The Green Bay Packers are one of the most storied franchises in all of professional sports. Twelve world titles, a legendary stadium and obsessively loyal fans all add up to the mystique that is the Packers. However, with each passing week, that mystique continues to lessen.
The downfall began as Green Bay closed out the 2002 season in abysmal fashion. With a chance to clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs in the last game of the season, the Packers turned in a lifeless effort and were the recipients of a 42-17 beat down administered by the New York Jets.
The legend took a huge hit as the Pack proceeded to lose a playoff game at Lambeau for the first time in team history, as Mike Vick and the Atlanta Falcons worked over Green Bay 27-7.
That funk has managed to carry over to the young 2003 season. This season’s opener was supposed to be a momentous occasion. Newly renovated Lambeau Field was being rededicated and the rival Minnesota Vikings were in town. But once again the team in green and gold laid an egg in an important game, falling behind 20-3 at the half and losing 30-25. The vaunted home-field advantage became a little less intimidating. The stadium might have been fixed up, but it was the Green Bay mystique that was in need of repairs.
But, the next week brought sweet redemption for legions of diluted fans. The mighty Packers bounced back to slay the powerful Detroit Lions juggernaut. Anyone who thought beating the Lions meant all was fine and dandy in Packer country was either crazy or had just received a house call from Nate Newton’s delivery van. The fact was the Packers had rolled over a pathetic excuse for a football team.
This week should have been no different. Green Bay was heading to Arizona for a “road game” against the winless Cardinals, who lost to the lowly Lions in week one. Over the past few seasons, the Cardinals have been one of the most bumbling franchises in NFL history. Scanning the Arizona roster is more entertaining than any sitcom on television. Jeff Blake and Emmitt Smith are the team’s top two offensive threats. Congratulations to Bill Bidwell on bringing in the key ingredients to someone’s 1995 fantasy football team.
Ultimately, the joke was on the Packers, as Blake and a pair of rookie wide receivers took down a severely overrated Packer team.
Beating the Cardinals in a close game would have been cause for concern, but losing to possibly the worst team in the league is a flat-out embarrassment. Losing to the Cardinals is the NFL equivalent of getting beaten by the class nerd in dodge ball. If the panic button has not yet been pushed, someone may want to think long and hard about it.
Sure, 1-2 is not the end of the world, but it is plenty unsettling for a team in an obvious funk with an upcoming schedule that includes Seattle, Kansas City, St. Louis and a trip to Minnesota.
What does it all mean? Well, for starters, it is time for Packer fans to finally admit that the Super Bowl years are a thing of the past. This is a franchise that is slowly slipping towards mediocrity.
For years the organization and its fans have clung to the notion that as long as Brett Favre is at the helm of the Packer offense, the team is a contender. The truth is that Brett Favre by himself only makes Green Bay a playoff contender, not a Super Bowl contender. As good as he once was, and to some degree still is, Favre can only do so much by himself. No one can play at MVP level forever, and he is clearly not himself this season. Those in Titletown seem to easily forget that when the Packers made back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, they had one of the best defenses in the NFL. This year’s unit is closer to the bottom of the barrel than the top. What’s been missing the past few years is a supporting cast.
Ron Wolf said his biggest regret was not acquiring more weapons for his Pro Bowl quarterback, and apparently his successor, Mike Sherman, has not yet learned from that mistake. With Favre now approaching the end of the road and with no replacement in sight, it may be time for Packer fans to take a hard shot of reality and start worrying about draft position, not playoff position.
