There were 51 seconds left on the game clock. The Green Bay Packers had the ball on the Las Vegas 35-yard line. The Packers need a touchdown to win the game. Love steps up in the pocket and fires down the field… Intercepted… Intercepted? That can’t be right, can it? Is this the new reality of being a Green Bay Packers fan?
Step #1 (Green Bay Packers Denial)
Immediately after the interception, I stared at the TV and waited for the officials to throw the flag. The flag never came. I continued to stare. My only thought was this can’t be real. Watson got pushed, right? The Packers are better than the Raiders. This was a game the Packers typically win. It’s only one game, and it doesn’t mean much.
Jordan Loves finishes with three interceptions.
Step #2 (Anger and Blame of Green Bay Packers Players)
After the clock hit zero, the Raiders began to celebrate. I quickly started to assign blame.
The defense lost us the game, right? In years past, it’s always been the defense. So, I quickly checked the post-game stats and drive breakdowns. The Packers defense had allowed fewer total yards than the Raiders. They forced four punts, three field goals (Two missed), and had one interception. The defense also sacked Garoppolo four times.
Davante must have done some damage, right?…… No, he didn’t. Adams finished the game with four receptions for 45 yards. For Davante Adams, that’s a bad game.
Maybe the run defense let us down. No, they didn’t. The Raiders, led by Josh Jacobs, ended the game with less than 100 rushing yards and only 3.3 yards per attempt. The Packers accomplished this without Walker and Campbell. By most defensive standards, that is a good night.
Special Teams? They didn’t let us down either. The Packers had the better of the two Carlson brothers, making both of his field goal attempts(37 and 22 yards). If it’s not special teams or defense, that only leaves one other option.
Step #3 (Acceptance)
For 30 years, the Packers have never really had to worry about the offense. Favre and Rodgers gave our fan base the power of faith. If our Quarterback had the ball at the end of the game with a chance to win, there was no doubt we would win. Part of that faith came from the consistency that Favre and Rodgers played with. We may not be able to rely on that anymore.
Part of me carried on the power of faith to Jordan Love. He validated that belief in week three against the Saints when he orchestrated a miraculous 17-point comeback win.
Through his first four games, there has been one standout observation. He is terrible in the first half of games. Love is completing 49.3 percent of his throws in the first half. Each round, he looks more indecisive. With every drop back, he trusts the protection less. He is slowly regressing before our eyes. All of these things are trending towards a harsh new reality for fans. We can’t expect our Quarterback to come to the rescue anymore. Instead, we should be patient and hope for growth. We must be optimistic that Jordan and the offense can learn from terrible performances and improve. I’m not selling my Jordan Love stock just yet.
Step #4 (Patience)
Packers fans should also entertain the idea that Jordan Love may never become as good as Rodgers or Favre. However, that doesn’t mean the Packers can’t win games. So, as a fan, I’m optimistic for the future while being patient with the present. It’s something the Packers haven’t had to be in a while.
It’s a long season with plenty of time to learn and grow. The Buddha once said, “What we think, we become.” The Packers have a choice ahead of them. Either they believe that they are only as good as Monday night suggests or that this was only a speed bump on the road to improvement.
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