Are The Packers Really An 8-8 Team?

The Green Bay Packers were called out as nothing better than an 8-8 team yesterday. If the superstars on this team don't elevate the level of play around them, the "Just A Guys" may make the Pack "Just A Team."

Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Derek Sherrod by Steven Bisig—USA TODAY Sports.

Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Derek Sherrod by Steven Bisig—USA TODAY Sports.

Bob McGinn quoted an unnamed personnel executive yesterday stating that he believes that the 2014 Packers are nothing better than an 8-8 team. He based the overall record on a postiion-by-position evaluation, not on the team as a whole, but stated that the lack of depth on a team with key injuries put the Packers behind the 8-8 Ball for this season.

Now, do I believe that the Packers are nothing better than an 8-8 team? Of course not. They're at least 9-7. Or 8-7-1. 

But what I believe or hope for isn't the same as reality, and if the Packers are truly an 8-8 team this year, it would be a pretty tough pill to swallow for the fans, and even moreso for the organization and the businesses that rely on the Packers for revenue.

My reality has always been to hang my hat on the superstar talent that the Packers have on both sides of the ball. How can a team with Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, Eddie Lacy, Clay Matthews, and Julius Peppers be anything except a winning football team? There are teams out there that would trade anywhere from two to five first-round draft picks for just one of those guys. That level of talent should always elevate the guys around them. After all, that's how we won in 2010, right?

But the personnel guy makes note of one important issue, particularly when it comes to the right tackle position, calling Derek Sherrod "Just A Guy".

"Just A Guy". Let that resonate for a while. As a fan growing up in the 80's, I can tell you about plenty of full rosters of the Packers that were made up of nothing except JAGs. All guys we hoped would do well, showed promise, but in the end were just replaceable parts.

Always looking to upgrade.

After winning a Super Bowl trophy less than four years ago, there was little thought given to upgrading positions. The Packers were set with superstars on both sides of the line. They had to be superstars, right? I mean, we just won the Lombardi Trophy. What would we need to upgrade?

But flash-forward to 2014, and there are plenty of holes. Some have appeared due to player departures due to free agency, some to age and injury. Some have familiar faces playing at only of the percentage of the impact they had years ago. And many are replacement players, those who haven't developed or seem stuck in the land between promise and production.

After a win like last week, we can encourage ourselves that our roster is good enough to win, good enough to challenge for a division title in a weak division once again. But the reality that set in after Week 1 is that even if the Packers win the games they are supposed to, they look to be overwhelmed by the NFL Elite...you know, the teams you face AFTER you win a divison title (or sneak in with a wild card with a barely-winning record).

The problem isn't that the Packers don't have superstars. The problem is that the Packers have more JAGs than an NFL elite team should have. The names roll off your tongue: Sherrod, Jones, Neal, Linsley, Guion, Burnett, Quarrless. Now add to that some veteran players that you wish were playing up to what is expected at the position, namely guys like AJ Hawk.

In the end, the Packers got crushed by an NFL Elite team, and had to generate a massive comeback to defeat one of the lesser teams of the NFL last week. And if you take those two games in a vacuum, its easy to label them an 8-8 football team. More importantly, its easy to say they are no longer among the elite teams of the NFL, something we're not used to.

Heck, if your last name is Rhodes, 8-8 is enough to get you fired after one year on the job.

Perception is reality. If you believe the Packers are going to go out and win every game, that's your reality. If you believe that they are just mediocre, that's your reality, too. The Green Bay Packers are 1-1 and about to take on their first division rival, one that by every measure should go the Packers' way early.

As the season goes on, our perceptions will give way to the reality on the field and in the box scores, and it will come down to who has more influence on this team: the superstars, like Rodgers and Matthews, or the JAGs, like Sherrod and Jones. You see, the theory of synergy is that a team playing united and for a common goal will play better than the sum of its parts. Our superstar veteran experienced this in 2010 and 2011, and know that it is possible. But the opposite is also possible: that meidocre play can rub off on your stars, pulling them down and making their impact less felt.

Aaron Rodgers started the season slowly before finally getting a groove in the second half of the Jets game. He's look rusty on his throws and hanging too long in the pocket. Clay Matthews has been erratic, showing up at times and disappearing for stretches. But do you note how we always blame someone else for that? The line needed to do a better job blocking, or the defensive line needs to contain the QB and open a lane for Matthews. Right?

That's the impact of the oppositie of synergy: excuses.

The Packers will iive up to my optimisitc 11-5 prediction if those superstars play without excuses and elevate the play of the JAGs around them. The veterans with the Super Bowl rings need to play at a Super Bowl level (and expect everyone around them to play at that level, too), or they need to step aside for the next man up.

But if the JAGs rule the day, if we spend more time trying to accomodate weaknesses than playing to our strengths, than that unnamed personnel man is right, and this team will play to the level of the players who have the most influence.

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Comments (16)

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pooch's picture

September 21, 2014 at 10:59 am

So Pennel is an ascending player?? Lattimore is marginal at best? Jones should not be on roster according to scout.We need Pennel in middle, Matthews and Barrington inside on obvious passing downs.On offense failure to pick up ot after B.B went down is big failure as even if he returns his durability is doubtful.Sherrod looking more and norelike major bust

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DrealynWilliams's picture

September 21, 2014 at 11:12 am

Coaching and play-calling also plays a big role. Talent can only get you so far. No consistency.

