Four years ago the Green Bay Packers were the defending NFL champions and their fans were confident that more Super Bowl appearances were ahead. But the next three post-seasons ended with a pair of smackdowns and a home-field heartbreaker. Then came last January’s disaster in Seattle, when the Packers were minutes away from the Super Bowl but blew a 12-point lead and lost in overtime.
Another shot at the Vince Lombardi Trophy is at least 18 games away. The Packers who will take to the field Sunday in Chicago figure to be in the NFL’s top tier again, but they know only too well that nothing is guaranteed.
After the Philadelphia 76ers lost to Portland in the 1977 NBA Finals, their marketing pitch to fans was, “We Owe You One.” Can the Packers make good on a similar debt? The Fairly Detached Observers discuss....
Frank: I suspect some fans fear that Seattle was THE big opportunity for the Packers. The hardships of the NFL don’t allow many second chances.
Artie: At the very least, that loss showed how tough it is just to reach the Super Bowl.
F: It brings to mind the Brewers in 2011—two wins away from the World Series, but the door slammed shut. They haven’t seen the post-season since.
A: Or take the Brew Crew after ’82. You looked at that roster and thought, “We’ll be right in it for the next three, four years. And ’83 seemed that way until September, but then...
F: Having said that, there’s no reason to think these Packers can’t get back to the NFC title game, and this time finish the job.
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A: Well, I’m taking extra measures. After the Seattle game, I started saying 100 Hail Marys every single day. I’ll keep it up right through the season, because I figure she’ll be so backlogged with that pile of prayers that no opponents could possibly get their Hail Mary passes completed.
F: Are you sure these, um, credits won’t get diverted to your personal penance account?
A: I’ve made my priorities quite clear.
F: I assume the prayers aren’t just aimed at rivals but also to help the Packers in the most important aspect of any football season.
A: Which are injuries, or the lack of ’em. Except for Jordy Nelson’s misfortune, things are looking good.
F: The Packers had very few major injuries last year, and when Nelson’s knee failed, I’ll bet there were plenty of “uh-ohs” around Wisconsin. And then when Randall Cobb hurt his shoulder...
A: But see, I must be helping, because they say Cobb should be ready for the Bears.
F: If he were lost for an extended time it would be big trouble.
A: And it’s great that they’ve brought James Jones back as insurance.
F: But really, as long as Aaron Rodgers stays in one piece, they can win any game.
A: What’s more, this year they have two capable backup quarterbacks in Scott Tolzien and Brett Hundley. They were lucky Hundley was still available in the fifth round. He has good size, a nice arm, and he can move around to escape pressure.
F: He sure looked good against New Orleans.
A: Either of those guys could come in for Rodgers and I’d say, “Hey, we’ve still got a chance.”
F: For one game, maybe, but how about two or three months?
A: That’s different. Then they’re a .500 team.
F: How about the depth at other positions? The offensive line was dinged up a bit in the pre-season.
A: It’s a little hard to say. T.J. Lang had a concussion in the Steelers exhibition game and hasn’t played since, but there’s really no reason to play before the games count. There’s some depth on the O-line; if they lose a starter the world won’t end.
F: On defense, Clay Matthews has had a knee issue but hasn’t sounded worried. Another key is Julius Peppers, who had a terrific 2014, but he’s 35-years-old and in his 15th NFL season.
A: They did a good job of keeping him fresh last year, and of course I’m doing what I can to preserve him.
F: The Packers’ offense looks awesome, but what about the defense, especially with several rookies in the secondary?
A: They’ve done well in the exhibition games. On the D-line they’ll miss Letroy Guion for a three-game suspension and Datone Jones for a one-gamer. But B.J. Raji is healthy again and they can get by.
F: The first-string defense, as a unit, played only about 20 ineffective snaps in the pre-season against the Eagles. Any concern?
A: Nope. How much real preparation for a given opponent does a team do for the exhibitions? Besides, no one shows all the schemes they plan for the real games.
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F: So you sound optimistic about this season, not even counting your extra spiritual dimension.
A: I say 13-3 or 12-4, another division title, and yes, they’ll be in the ultimate game on Feb. 7!
F: Last year, our Super Bowl predictions were a few minutes from brilliance—specially your call of Packers vs. Patriots. I said they’d play Indianapolis.
A: This time I’m calling Packers-Colts, with the Pack winning, of course.
F: I need to ponder the AFC, but I’ll stick with the Packers, too; they could well be just as strong as last season.
A: And make this ride last one game longer.
