| Nicole Haase. 10th December, 2008 - 1:11 pm
 For fans, the wretched waiting and hoping should be over after Sunday’s loss to Houston. Even though a slim chance still exists that the Packers will make the playoffs, it’s more than unlikely.
With the loss, Packers' fans everywhere can be released from the gut-wrenching expectations they had for the season. They can give up, relax, and move their sports' focus elsewhere.
May I suggest the Wisconsin Men’s Hockey team? Their six-game win streak might soothe your deflated spirits.
Being a Packer fan this season has been an exercise in frustration that fans have likely not seen with this team for the past 20 years or so.
Torched for almost 550 yards by the Texans, the most given up by any Packers' defense in 25 years, Green Bay once again looked inept, uncoordinated, and as if they’d never played the game together, in Week 15 no less.
The final 24-21 score was not indicative of the putrid defensive performance put up by Green Bay once again. Houston should have been able to exploit the Packers for upward of 40 points.
Every time the defense took the field, it was like watching a plane crash in slow motion. Alhough corner Tramon Williams has stepped it up big time this season and even came up with an interception, he was beaten not once, but twice, for long catches by Texans' WR Kevin Walter.
For the second week in a row, Charles Woodson was moved from corner to safety. While the move was made last week to cover for holes due to injury, Aaron Rouse was active on Sunday. The Packers would have had a better chance with Woodson covering at corner and Williams comfortable in his safety role.
It’s not that Woodson can’t handle the safety role, it’s that the Packers can’t afford or cover for the drop-off in coverage that removing Woodson from corner presents. Williams was out-played all day long, giving up almost 150 yards to a WR who’d not had a 100-yard game all season.
It’s time to look at defensive coordinator Bob Sanders. His players looked as though they’d never seen the West Coast Offense that Houston ran. They were unprepared and made to look silly for most of the game.
The defense consistently fell for fake handoffs, leaving QB Matt Schaub all alone when he would roll out of the pocket. He saw little-to-no pressure whether he left the pocket or not. The Packers should have been prepared for the naked bootleg – a staple of West Coast offense.
Not only did they get burned on simple plays, but throughout the game, there were no adjustments made. It looked as if the guys on the sideline were giving each other the silent treatment.
Thankfully, the misery will soon be over, and Packers' fans can spend the off-season figuring out how the team will rebuild both the offensive and defensive lines. GM Ted Thompson is not known for his free agent pick ups, but the Packers have too many holes to fill through the draft alone.
Right tackle Mark Tauscher is out for the season with a torn ACL and is likely done as a Packer. A free agent next season, his contract has yet to be extended and, therefore, likely won’t be.
That’s just one more veteran spot on an already sparse line that needs to be fortified if that Packers want any shot at redemption next season. |
