Green Bay Packers Bye Week Reflections

Now that Green Bay Packers fans have had time to digest back-to-back disappointing games.  Now might be an excellent time to consider what is ailing the Packers seriously.  Reflecting on the past hopefully will help shine a brighter light on the future.

Green Bay Packers in Prime Time

One thing that most people forget is that NFL players are just people.  In the Packers case, extremely young people.  Take Jordan Love, for instance.  There seems to be a night and day difference between Love’s play in Prime Time and Sunday afternoon.  Love has thrown seven touchdowns and one interception during non-Prime Time games.  In the last two prime-time games, one touchdown and five interceptions.

So far, people have been scratching their heads about why Love’s play is horrible in the first half and great in the second.  The simple answer could be nerves.  People undersell the difficulty and pressure that comes with high expectations.  Few quarterbacks in league history know the stress of following an all-time legend.  I think the prime time versus non-prime time game comparison magnifies my hypothesis.  He has nerves early in games.  In prime time games, those nerves might be amplified.  Can you blame him?

This might also be true of all the young players the Packers have on their roster.  Sometimes, it takes practice before nervousness under pressure becomes confidence under the spotlights.

The Green Bay Packers Youth

When the season started, most Packers fans had a small hope in the back of their minds.  That maybe this will work right away.  Jordan has been sitting and learning from Rodgers for the last three seasons.  Perhaps we won’t have to go through a few rebuilding years.  NFC championship, here we come.  The previous two games should have tempered those hopes.

So far this season, youth seems to be a double-edged sword.  That sword has cut both ways, unfortunately.  That sword will likely keep cutting both ways until the edge hurting the Packers is dulled by experience.  One way to get experience is veterans.

Sometimes, watching a YouTube video when you’re putting a dresser together is easier than reading the instructions.  The same goes for football.  I wouldn’t mind seeing the Packers find an offensive veteran.  Someone who can lead by example and show the young players things that coaches might be unable to.  Coaching doesn’t always have to come from coaches.  Players sometimes are the perfect assistant coaches.

The Coaching

Suppose there was a pie made of blame.  Blame for the Packers struggles this season.  I think coaching would probably consist of one-third of the pie.  It is easy to give Matt Lafluer a pass due to his previous success.  The next two seasons, however, are the true test if he is a top NFL coach.  Things are easy when you have a future Hall Of Fame quarterback behind center.

Most people wouldn’t argue with the opinion that Lafluer is an excellent offensive play schemer.  His current situation has also called for him to be a great teacher of the game.  Something I think he can excel at.  This is a young team with a lot of talent.  Suppose certain guys aren’t getting the job done.  Give someone else a chance.  Players like Dontayvion Wicks, Yosh Nijman, and Eric Wilson have all shown that in the NFL, you never know who can play until you get a chance to prove yourself.  Don’t fall in love with the round or the school players were drafted from.

I’ll leave you with one final thought.  A quote from Søren Kierkegaard, “Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forwards.” The same goes for the Green Bay Packers this season; I can’t wait to see it unfold.

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