The Schedule
F: The other NFC division that the Packers play is the West, and that means Seattle again, plus Arizona, another playoff team last season, and St, Louis, which some folks think is really on the rise.
A: And the 49ers, who look like they’ll be a mess.
F: The AFC division they play is also the West, which means Denver and Peyton Manning, plus Kansas City, which Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel sees as the No. 1 team in the AFC, and San Diego, which I used to perennially, and futilely, pick for the Super Bowl.
A: Why stop now? Every year there’s a “surprise team.”
F: And the two “random” teams on the Packers’ schedule are both coming off playoff years—Carolina and, yes, once again, Dallas. But what’s this I see right here in print? The Cowboys game will not be in Dallas, but at Lambeau Field—for the sixth time in eight meetings since 2000.
A: Misprint. You watch: “Flex scheduling,” they’ll wind up in Dallas.
F: After all, the Cowboys used to have the flex defense, right? But you’re stuck in the ’90s, when the Packers had to go to Texas for eight of their 10 matchups with the Cowboys.
A: Predicting any single game before the season is pointless. People get hurt, teams develop strengths they weren’t supposed to have. Take Dallas: Last year people were saying their defense would be terrible, and it turned out to be one of the league’s best. How does that happen? Well, it does.
F: One piece of good news is that the Packers have some of these good teams—Seattle, Kansas City, St. Louis, San Diego, and yes, Dallas—at home.
A: For one thing, it means they don’t have to go to two of the loudest places in the league, Seattle and Kansas City. As for Dallas, have I ever mentioned that Tony Romo is not a good quarterback?
F: As often as you’ve claimed they never play Dallas at Lambeau Field.
A: They do have to go to Denver, but you never know when age is going to catch up to Mr. Manning. When he looked bad in the playoffs last winter, he looked REALLY bad.
F: Two years ago they had that stretch of three games in 11 days and went 0-2-1. This year they have one Sunday-Thursday turnaround, and both are division games, at Minnesota and hosting the Bears on Thanksgiving night.
A: That’s the Brett Favre whoop-dee-do game, ain’a?
F: I guess every team has one of those deals, thanks to the NFL’s touching concern for the TV money of Thursday night games instead of players’ health.
A: The bye is at a reasonable point, after Game 6. Not as good as last year’s absolute mid-point, but it could be worse.
F: I think you’re on the mark predicting 12-4 or 13-3.
A: Every team will lose at least one game they absolutely shouldn’t. Last year for the Pack it was Buffalo. This year I think the main challengers will be Seattle, Philly, possibly Dallas if that defense stays good. But the Pack will prevail!
F: And just for grins I WILL say again that San Diego will get to the Super Bowl somehow. For one thing, it’d be perfect for the Chargers to have a great season and then have the NFL tell the fans, “Congratulations, from now on you can drive about a hundred miles north to see your team in L.A.”
A: The City-To-Be-Named-Later Chargers....
The Division
F: Now for the NFC North. The Bears are a mess, right?
A: They’re starting over, again, with John Fox as the new coach. Brandon Marshall has gone to the Jets, Lance Briggs just retired. And it looks like their first-round pick, wide receiver Kevin White, might miss the whole season with a bad leg.
F: And they’ve still got Jay Cutler at QB.
A: Silverstein has the Bears as 16th in the 16-team NFC. Let it be so!
F: How about Minnesota?
A: They were in almost every game last year, and that was without Adrian Peterson. Now he’s back, but who knows how effective he’ll be after his enforced absence?
F: As for Detroit, they lost two huge cogs on their defensive line, Ndamukong Suh to Miami and Nick Fairley to St. Louis.
A: And by now Matthew Stafford is what he is at quarterback. He’s got the talent, he can look really good, but in any game he’ll make two or three critical mistakes.
F: A more likable version of Cutler, I’d say.
A: Every year some people say, “This is the year for the Lions.” And every year it isn’t.
Hail and Farewell
F: So about those 100 Hail Marys per day...
A: I’ll tell you, it’s some commitment.
F: But how long does it really take? You remember that as kids we got pretty good at saying ’em very quickly.
A: Like we recorded at 45 rpm but played ’em back at 78... no, make it 156 rpm. But everything slows down as you age. Plus I think I pulled a brain ligament doing all this praying. I haven’t had it looked at but I think I could be out six to eight months—with pay, I would think.
F: But not until the season ends, I trust.
A: Right. I’m toughin’ it out until all those Hail Marys show results.
Frank Clines covered sports for The Milwaukee Journal and the Journal Sentinel. Art Kumbalek can always use some prayers.
