In the wake of last week’s loss to the New England Patriots, the Green Bay Packers are facing an identity crisis.
Are the 2018 Packers a playoff team or simply an NFC also-ran?
The fire and brimstone prognostications have been unfairly tethered to the Packers before — see their 2016 season comeback — but there seems to be a malaise engulfing the team that the players are eager to remedy.
“We’ve lost games before here, but this just feels different,” wide receiver Randall Cobb said, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “And it doesn’t feel good. It’s not fun. But we’ve got to figure something out.
“We definitely need some momentum, we need to get a win. … Very frustrating and it’s tough. Because I know what we’re capable of and we’re not there. I don’t know what it is, but we’ve got to find a way to get it done.”
Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins presents a good opportunity for the 3-4-1 Packers to jump start their rejuvenation efforts. With starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill sidelined again because of a lingering shoulder injury, the Packers‘ defense should be up to the task of keeping things under control.
If Brockvember rocks them, though, a fourth loss in five games could doom the Green Bay’s postseason aspirations — only one of Green Bay’s next six games is against a team that currently holds a losing record (Cardinals).
And that would be different. The Packers have made the playoffs in eight of the nine seasons Aaron Rodgers has started at least eight games. The only year they missed out was when they went 6-10 in 2008 — Rodgers’ first year as a starter.
“We have to play with confidence and play up to the level we’re capable of playing,” Rodgers said.
