Inbox Thats The Bottom Line

This is no knock on Jordan Love as I was impressed with his performance like many others, but it appeared that he might have had the opportunity to pick up yardage and first downs by running instead of throwing on a few plays. Was he perhaps told to play it safe and avoid any possible injury with Rodgers already sidelined? GPG!

I don’t think that was it. On that last drive, it was about scoring as quickly as possible to preserve as much time and the Packers’ three timeouts, so they could use them on defense if they didn’t recover the onside kick (which is how it played out). He wasn’t getting running lanes to the end zone, so throwing downfield was the priority.

Mike, I have recently been writing in complaining about Joe Barry and both you and Wes have not only not posted my questions but you have not posted anyone’s questions or comments that have been specifically critical to Joe Barry. I am trying to take a different approach and ask why? It has been evident that the defensive side of the ball has not been prepared for most of the games this season. This is on the coach! You may mention a specific breakdown but won’t address the coach. Why?

Because to say the players aren’t prepared would be an assumption and a blanket statement on my part. I don’t know that they’re not prepared adequately because I don’t get to observe preparation. Criticism in this forum will always be skewed toward player performance, because that’s what I can see. I can’t see coaching, game-planning, play-calling, etc., so posting a bunch of comments ripping a coach isn’t appropriate nor defensible. There are plenty of other forums where you can find that opportunity if you desire. Now, all that said, do I think there are some issues with preparation and scheme? Of course. LaFleur hasn’t denied that either. But how much is that versus the players simply not doing their jobs as they’ve been trained to do them? I have no idea. Again, I don’t get to sit in on meetings and watch practices. Though I’m no expert, I’ve been reviewing game film long enough to know I’m seeing players do things no coach would ever teach. Yet ultimately, I’m perfectly aware it’s a coaching staff’s job to get the best out of the players in a results-oriented business. That’s why I said Monday there’s plenty of blame to go around, and we’ll find out in the offseason where leadership feels most of the blame and accountability should lie. The decisions that are made in the final analysis will tell us.

Margeaux from Tallahassee, FL

Mike, Wes wrote “not enough hats flying to the ball” in an answer yesterday. A few times once Hurts cleared the line of scrimmage and made one man miss in space he seemed to have no one near him for 25 yards. Were those caused by blown assignments, great schemes by the Philly OC or just unfortunate circumstance?

Great question, and it’s one I addressed on the latest “Unscripted,” because when one missed tackle results in a rupture, that’s not sound defense. My best guesses are defenders being unable to get off blocks and DBs getting drawn downfield by receivers, eliminating their ability to help on scrambles.

I know it’s been mentioned a little last couple days about Philly’s drive at the end of the first half. Even in the moment, I thought it was a poor decision to start taking timeouts. Mostly with the fact we had come back from the early hole and were getting the ball first in the second half. There was not enough time and they were not pinned back deep enough, I thought. Did ML address that drive, thought process?

He hasn’t been asked about it. On Monday, he expressed obvious frustration at the missed tackle on third-and-14 that turned a likely fourth-and-6 into fourth-and-1. One could argue that play changed the game more than any other from the Packers’ perspective.

Noting that injuries, bad play and scheme all contributed to the losses this year, I couldn’t help but feel that bad officiating on critical plays also played a major role in the loss column. It seems that in almost every game when the Packers had a scoring or “chunk” play, there lay the yellow flag. Many like the TD negated against the Eagles for a picture-perfect pancake block, or Tonyan’s TD negated due to “O” pass interference were backbreakers given all the other struggles. What say you?

I don’t disagree, but it’s “all the other struggles” that don’t allow you to be resilient enough to overcome the tough breaks, which all teams get from time to time. The Packers did overcome the pancake-holding to still score in Philly, but they settled for a field goal after the Tonyan OPI in Buffalo, and the defense couldn’t bounce back from the sack-killing flags in London. “All the other” stuff builds a team’s margin for error, and this team has dealt with an ultra-slim one all season.

David from Janesville, WI

Inboxers, how can anyone be surprised after how this season has gone that an offensive breakthrough would correlate with a defensive breakdown? Inconsistency has been the constant. The bright side of this is that if you can do it right once, you can do it right most of the time. The roster is capable if frustratingly unpredictable. It’s likely too late for this season, but it isn’t burn the place down and start over. Heck, even the most important position on the team has two legit players.

All true. That’s why the offseason decisions in various areas might be more interesting than they’ve been in a while around here.

Gentlemen, in this life, we gotta take what we can get. Vic’s December friend is TECHNICALLY here. We are not mathematically eliminated. Let’s enjoy it!

Playing games always beats the offseason.

If there’s no math allowed in the Inbox, can the Packers ever truly be mathematically eliminated?