgers under control (like McCarthy did to Favre), and cut bait with overpaid and underperforming players. Gutekunst seems to be more than willing to reshape this team in his image, as long as Murphy allows him the freedom to try something new.
Samson
November 27, 2018 at 04:26 pm
"We're Good With Gute".
PatrickGB
November 27, 2018 at 03:42 pm
I support the Packers, win or lose. But I feel much better when we win. I remember the post Lombardi decades. I was still a Packer fan. This year we are in uncharted waters and many of us are despondent. Myself included. Yet we have a great QB a quality RB some good OL men and an up and coming CB. We also have some young players with potential. I agree with most posters that with a better coaching staff and a few key players we are back in the SB conversation. My current take is that another Premium WR, to complement Adams, would have brought our record up. But even that would not be enough to win a SB.
Rak43
November 27, 2018 at 04:23 pm
I agree it's time for a change and I'm hoping that Pete Carmichael Jr. is up for the Job. The man has 10 years of coordinating record setting offenses and may be the brilliant mind Rodgers needs to challenge him. If Carmichael is tabbed as McCarthy's successor I wouldn't be surprised if Gute drafts a dynamic RB or two high in the draft to pair up with Aaron Jones somewhat like the Saint backfield of Kamara, and Ingram. Mostly in an attempt to duplicate their success but also lighten the game load on Jones while still having a threat on the field when he's out. Williams should be relegated to 3rd string and special teams at this point. Imho another dynamic threat at RB is a must for this offense.
dobber
November 28, 2018 at 09:33 am
Kamara is the Jones in the Saints offense. Ingram is a good--and versatile--back, but not a great back. I would argue that they can do similar things with a 3rd or 4th round RB, and not need to burn a high pick that they can use at other positions of need.
As a side note: the Saints' offense was pretty damn good earlier in the year with Ingram serving a suspension and Kamara toting the load...
TKWorldWide
November 27, 2018 at 06:32 pm
Dang, brutha, you had me at “despondent”!
ShanghaiKid
November 27, 2018 at 03:44 pm
To echo what Nagler said on his chat yesterday. The biggest culprit of this season, is the guys occupying the biggest % of the salary cap have severely underperformed. Save for probably Adams and Linsley. Cobb, Rodgers, CM, Perry, Graham, even Daniels, have all severely underperformed.
You need the “blue chippers” to show up and ball out. GB’s top guys haven’t consistently, and it shows both in record and performance on the field.
jeremyjjbrown
November 27, 2018 at 04:15 pm
Daniels has not severely under performed.
Samson
November 27, 2018 at 04:33 pm
In ten games, Daniels has 10 solo tackles & 2 sacks.
Severely under performed?? -- Maybe not, but only average at best.
TKWorldWide
November 27, 2018 at 04:51 pm
Occupying blockers? Eating up double teams? Are there stats for that?
ShanghaiKid
November 27, 2018 at 05:07 pm
For close to 10M I want a guy who does more than occupy blockers and eat double teams. There’s a lot of guys out there who can do that for a fraction of the cost.
TKWorldWide
November 27, 2018 at 05:16 pm
Could be, don’t know.
Pettine knows what he’s asking 76 to do and whether or not he’s doing it.
ILPackerBacker
November 28, 2018 at 11:50 am
This is the kind of crap that led to Peppers leaving.....playing DT in a 2 man DL he had fewer sacks. Small brains declared that meant he was not contributing and off he went.
Look at what someone is ASKED TO DO and HOW THEY DO IT instead of stats without context.
Adams is a great athlete ... should we move him to DT and then whine about how he lost his skill?
No DT in a 2 man DL posts sacks...none. It is not their function. Wake up.
ILPackerBacker
November 28, 2018 at 11:47 am
Is this the same adams who ran out of bounds for no particular reason on 3rd down in MN? The same adams who choked on the 4th down block and literally did not get a finger on his man? The same adams who has failed repeatedly to make a tough catch and save the day? Was the self proclaimed top WR even a factor in the game? Did he force double coverage? Watch. Listen to MM talk about the soft cover 2 MN used.
The same Corey .... well watch the 3rd and 4th down runs before applauding an average center as anything else.
Bahk could make the claim to earning his salary on offense and so could Jones. Since they are low draft choices so could both rookie WRs. But nobody else. Bulaga is bad. Learn the idiotic metrics used by PFF before repeating the nonsense.
want a fact or 2 about the OL? Rodgers has more throw away now than ever. He is not throwing away to improve his completion percentage. Check out the number of sacks and constant pressure. In fact Bulaga has not faced the best pass rusher in the NFL each and every week, it just looks that way.......why does it look that way? Maybe because he is not playing well.
