State of the Pack: Don’t Panic (but keep the button close)

After watching the penalty plagued Monday night game against the Bears, the Packers kept digging themselves into a grave. That grave was where their running game currently resides, because like it or not, Green Bay can NOT run the football. For a team that had major Super Bowl hopes, there isn’t much to be hopeful about now that Ryan Grant and his running game is on the sideline, tweeting about the game and how much he misses being out there.

The evidence was there against the Buffalo Bills that yeah the offense really can’t move the ball on the ground. The game was a blowout which disguised the fact that the Packers running backs Brandon Jackson and John Kuhn didn’t get much yardage. Then what became implausible became reality when the Bears (they are who Dennis Green thought they were!) took advantage of our inability to run the ball and forced mistakes from the Packers receivers as well as some miscues by Aaron Rodgers. The end result has been that the Packers are now one dimensional, and while many expected the passing game to be the primary offensive scheme, it has come to the point where the Packers go: pass, pass, pass, first down/punt. The Packers could make this work, but it would be better for any offense to have at least some running threat, otherwise, the defense is just going to try and force the issues by playing the coverage game.

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Penalties are another big problem for the Packers. Mike McCarthy tends to have his teams start off a bit undisciplined and then by the end of the season have few penalties a game. 18 penalties by the Packers is just ridiculous though, some calls were a bit “iffy: but nonetheless that was just a bad showing by the Packers, and had a combined 72 yards rushing even with some hearty Aaron Rodgers’ scrambles. The Packers cannot win this formula they have going on currently, and need to make a change if they want to be considered a power house once more. The lingering trade rumor for Marshawn Lynch needs to become a reality, Ted Thompson needs to for once make a game changing move for the team instead of sticking through the thin. Lynch would provide an every down type running back that Brandon Jackson isn’t, as he and Kuhn are more suited for the 3rd down type of play. With Ryan Grant out for the season, the Packers need a new spark, why not trade for the running back you coveted in the draft not too long ago. If the Packers hope to install fear in the NFC once more, they better pull the trigger.

By Byron Reyna
ProFootball-fans.com Green Bay Packers Correspondent