I put Head Coach Mike McCarthy in the 'Ugly' category for the first time since starting the venerable day-after-the-game "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly" tradition here at Cheesehead TV after watching what can only be described as a pathetic, mistake prone team lose it's focus and throw away a game it had every business winning. Making matters worse, of course, is the prospect, looming over all of Packer-land, of the Packers losing Aaron Rodgers for an extended period of time. The idea of the Packers rolling out Matt Flynn against Atlanta next week, never mind against Seattle or Indianapolis the following two, gives Packer fans everywhere the opportunity to jump ship on the season, or worse yet, to engage in a game of 'gotcha' with Packer management as Brett Favre throws for seemingly a thousand touchdowns out here on the East Coast, each one a tiny dagger thrust into the heart of Packer Fandom.

But let's get one thing clear here.

Mike McCarthy can win with Matt Flynn at quarterback. He has to.

Flynn beat out a prospect that not two years ago was a consensus first overall pick in Brian Brohm. Flynn has earned his shot. And one need look no further than the Packers next opponent, the Atlanta Falcons, for an example of how to win with a rookie quarterback (a rookie quarterback who was also made to look terrible down in Tampa Bay) Now, does Flynn have the physical tools Matt Ryan has? No. But McCarthy's job is to tailor his gameplan to what Flynn does have. If teams like the Falcons and the Ravens can win with rookie quarterbacks, there's no reason the Packers, with infinitely more talent at the offensive skill positions than either of those teams, can't do the same.

McCarthy and Thompson wanted down this path, eschewing the need for a veteran signal-caller for the prospect of grooming two young quarterbacks in the event of a Rodgers injury. It's an easy decision to make when you are armed with a newly signed five year contract extension, as Thompson is. Even if this year is a wash (which it by no means should be) the Packers come back next year with a healed Rodgers and a  seasoned Flynn backing him up. It makes sense, long term. But it's hard for Packer fans to watch a team that was an overtime away from the Super Bowl not eight months ago, suddenly on the brink of a wasted season. It's McCarthy's job to make sure Flynn succeeds, which starts by giving him a running game and a gameplan that is not scared to take some chances and a defense that can keep the pressure off the quarterback to score every time his team has the ball.

Whether Rodgers or Flynn is the quarterback next week, McCarthy needs to get his team's obvious deficiencies cleaned up. There's way too much talent on this team for the Packers to stop winning.