When professional sports teams perform poorly, as the Packers did in a hideous 38-10 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field, exasperated coaches like Mike McCarthy often find comfort in one of the industry’s oldest clichés.
You're never as good as you look when you're playing well, and you're never as bad as you look when you're playing poorly.
Trite as those words may sound, they contain a measure of truth. The Packers (4-8) are absolutely, unequivocally NOT AS BAD as they looked on the frozen tundra of the once-formidable fortress that opponents now treat like a funhouse.
Of course, that’s only because it would be almost impossible for any team to be as bad as the Packers looked while Jets quarterback Chad Pennington was shredding them for 31 points and more than 300 yards in the first half. In a rare occurrence, the Packers were booed as they left the field where they are 1-5 this season.
"Hell, I'd have been booing, too," McCarthy said during his post-game press conference. "Shoot, they should boo us. I have no problem with that. This is a man's league, a man's business, a man's game. You can't perform like that. We deserved to get booed."
No doubt some of the people booing loudest were the ones who had convinced themselves that the Packers had a chance to earn a playoff berth in the mediocre NFC.
Three weeks ago, when the Packers won at Minnesota to improve their record to 4-5, reasonable people were talking about the Packers’ post-season prospects. Losses to New England (35-0) and at Seattle (34-24) did little to extinguish such talk. On the team’s official Web site -- packers.com -- more than 35,000 fans were asked what the team’s record would be in December. Nearly half (48%) said either 3-2 (27%) or 4-1 (21%).
In the wake of the drubbing Sunday, which came on the heels of a 35-0 pounding by the Patriots, the only question that matters is whether current Sports Illustrated cover subject Brett Favre is four games away from riding his tractor to Retirement Ranch.
Favre, who did not meet with reporters after the losses to New England or Seattle, stepped into the media auditorium on Sunday and was his usual, introspective and somewhat cryptic self. With the TV cameras rolling, the 37-year-old warrior talked about his decision to play this season when he knew the team probably wasn't going to be very good.
"From my end, it makes you question, 'Did I make the right decision in coming back?' Because I really wanted to come back and help this team win. Walking off that field at halftime at 31-0, I mean, it's hard to swallow.
"But I believe I did (make the right decision.)"
In terms of statistics and results, this three-game stretch, which began with an elbow injury against New England, has been one of the worst of Favre’s career.
"I never thought I'd be a part of a game or a season like we had the last two years," Favre said. "But, I'm as much to blame as anyone. I really thought I could be a difference-maker. I always felt that way, and I still believe that. But there's games like this and halves like this where you go, 'What a difference-maker you were.'"
Favre went on to point out that no single play or player was to blame for the debacle. He certainly was right there. The pass protection, weakened by the loss of tackle Mark Tauscher, looked pathetic. The defense looked confused. The special teams were typically shaky.
The Packers have so many glaring, gaping holes to fill that it’s tough to determine where they should start. Losing a few more games to improve the draft position would be a start, but that will be tough with those lethargic Lions and inconsistent Vikings on the schedule.
While Favre was holding the Wisconsin sports fans hostage with his soul-searching deliberations last spring, conspiracy theorists had a field day. They said the Packers, meaning McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson, didn't really want Favre back, because they were anxious for the Aaron Rodgers era to begin and wanted to use Favre’s salary to speed the rebuilding project.
When Favre came back, many of the grassy knoll types concluded that neither Thompson nor McCarthy nor outgoing team president Bob Harlan had the fortitude (or foresight) to hand the legend a gold watch, a framed jersey and a "Thanks, but no thanks."
If you happen to subscribe to that theory, maybe you should thank defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and secondary Kurt Schottenheimer and the all players who have been under performing for them all season (players who no doubt are now questioning the intelligence of and effectiveness of their supervisors).
Although I think Sanders and Schottenheimer should have their resumes updated by Jan. 1, if the Packers fire them now it will little impact on the product over the final month and won't change the bottom line, which is this:
If the Packers don't show drastic improvement on defense in their final four games, Favre probably won't want to sign on for another season and fans will have to realize that while the Packers may not be as bad as they looked for 30 minutes on Sunday there is a strong chance that they have not yet approached rock-bottom.
