One game a season does not make
By Ginna Young
How ’bout them Packers! Too soon?
I think most every Green Bay fan is still reeling from the horrendous effort the Green & Gold put forth in the first regular season game last Sunday. It was indeed a very painful sight to watch, as the New Orleans Saints beat up on the visiting team.
Our offense missed the bus to Tampa Bay, I’m pretty sure (the game was played in Florida, because of recent hurricane damage in Louisiana). Not only did quarterback Aaron Rodgers look disinterested and discombobulated, but he also looked like he just didn’t care if his team won, which, for a competitor, is not a good thing.
Yeah, you should always have fun playing any game, even if you lose, but winning is always the goal (no pun intended).
If anyone followed the whole offseason “is he coming back” debacle, it could be the heart went out of Rodgers, if he truly thought Green Bay didn’t want him back. Or, like some suggested afterward, was this a “lesson” to show the Packers what life would be like without him?
Either way, Rodgers left the game early in the fourth quarter, when the Packers were down, but not out. It was a sad, pathetic attempt by our offense, as Green Bay didn’t complete a first down until back-up quarterback Jordan Love came into the game when Rodgers sat down.
For those of you who don’t follow sports, a first down means the team advances 10 yards down the field offensively, getting them closer to scoring in the endzone. Each team’s attempt on offense gets four chances to move 10 yards, then the four downs start again. See why it’s pathetic they didn’t get one until the fourth quarter?
I had small, but still there, hopes that Love might miraculously turn it all around and we would at least make a better showing against the Saints. Alas, those hopes were dashed.
Not only did our offense look as though they’ve never touched a football before, but our defense was possibly even worse. The opposing quarterback had waaaaay too much time to get rid of the ball and we couldn’t stop any of the runners.
Despite this, I haven’t given up on the season just yet, although, to my surprise, many of my fellow fans have. Normally, we do “trash talk” the team if we lose. Really, though, do we seriously think we could do better out on the field?
Yes, the players are professional athletes, supposed to be the best of the best, highly paid for their skills. In their defense, I would like to point out that historically speaking, Green Bay does better in cooler climates and Tampa Bay was anything but cool that day.
They don’t call our stadium the Frozen Tundra for nothing. Our players get used to the freezing temperatures at Lambeau Field and I know I do better in cold, than I do in hot.
Also, this is just the first game of the year, because we all know preseason doesn’t count right? Wink, wink. Some teams stumble in the first game, as they find the way to mesh and get used to each other’s field presence. It’s possible that’s what happened here.
Probably the biggest thing that struck me, was how the fans reacted. Do you guys remember the era after Bart Starr and before Brett Favre? We weren’t that great. Don’t give me that look, we weren’t. Truth hurts.
Still, did we turn off the TV or radio? Were the stands empty? Did people not rush home from church or leave the family dinner table to turn on the game?
No. Our fan base is similar to the Cubs. Win, lose, we support our team. We are Cheeseheads!
I’m confident the Pack will get the kinks worked out, if not entirely by this week, then by the next. I’m not ready to write off the whole season just yet.
Imagine if we gave up on every phase of our life as easily, wouldn’t that be sad? Nothing would ever be accomplished. As Rodgers himself said after the game, there are still 16 matches to go in the regular season.
It’s just one game.