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pooch's picture

September 21, 2014 at 11:31 am

Yes i agree coaching needs to be much improved

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jmac34's picture

September 21, 2014 at 11:05 am

This unnamed scout also picked Minnesota to win the division with Matt Cassel at qb and said the Vikings defense would be good without really giving a good reason why. Dude obviously worked for the Vikings

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TarynsEyes's picture

September 21, 2014 at 11:06 am

" There are teams out there that would trade anywhere from two to five first-round draft picks for just one of those guys."

LMAO.....you can't be serious!?

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Ioana Ebinger's picture

September 21, 2014 at 11:17 am

Besides the questionable Minny pick, the fact that he is color coding TJ Land and Josh Sitton same as Richard Rodgers tells me everything I need to know about this unemployed scout.

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zeke's picture

September 21, 2014 at 11:22 am

"But if the JAGs rule the day, if we spend more time trying to accomodate weaknesses than playing to our strengths, than that unnamed personnel man is right, and this team will play to the level of the players who have the most influence."

I think that's true of every team in the league.

Many more years ago than I care to remember, I had Thanksgiving dinner with my best friend's family. His father-in-law was the player personnel director for an NFL team, and the others at the table included the head coach/general manager, assistant GM, and scouting director (and their wives). Needless to say, it was fascinating to take part in the conversation once the wine kicked in and the focus turned to football. The thing that struck me most was the absolute certainty they all had in their opinions on various players and GMs, and the huge disparity between them all. (The only thing they agreed on was that Ron Wolf was a genius, but I'm not certain that wasn't because they knew I was a Packer fan. I doubt it, though).

The scouting director, who went on to become a GM and won a SB, was absolutely adamant that Brett Favre had a glass head and would always stand in the way of his team so much as winning a playoff game. The player personnel director sort of agreed, and the HC disagreed just as strongly. However, they were all convinced that the QB that they had just drafted the year before was the next Johnny Unitas, and they wouldn't trade him for anyone. Needless to say, that didn't happen and two of the three were unemployed by the time Andre Rison caught that TD in New Orleans.

Point being, un-named personnel executives are a better source of football info than your average fan, but this isn't math. There are too many variables, and I'd bet McGinn's source would be the first to agree. As the HC/GM said at the end of that Thanksgiving conversation, "But WTF do I know? I thought Joe Montana was a wasted pick."

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BradHTX's picture

September 21, 2014 at 11:36 am

Opinions are like *ssholes: everyone has one, and most of them stink. We'll find out by the end of December how much value this guy's has.

But it says a lot to me that he has Sitton and Lang, widely regarded as one of the best guard tandems in the NFL listed as 3rd tier "purples." That implies to me that this guy's opinion is either tainted by loyalty to someone else, or he simply isn't very well informed. Sitton at least is worth more than a "purple (+)" score.

Bottom line: the schedule this year is tougher than last year, no question, especially now at the beginning of the season. But if last year's Pack could manage 8-7-1 without Rogers for half the season, then I have to think that this year's team (assuming Rogers stays healthy) can manage at least two games better, all other things being equal.

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pooch's picture

September 21, 2014 at 02:58 pm

6 and 10

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zoellner25's picture

September 21, 2014 at 03:16 pm

Yes. They suck

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C's picture

September 21, 2014 at 03:33 pm

Yet it was their top personnel that sucked today while the "just guy" crew played well. Irony...

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Imma Fubared's picture

September 21, 2014 at 07:48 pm

This is not an 8-8 team. They will be 1-5 and basically out of the playoffs by game six.
No O line, because Ted didn't acquire any draft or free agent health. He bet on Bulaga and Sherrod and everyone else being healthy.
No D line help. He bet Peppers would be the answer. He is an answer but he is alone. No supporting cast.
Lacy is not a top running back. He lacks speed and the ability to break tackles. I've never seen anyone hit more often in the backfield then him. He had his 15 minutes of fame.
Rogers looks average. He poses no ability to scramble and has a target on his back, no one fears his running and his receivers are not up to snuff. Need more than Jordy.

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Point-Packer's picture

September 22, 2014 at 05:31 pm

If the Pack go 8-8 this year, MM should feel the heat. A well coached NFL team with Aaron Rodgers should win 10 games, minimum.

After watching the Seahawks the last three games, its amazing how incredibly diverse their offense is and how well they utilize their offensive weapons to keep opposing defensive units on their heals. Makes MM's 2014/2015 offensive look straight out of the 70's. I'm amazed at how poorly we utilize our RB's in the running game, our lack of creativity in the passing game and the general lack of malleability in our game plan.

Makes me wonder if modern NFL offenses are evolving and MM is stuck in a bye-gone era.

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JimTaylor31's picture

September 24, 2014 at 06:38 am

Let's face it. TT simply has not drafted well enough to stock a "draft-and-develop" team with high level talent. The D&D only works if you can keep an infusion of good talent via the draft. Our No. 1 picks the last few years have just not been impact type players or injury prone or both and Ted has been trying to make up the difference with lower rouind picks and UDFAs. Peppers helps but he's just one guy. Right now we have a few impact players but mostly just contributor types. If the impact guys (i.e. Mathews, Rodgers, Cobb) are not playing at their A level then we are pretty much just an average team.

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Packatron's picture

September 24, 2014 at 10:24 am

Nailed it.

To be a "draft develop" team you can't miss on high draft picks. Sherrod, Perry, Jones, Worthy, Neil. These guys should be playmakers based on their pedigree and where they were taken in the draft. They simply aren't and it's hurting the entire team and it's future.

On the flip side, one good draft can turn this thing around in a hurry. But right now, they just have to play with the hand they're dealt this season, as frustrating as it is to watch sometimes.

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Tommy Phillips's picture

September 24, 2014 at 07:45 am

"Just a Guy"... "JAGs"... Jaguars... I see what you did there...

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