- Max Greenberg
- Sep 17, 2021
Author: Max Greenberg
Editor: Brian Symons
Let’s just say that things have not started off well for the NFL’s version of the “Last Dance.” All of us knew that it has not been smooth sailing for the Green Bay Packers for the past five months, but we thought they could put it aside and turn in another great season. After all, that is what happened last year.
Their first game against the New Orleans Saints was anything but an indication of that. They looked the exact opposite of what they were in 2020, losing 38-3 in a game where the score told the story. It was so bad that Aaron Rodgers was benched for his expected eventual replacement in Jordan Love.
Now, many will bring up reasons for this loss, such as that Rodgers had barely practiced all summer and just needs a few games to get back into the swing of things. And yes, he is the reigning league MVP and the Packers should have by far the best team in the NFC North.
But you cannot look at this game and everything out of the Packers organization throughout the offseason and say with confidence that everything is going to be alright. Yes, the Saints are well-coached and Jameis Winston had a very good game, but this loss says more about the Packers.
Let’s just put it this way, if you are a player on a team and you have wanted out of there, and you return for one more season knowing you will be gone the next, are you going to play with top-notch motivation? I mean, the Bulls won the NBA Championship in the Last Dance season, but they were a proven dynasty with already five chips under their belts. The Packers, on the other hand, have been more known for their drama than winning when it matters most.
There might be people out there who believe in conspiracy theories and will make a case that Rodgers is going to throw games this year. There is next to no chance that that is the case, but right now, it looks like all of the noise is affecting the team on the field.
So how will the Packers go from here? Again, it is just one game, and some teams tend to play much sloppier in Week 1, but if they do not win their next game, they are in real trouble.
They are returning to Lambeau Field to take on one of the NFL’s worst teams in the Detroit Lions, who are one of the Packers’ division rivals. If they cannot win this one, it might be time to start thinking about life without Rodgers, and without any more Super Bowls.
This is an extreme long shot, but if the Packers are struggling at the time of the trade deadline, do they cut their losses and ship off Rodgers and Davante Adams? I mean, why pass on a MASSIVE haul for those two and lose them for nothing?
Let’s get one thing right -- the end for this Packers core is nearing, and the results so far indicate that it could be coming sooner rather than later.
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