There’s only so many ways you can spin the fact that the Packers are 4-3 and haven’t beaten a winning team. There’s only so much pain a Packers fan can endure when it comes to their former hero ripping their hearts out. There are only so many times you can scratch your head as to who’s to blame when players vent against the coaching staff and management.  There’s only so many times you can listen to excuses regarding the same problems. You add it all up and it becomes the angst as to which direction this proud franchise is headed.

Getting past the Favre divorce is harder for fans than it is for those behind the walls of Lambeau Field but what you can’t get past is a peering look at the philosophy Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy have taken to build and run this team.   At this point you could say that the rest of the season is an audition for job security and philosophical confidence.

For a General Manager, hitting on fifty percent of your draft choices is doing a pretty solid job. Ted Thompson is below that threshold at this point. While players from the ‘05’ thru ‘09’ drafts are contributing, are they really making an impact?
Out of the 51 players selected by Thompson; Aaron Rodgers, Nick Collins, Greg Jennings, Johnny Jolly, James Jones, Mason Crosby, Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley and Clay Matthews (9) can be considered impact players. Brady Poppinga, A.J. Hawk, Jason Spitz, Will Blackmon, Allen Barbre, Desmond Bishop, Josh Sitton (7) can be considered adequate players with potential. Guys like B.J. Raji, T.J. Lang, Breno Giacomini, Justin Harrell, Quinn Johnson, Brandon Underwood (6) are considered works in progress and the rest are either roster fillers or have been cut or traded. That gives you 22 out of 51 players with a contribution to your football team (43%). If Lang, Sitton and Barbre all pan out then drafting for the future offensively has been a success.   The guy, unfortunately, that’s paid the price for the experiment of replacing 3 out of 5 trench guys has been Aaron Rodgers (sacked 31 times in 7 games). 

Meanwhile, Mike McCartthy’s had to deal with a year and a half’s worth of undisciplined, inconsistent football. The same problems seem to plague his football team week in and week out. You can almost predict the breakdowns just insert a different name each week. Key penalties, special teams,  pressureless defense and, at times, predictable play calling have haunted McCarthy and become the albatross that will ultimately bring him down.

So you look at the remaining 9 games of this season and believe that the Packers have to win 6 to have a legitimate shot at getting into the post-season. Here’s where the auditions come in. Since Thompson has remained steadfast in not venturing out into the free agent market then his drafts have to be spot on. 43% isn’t spot on. The offensive line has to improve to become a force. Not only in the protection of Aaron Rodgers but in the running game. This group needs to begin blowing up holes and creating run lanes that last longer than the blink of an eye. Defensively, B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews have to continue to improve as well. If this happens, then you can say that Thompson’s rebuilding plan just took a year longer than expected and he would be cut some slack. For McCarthy, the continual mistakes that have plagued this team have to be corrected immediately. The head coaches, “We’ll look at the tape and get those cleaned up”, refrain falls upon deaf ears now. It’s been 7 games, the defense should be “getting” the new system and begin to show some real signs of progress and pressure. McCarthy’s offense will get Nelson, Finley and Hall back. With the full implement of weaponry, you would expect this group to start putting up some daunting numbers even on the better defenses. Shawn Slocum’s special teams need to do two simple things, stay in your lanes and keep contain. Easier said than done I know but it really is just that simple.

If the Packers cross the finish line at 8-8 or worse, wholesale changes are in this franchises future. The downhill roll most likely will begin. Either Thompson will can his handpicked leader or Ted will be thrown out with the bath water as a new era will begin. The board of directors was spilt regarding the Favre saga and even with an 8-8 season, in my opinion, behind closed doors Thompson won’t be given the benefit of the doubt. If Thompson remains then most certainly, pressure from above will dictate a change. There is a built in excuse however; the change to the 3-4 and the year’s learning curve that goes along with it but I don’t think that’ll be enough to save jobs. If this team ends at 9-7 and falls just short of the playoffs, then I believe that it’ll be enough to keep the two key components, McCarthy and Thompson, but the periphery, somewhere, would pay the price.

So starting today; Players, coaches, management…….take your places. It’s time to raise your scripts (playbooks) and perform for your future depends on it.