Buckyfan10
November 27, 2018 at 04:46 pm
A lot of people are piling on Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers. To a point I think this is unfair. Ted Thompson is the major blame. Not sure, ask Brett Farve. Ted Thompson draft philosophy was to trade down in draft to pick up more players. In other words; quantity is better than quality. When it came to free agency Ted would always ask Packers free agents to take a pay cut because the honor of playing for the Packers was enough. So players like Lang, Sitton and Hyde, just to mention a few, signed with other teams. Most of Ted's free agent pickups were street free agents and those cut by other teams. In other words, Ted's philosophy was, potential was better than proven. To make a long story short, the Packers lack quality depth. Which was displayed quite well in that game against Minnesota. Even Chris Collinworth remarked on the loss of Lang and Sitton. Rodgers and McCarthy are left with what Ted Thompson had dumped on them. What irony is that TT will be inducted in the Packers' Hall of Fame. I think the induction should be in the Hall of Shame.
Since'61
November 27, 2018 at 06:18 pm
We're not even 2 seasons into what could be a downturn for the Packers. When the Lombardi dynasty collapsed no one thought at that time that we would go 29 years until our next SB win.
However as long as we have AR and we surround him with some talent we can get back to the playoffs at least and hopefully another SB or 2.
To me this needs to be concerned whenever it is that Rodgers leaves Green Bay. Then we could be in trouble for a long period. The chances of landing a 3rd consecutive HOF QB must be pretty slim. Rodgers should have 3-5 years of solid QB play left assuming he can avoid another major injury. We are going to need to rebuild the OL at Guard and RT. Then we need another RB to compliment Jones, a TE and at least another WR threat, preferably a game breaker.
Defense we need OLBs and Safeties plus solid depth at the other position groups. We should have a better team in 2019 and a really strong team in 2020. We'll see. For us fans patience is required at this time. Thanks, Since '61
flackcatcher
November 27, 2018 at 07:46 pm
I agree '61. Now that this a rebuild, not a reload, is this a short or long term rebuild. If this a short term, then with a good draft and couple of FA signings in critical areas, this team could compete for the super bowl for the next 3-5 year period. If that is true, then firing the current head coach could destabilize the team and set back that goal for a year or more. On the other hand, if the GM thinks this a long term, or even medium term rebuild, then firing the current head coach is an absolute must moving forward. That also means a close to total house cleaning of all personal, including your future hall of fame quarterback from the teams roster. That comes with major hits in all areas, but as we saw in 2005, sometimes an organization has no choice. Now firing the current head coach could also jump start the player personal on the current roster, but that comes with major risks for the general manager along with a whole host of X factors that are simply unknown at the moment. Nothing but hard choices ahead.
Leatherhead
November 27, 2018 at 07:14 pm
Thompson drafted Rodgers and hired McCarthy. Thompson is gone, next is McCarthy. Gute has the same problem that Thompson inherited: Transitioning to the new QB.
First, we've got to get somebody legitimate behind him. Ride Rodgers for a season or two while the new guy learnse . Hope that he learns fast. Hope Rodgers embraces a scheme that makes him more of a pocket passer and keeps him upright.
This is reminiscent of when TT. MM, and Arod were the change.
TKWorldWide
November 27, 2018 at 07:37 pm
Yes.
Skip greenBayless
November 28, 2018 at 01:11 am
Agree Old School. Gute's no. 1 job is finding HIS long term young star qb to take over in the next one or two years. I personally think it's Boyle but if not he's 100% drafting a qb with one of his first round picks next year. 100%. He has no choice.
Thegreatreynoldo
November 27, 2018 at 10:14 pm
1968 to 1992: 25 years with 2 playoff appearances. I guess we weren't spoiled then. Probably built character or some such nonsense.
stockholder
November 27, 2018 at 10:30 pm
Who is going to want to come to Green Bay and put up with Arron Rodgers? That should be their first question. And if were that lucky to get a winning coach again, Arron Rodgers won't be around. The next coach on their list must be Santa Clause.
Leatherhead
November 28, 2018 at 09:11 am
If you're a football coach, there are 32 NFL organizations at the top of your profession. Being the HC of the Packers is a very prestigious position.
But here is what the new guy is up against:
First, the expectations are enormous. We expect to make the playoffs almost every year, and to win the division. The guy you are replacing went to the Championship game 4 times in 10 years and he got fired.
