There is a fairly good chance that the Packers will reach the .500 mark for the season after their game against the Bills today in Buffalo.
Well, huzzah huzzah.
It stands to reason that the green-and-gold faithful will start uttering the word "playoffs," but please, let’s not get carried away here. This team is no better than it was in the season opener, when the Bears handed the Pack a 26-0 thrashing.
Please, don't be fooled. Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy are no secret geniuses; this team is truly and genuinely bad. The only reason the Packers are sniffing a break-even record at midseason is because their opponents have been slightly more atrocious.
For your consideration:
DETROIT -- 1-6
MIAMI -- 1-6
ARIZONA -- 1-7
Do the math here; the three teams the Packers have beaten this season have a combined three victories. There is no possible or plausible way to justify this Packers squad as a team ready to turn a corner. The Packers’ luck continues today, when they travel to Ralph Wilson stadium to meet the 2-5 Bills.
Heading into action today, the Packers sit a full four games behind the 7-0 Bears in the race for the NFC North Division title. With another game against the Bears remaining, as well as taking into account the opening-day whipping the Monsters of the Midway administered, it’s pretty safe to rule any kind of championship out of the equation.
Even landing a wild-card spot is all but impossible. Two games with Minnesota (currently 4-3), at home against New England (6-1), at Seattle (4-3), and the 4-4 Jets will make a tough road to the postseason even with the 49ers and Lions on the schedule.
Say what you want about the offense finding a groove, or the defense finally coming together. If it helps you sleep at night, that’s great. But the truth of the matter is the Packers are bad and have gotten lucky by playing teams that are worse.
In other news:
Making an impression: Shortly after his team handed UW-Milwaukee a stunning, 77-71 exhibition loss at the U.S. Cellular Arena, UW-Parkside head coach Luke Reigel was all smiles.
While in the end, the victory means nothing, Reigel said it was a coming out party of sorts for his NCAA Division II Rangers, who have often gotten lost in the shuffle of state basketball.
With the D-III Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Conference and the D-I boys in Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Madison gobbling up the headlines, the Rangers -- the state’s only D-II team -- have played in relative obscurity.
"That’s why these games are important," Reigel said. "The D-III guys here play in the best league in the country; the Horizon League, the Big Ten, and the Big East are all among the best, too.
"But as the only D-II team in Wisconsin, we play in a pretty good league, too [the Great Lakes Valley Conference]. Coach [Bruce] Pearl won a title in this league, and we regularly get five teams in the tournament."
Reigel has close ties to UWM head coach Rob Jeter. Both played under Bo Ryan at UW-Platteville. Reigel played on the 1995 National Championship team, which had Jeter as an assistant coach. After Jeter went on to become an assistant at Marquette, Reigel took his spot on the Pioneers’ bench.
Making their pitch: No matter what Bret Bielema does over the next few weeks with his Wisconsin Badgers, one objective still remains.
Ohio State and Michigan could suffer humiliating losses that somehow would land Bucky in the BCS, and it wouldn't be worth anything if Bielema cannot convince Racine Park standout John Clay to come to Madison.
The senior recently eliminated Iowa from his list of possible schools, leaving Ohio State, Tennessee, and Nebraska to battle the Badgers for his services. He plans on visiting Wisconsin Nov. 17, and expects to make a decision sometime in January.
No doubt, Wisconsin appears in good shape with P.J. Hill running the ball these days, but it would be quite a statement for Bielema if his staff is able to walk in and land one of the biggest names the state has produced in recent years.
Clay rushed for 5,016 yards in his career at Racine Park. He picked up over 2,000 yards in 2005, when Park won the WIAA State Championship.
Well, huzzah huzzah.
It stands to reason that the green-and-gold faithful will start uttering the word "playoffs," but please, let’s not get carried away here. This team is no better than it was in the season opener, when the Bears handed the Pack a 26-0 thrashing.
Please, don't be fooled. Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy are no secret geniuses; this team is truly and genuinely bad. The only reason the Packers are sniffing a break-even record at midseason is because their opponents have been slightly more atrocious.
For your consideration:
DETROIT -- 1-6
MIAMI -- 1-6
ARIZONA -- 1-7
Do the math here; the three teams the Packers have beaten this season have a combined three victories. There is no possible or plausible way to justify this Packers squad as a team ready to turn a corner. The Packers’ luck continues today, when they travel to Ralph Wilson stadium to meet the 2-5 Bills.
Heading into action today, the Packers sit a full four games behind the 7-0 Bears in the race for the NFC North Division title. With another game against the Bears remaining, as well as taking into account the opening-day whipping the Monsters of the Midway administered, it’s pretty safe to rule any kind of championship out of the equation.
Even landing a wild-card spot is all but impossible. Two games with Minnesota (currently 4-3), at home against New England (6-1), at Seattle (4-3), and the 4-4 Jets will make a tough road to the postseason even with the 49ers and Lions on the schedule.
Say what you want about the offense finding a groove, or the defense finally coming together. If it helps you sleep at night, that’s great. But the truth of the matter is the Packers are bad and have gotten lucky by playing teams that are worse.
In other news:
Making an impression: Shortly after his team handed UW-Milwaukee a stunning, 77-71 exhibition loss at the U.S. Cellular Arena, UW-Parkside head coach Luke Reigel was all smiles.
While in the end, the victory means nothing, Reigel said it was a coming out party of sorts for his NCAA Division II Rangers, who have often gotten lost in the shuffle of state basketball.
With the D-III Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Conference and the D-I boys in Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Madison gobbling up the headlines, the Rangers -- the state’s only D-II team -- have played in relative obscurity.
"That’s why these games are important," Reigel said. "The D-III guys here play in the best league in the country; the Horizon League, the Big Ten, and the Big East are all among the best, too.
"But as the only D-II team in Wisconsin, we play in a pretty good league, too [the Great Lakes Valley Conference]. Coach [Bruce] Pearl won a title in this league, and we regularly get five teams in the tournament."
Reigel has close ties to UWM head coach Rob Jeter. Both played under Bo Ryan at UW-Platteville. Reigel played on the 1995 National Championship team, which had Jeter as an assistant coach. After Jeter went on to become an assistant at Marquette, Reigel took his spot on the Pioneers’ bench.
Making their pitch: No matter what Bret Bielema does over the next few weeks with his Wisconsin Badgers, one objective still remains.
Ohio State and Michigan could suffer humiliating losses that somehow would land Bucky in the BCS, and it wouldn't be worth anything if Bielema cannot convince Racine Park standout John Clay to come to Madison.
The senior recently eliminated Iowa from his list of possible schools, leaving Ohio State, Tennessee, and Nebraska to battle the Badgers for his services. He plans on visiting Wisconsin Nov. 17, and expects to make a decision sometime in January.
No doubt, Wisconsin appears in good shape with P.J. Hill running the ball these days, but it would be quite a statement for Bielema if his staff is able to walk in and land one of the biggest names the state has produced in recent years.
Clay rushed for 5,016 yards in his career at Racine Park. He picked up over 2,000 yards in 2005, when Park won the WIAA State Championship.