You're never as good as you look when you're playing well, and you're never as bad as you look when you're playing poorly.
Trite as those words may sound, they contain a measure of truth. The Packers (4-8) are absolutely, unequivocally NOT AS BAD as they looked on the frozen tundra of the once-formidable fortress that opponents now treat like a funhouse.
Of course, that’s only because it would be almost impossible for any team to be as bad as the Packers looked while Jets quarterback Chad Pennington was shredding them for 31 points and more than 300 yards in the first half. In a rare occurrence, the Packers were booed as they left the field where they are 1-5 this season.
"Hell, I'd have been booing, too," McCarthy said during his post-game press conference. "Shoot, they should boo us. I have no problem with that. This is a man's league, a man's business, a man's game. You can't perform like that. We deserved to get booed."
No doubt some of the people booing loudest were the ones who had convinced themselves that the Packers had a chance to earn a playoff berth in the mediocre NFC.
Three weeks ago, when the Packers won at Minnesota to improve their record to 4-5, reasonable people were talking about the Packers’ post-season prospects. Losses to New England (35-0) and at Seattle (34-24) did little to extinguish such talk. On the team’s official Web site -- packers.com -- more than 35,000 fans were asked what the team’s record would be in December. Nearly half (48%) said either 3-2 (27%) or 4-1 (21%).
In the wake of the drubbing Sunday, which came on the heels of a 35-0 pounding by the Patriots, the only question that matters is whether current Sports Illustrated cover subject Brett Favre is four games away from riding his tractor to Retirement Ranch.
Favre, who did not meet with reporters after the losses to New England or Seattle, stepped into the media auditorium on Sunday and was his usual, introspective and somewhat cryptic self. With the TV cameras rolling, the 37-year-old warrior talked about his decision to play this season when he knew the team probably wasn't going to be very good.
"From my end, it makes you question, 'Did I make the right decision in coming back?' Because I really wanted to come back and help this team win. Walking off that field at halftime at 31-0, I mean, it's hard to swallow.
"But I believe I did (make the right decision.)"
In terms of statistics and results, this three-game stretch, which began with an elbow injury against New England, has been one of the worst of Favre’s career.
"I never thought I'd be a part of a game or a season like we had the last two years," Favre said. "But, I'm as much to blame as anyone. I really thought I could be a difference-maker. I always felt that way, and I still believe that. But there's games like this and halves like this where you go, 'What a difference-maker you were.'"
Favre went on to point out that no single play or player was to blame for the debacle. He certainly was right there. The pass protection, weakened by the loss of tackle Mark Tauscher, looked pathetic. The defense looked confused. The special teams were typically shaky.
The Packers have so many glaring, gaping holes to fill that it’s tough to determine where they should start. Losing a few more games to improve the draft position would be a start, but that will be tough with those lethargic Lions and inconsistent Vikings on the schedule.
While Favre was holding the Wisconsin sports fans hostage with his soul-searching deliberations last spring, conspiracy theorists had a field day. They said the Packers, meaning McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson, didn't really want Favre back, because they were anxious for the Aaron Rodgers era to begin and wanted to use Favre’s salary to speed the rebuilding project.
When Favre came back, many of the grassy knoll types concluded that neither Thompson nor McCarthy nor outgoing team president Bob Harlan had the fortitude (or foresight) to hand the legend a gold watch, a framed jersey and a "Thanks, but no thanks."
If you happen to subscribe to that theory, maybe you should thank defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and secondary Kurt Schottenheimer and the all players who have been under performing for them all season (players who no doubt are now questioning the intelligence of and effectiveness of their supervisors).
Although I think Sanders and Schottenheimer should have their resumes updated by Jan. 1, if the Packers fire them now it will little impact on the product over the final month and won't change the bottom line, which is this:
If the Packers don't show drastic improvement on defense in their final four games, Favre probably won't want to sign on for another season and fans will have to realize that while the Packers may not be as bad as they looked for 30 minutes on Sunday there is a strong chance that they have not yet approached rock-bottom.
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
