With two games left in the regular season and a playoff schedule looming after that, is it too early to start thinking about next year for the Packers? Coach Mike McCarthy might think so, but that hasn’t stopped the patrons over at The Wisconsin Sports Bar from ruminating on the future of the Green & Gold.
I think one of the best things to come out of this season — in addition to the playoff run, of course — is the sense that maybe Green Bay is back on the road of longterm success. They have a roster stocked with young, talented players who still have room to improve (scary!) and most of the veterans are already locked into contract extensions. Most importantly, we seem to have a general manager and a head coach who are on the same page as to how to run a football team. (Note to incoming CEO Mark Murphy: Get those new contracts done soon and keep those guys around.)
I know, Ted Thompson takes some heat now and again (Justin Harrell, until he shows us something) and no one knew last year what to expect from MM, but really the proof is in the pudding. This system seems to be working and should provide a stable environment for continued success. Barring a raft of injuries like 2005, next year should be another successful one for the Green Bay Packers.
The big question mark, of course, is Brett Favre and how long he’ll continue to play. I’m pretty sure he will decide to come back next season regardless of how far they go in the post-season, but beyond that can the Packers continue to win without Number Four? I think so.
I think so because MM has shown he is the type of coach who can gameplan for the roster that he has. The guy came into Green Bay last year saying he wants to run the ball, but without a dominant run game early in the season he adapted and went to a spread offense. If Favre decides to retire, MM will switch to a different strategy that plays to whatever strengths the team has. (If Aaron Rodgers aka Mr. Glass has to start next year, doubling the size of the medical staff might be a good idea.)
This doesn’t mean there aren’t areas of the roster that need attention. The offensive line could stand some improvement with new talent, and perhaps a young, new tight end in case Bubba Franks doesn’t bounce back from his latest bout with injury. The biggest issue, though, is the secondary where TT needs to start thinking about replacements for Al Harris and Charles Woodson. I’m sure they both have a couple years left to play, but that day is coming and so far few (none?) of the young corners on the roster have shown that they can really step up as starters.
This might be the Green & Gold Kool Aid talking again, but I’m feeling pretty confident that the window of opportunity for championship seasons will be open for a few more years down the road.
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Wow. I strongly disagree. And that’s because of Favre, Clifton, Harris and Woodson. All these guys are huge keys, and all are quite old. You could get a serious drop off from them at any minute. As a matter of fact, I think this may be Harris’s last decent season. Frankly, I think it’s naive to expect them to continue to perform at this level. There are some possible future replacements on the roster with Colledge, Barbre, Blackmon and Rodgers, but still, the playmakers on this team are old.
December 21st, 2007 at 12:28 pmLook at what being down one corner did to the defense at Dallas. Look at how brittle Rodgers’ has been.
I think calling Rogers a puss is a little harsh. He broke his Fuc*in leg thats probably why he is having hammy problems now. He played great in Dallas, and showed accuracy and poise. I do not envy his position of replacing a freak of nature but he’ll be fine. Every team in the league has issues with aging players and Packers are no different. TT is as good as it gets, so keep your cool cuz the Pack will rule!
January 5th, 2008 at 10:11 pm