In the first six weeks of the 2021 NFL Season, various teams have been talked about as contenders in the NFC: obviously there are the Buccaneers, the Rams, the Cowboys or the Cardinals. But for some reason the Packers, despite their status as serious playoff contenders, are not seen as the “powerhouse” who can win the division championship.
In their week 7 game Green Bay defeated Washington 24-10 to extend their winning streak to six, and overall it was a game that encapsulates the Packers’ current situation: overall they look good, but not there are reasons to be overconfident.
Aaron Rodgers threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns, but the rushing offense did very little. Davante Adams caught six passes for 76 yards with a touchdown and the defense looked much better than expected, leaving the opponent at ten points and avoiding a red zone touchdown for the first time this season. In the end, Green Bay knew how to take advantage of Washington’s mistakes and with that it was enough for them to get a comfortable victory.
But, as I said, it is not a marker that generates broad confidence.
What generates distrust with the Packers?
If you look at the Packers’ situation, there are a couple of reasons they have a lot of reserves with their 6-1 record and their position within the NFC landscape. Let’s start with the most obvious: your calendar.
Green Bay started the year losing in a scandalous way to the Saints and after that they have tied several wins over opponents of doubtful level: Lions, 49ers, Steelers, Bears and now Washington are the rivals that the Packers have beaten in the year. The other team, Cincinnati, is starting to gain notoriety after their resounding win over the Ravens, but other than that there isn’t much weight on the opponents Green Bay has faced.
Then there is the subject of recent history. This team has done the same thing for the last two years and the result has been identical: they lost the NFC Final. What have they done up to now to convince us that they are a different team from the last two seasons? Why should we get excited about his 6-1 record when recent history indicates that his problem is not winning in the regular season, but taking the last step in the Super Bowl race?
It seems that for now the Packers will continue on this “automatic pilot” where they continue to reap wins and secure their place towards the postseason. Once there, the moment of truth will come: we will see if this call “Last Dance” it doesn’t end up being a popular dance in recent years.
Can we believe the Packers already or are we still waiting? We wait for your comments.
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Sixth victory in a row for the Packers, but without much emotion