What about the Green Bay Packers? Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur share the blame for the poor season

what did you think Aaron Rodgers of his last frustrating performance when the packers lost their fifth straight game on Sunday?

“It was a my—-“, this was his chosen word with reporters this week when Green Bay fell before detroit 15-9 and saw his mark drop to 3-6 in the 2022 NFL season.

Whether or not the Packers’ campaign has been the equivalent of poop, it has definitely been unbearable to watch. It must also be hard to accept that, at the midpoint of the season, there won’t be a return to the NFC playoffs and a chance to play in Super Bowl 57.

After winning three straight division titles with Rodgers and Coach matt lafleur (13-3, 13-3 and 13-4 from 2019 to 2021), the best the Packers can finish right now is 11-6. They are buried in second place in the NFC North standings, tied with the Bears (3-6), whom they beat in Week 2.

With the loss to the Lions (2-6) and with vikings (7-1), the division leaders, who rallied against Washington for their sixth straight victory, the Packers are now 4 1/2 games out of first place. There is no doubt that the lowest point came in Detroit; they failed to score double digits of points on the road against what might be the worst defense in the league.

Rodgers, for the first time in his career, threw two interceptions in the red zone and a third from outside the Lions 20-yard line. The first interception was deflected off a helmet on the first try. The second occurred while Rodgers was targeting left tackle David Bakhtiari on a play on fourth down. Instead of steamrolling the Lions like they used to, the game ended up being his latest dysfunctional masterpiece.

AARON RODGERS THROWS ANOTHER GOAL LINE INT 😳

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/Y7YGWo7tD7

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 6, 2022

Now Green Bay is where it was the past two seasons under Mike McCarthy. The Packers missed the playoffs in consecutive years. Rodgers last had a three-interception game in 2017. His team went 6-9-1 in 2018, the year before LaFleur was hired.

There’s no question that Rodgers hasn’t played close to his MVP form in back-to-back seasons (2020 and 2021). Not only has he missed wide receivers Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but injuries have greatly affected the new passing game.. The corridor Aaron Jones and promising catcher to rookie romeo doubs suffered injuries this Sunday.

David Bakhtiari has had trouble staying healthy. The noob christian watson and the main recipient Allen Lazard they have just returned from short-term ailments. Lazard and the tight end Robert Tonyan time wasted before. Randall Cobb He remains on the disabled list.

The injury bug has also bitten the defense. the linebacker DeVondre Campbell was low last week, and the edge rusher Rashan Gary and the corner eric stoke They left this week.

But all teams have major injuries. The chargers they have a lot of important losses and still are 5-3. The jets They’ve taken a lot of hits and are 6-3. The 49ersbadly beaten, head to the playoffs after surviving 4-4 ​​going into a much-needed bye week.

Those teams have changed their styles to keep winning. Lhe Packers haven’t, despite their high level of talent.

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Rodgers had to back up and run a combined 48 times in a game that was close for most of Sunday. The Packers ran Jones and AJ Dillon a total of 21 times. They abandoned ideas of a game plan focused on the running game long before Jones was injured. They didn’t adjust to the fact that his defense was playing his best game in weeks against a potent Lions offense.

That’s LaFleur’s fault for not realizing that his team is much more limited than in previous years and has been that way all season. Both he and Rodgers have preached playing well with what they’ve got, but those players haven’t been put in the best positions to succeed.

The Packers have played poor complementary football. After putting up a fight against the mighty Buffalo due to running game and balanced approach, it was ridiculous to avoid a similar plan against a team that has been grounded all season.

It’s not just the overall offensive philosophy, but also the strange personnel decisions. Consider the second miss in the red zone that ended with an interception by Rodgers. Dillon, and not the more versatile Jones, was the running back of choice. Then came a rare forcing of the ball to Bakhtiari, rather than, say, looking for Tonyan against a team that gives tight ends TDs.

The Lions survived to win, but the Packers handed them the game early creating adversity for themselves and ultimately digging a hole they couldn’t get out of.

LaFleur has been a top-tier coach, but it has lost its momentum. He and Rodgers have been the best to lift the team with smart decisions. Instead, silly mistakes have been made that have led to shoddy results.

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When the Packers won their only ring with Rodgers, in Super Bowl 45 after the 2010 season, it was as the final wild card and then number six in the NFC. That team coached by McCarthy, plagued by injuries, he barely got to 10-6, but then went on a special streak, fueled by Rodgers, with the defense also raising its game. They were 6-3 after Week 9 and in no danger of missing the playoffs behind the NFC North winners Bears.

A dozen years later, with a much older Rodgers, this team doesn’t have the same feel. These Packers are in a rare free fall, and they’re not prepared to come back from this many setbacks.

Forget winning the North from the Vikings. For the Packers to make the playoffs, they will have to be near perfect the rest of the way. That will be something almost impossible with games against the Cowboys, Titans, Eagles, Rams, Dolphins and Vikings still on the schedule.

The Sporting News chose the Packers to win Super Bowl 57 believing in a late success from Rodgers and LaFleur. Given the drop in product they’ve delivered this season, they’re past their containment expiration date to make the playoffs.