Secondly, you've got a 35 year old QB who is on the downside of his career. Age and injury have made it harder for him to get out of the pocket and make plays, he's throwing off his back foot more and more, and he's taking lots of drive-killing sacks.
If the team drafts a QB early in the draft, that sends an unmistakeable message to Rodgers, just as it did to Favre. Can the new HC make this work? Can he squeeze a couple of good years out of Rodgers while getting the new guy ready?
Third, the current defensive coordinator is popular and there'll be pressure on you to retain him as part of your staff. Is this something you'd be willing to do?
The Packers have a lot of resources for an on-the-fly rebuild, but we've got to get the new QB on the squad. Probably our first pick, and hopefully we won't have to trade up to get him.
Donster
November 28, 2018 at 07:53 am
It's going to take Gute a few years to right the ship that TT filled with many holes. This team has no depth to speak of. It had one quality WR that can get on the field, one that has constant hamstring injuries, three rookies that are limited in the playbook and do make mistakes, a very good running back that a head coach won't play enough, TE's that are pretty much non-existent. An offensive like that is average only, other that Bakhtiari, and even he is now injured. And last but not least, a head coach who refuses to make changes, can't time manage, wastes time outs because they can't get plays called or the right personnel on the field. We know Rodgers has the talent. But you have to honestly say that he has to be frustrated with how things are going, and this will cause him to try to do way to much on his own.
It is time for a reset after the end of the season. MM and his staff must go. Hope the new coach keeps Pettine and Campen. Then we will see if these changes, and Gute making player changes through the draft and Free Agency can get Rodgers back to playing the type of football he is capable of. Now if he continues to struggle, then yes, time for a trade. I personally think that his play this year is mostly frustration with MM and lack of talent around him.
I am amazed that people are overreacting and throwing a HoF QB under the bus because of one season, when the obvious is in front of you every Sunday/Thurs, Monday what talent he has to play with and the incompetency he is dealing with a head coach. Before he got hurt last year the team only had one loss and I may be wrong but he was one of the leaders on TD passes.
Do you all think that Goff and Mahomes would be doing so well with the players that are on the current Packers roster? I don't think so. Get Real!
JohnnyLogan
November 28, 2018 at 09:33 am
Rodgers ego is killing the Packers as is MM's coaching but I may be the only one who thinks Gute bears some responsibility. He drafted a stud in Alexander and got a 1st to boot. Not bad at all. But the likely defensive rookie of the year, safety Derwin James was sitting there waiting to be a Packer. Jackson at 2 has been just okay. Burks a bust so far. Three receivers, two of whom are decent, but there are plenty of good rookie receivers around the league playing better. So far from this draft we have one really good player, a couple ok players and not much else. Than the Mack trade. A turning point. I repeatedly go back to that because it will haunt the Packers for years. Gute flinched and the Bears got an All-Pro, likely defensive player of the year, likely future Hall of Famer, in his prime, at a position of the Pack's greatest need, and they immediately became a SB contender. It would have cost two 1sts and a 2nd. Gute was willing to go the two 1sts and so was willing to pay the salary but had to keep that 2nd. The Bears added a 3rd but got back a 2nd. It was easy to trump that deal. Everyone is excited we've got all that draft capital next year because we have all these holes. You win with studs. We won when Reggie White came over. We won when Woodson came over. Both were established stars. We needed a player like Mack. Everyone just gets too excited about the draft. It's great players that make great teams. Players like White, Woodson and Mack rarely become available. Gute should have made the play. As for free agency, yes, he played, but the results have been underwhelming there too. The trust in TT mantra has now turned into a trust in Gute refrain. Hope we don't have the same results.
ILPackerBacker
November 28, 2018 at 11:59 am
You are exactly right.
Mack puts the WEAKEST member of this year's packer defense on the bench. It is not an improvement of the 6th best defender to the 4th best it is putting the weakest and in reality really not good player and having a new best player who has to be accounted for every play he is in. It is a step up for every man on the defense.
ILPackerBacker
November 28, 2018 at 11:56 am
The reality is that one free agent turned the corner in GB and not a single real packer fan should ever forget that.
Woodson and Pickett did the same.
K MACK would have done the same. this is not a multi year rebuild or reboot. That is the new age way to say what an idiot in tampa said about why he had a 5 year plan to rebuild (he had a 5 year contract)
NFL careers are just over 3 years. That should be a clue that 3 years plans are not very smart.
FYI signing a young ascending K MACK is not remotely the same as signing an older slower TE. And that is leaving aside the difference in working a new piece into an overly complex and difficult offense as opposed to being able to knock people down.