The Great Packer Debate Continues: Which Side Are YOU On?

With the completion of 10 games, and a mere six to go, the Packers face a major crossroad in their quest for the postseason.  The Packers are not only defined by the upcoming competition, but also the collected injuries that they have sustained.

In a season already inundated with offensive injuries, the ever rising and improving defense suffered its worst blow to date when the team learned that outside linebacker Aaron Kampman and cornerback Al Harris would be out for the season.

Outside linebacker Brad Jones and cornerback Tramon Williams will now assume the starting roles for the Packers.

This is the latest in the ongoing saga of the Green Bay Packers. A saga that began with a sentiment that Rodgers was going to lead the team to continued glory, only to be marred by a severe lack of protection.

A saga that was only furthered by the expectation of Favre not only coming back to Lambeau, but facing the Packers—and his former student—as a Viking.

A saga that is still somewhat supported by poor play at various positions, a lack of accountability on the part of the coaching staff, and an overall feeling of playing beneath themselves with each passing week.

Although the negative happenings have been highlighted, there are plenty of positives to speak of: This team is not out of the race just yet.

A good team will play as well as the 22 starters that grace the field, whereas a better team will acclimate themselves to the ever changing landscape of the NFL. Although the Packers don’t always do it pretty, they have stepped up in the face of many injuries.

But now it’s crunch time.

With four games left on the road at Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Arizona, the Packers will look to improve upon their current 2-2 road record.

With two games left at home against the Ravens and Seahawks, the Packers will look to continue their home-field success.

When you look at what the Packers are truly capable of, none of these games are out of reach!

In order to close the season in dramatic fashion—in lieu of the recent events surrounding injuries—the Packers will have to buckle down and simply play solid, no frills football; it starts with the Lions on Thanksgiving day.

The Lions will look to exploit a Packer secondary that appears to be weakened with the exodus of Al Harris, but the upgrade in Tramon Williams is that he is a better man-on-man cover player.

The Ravens—their hardest challenge against a solid running team to date—will look to ride Ray Rice and his ability to run over any team he faces. But the Packers have already dealt with Adrian Peterson twice and shut him down. If they can shut AP down, Rice shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.

The Bears—amidst their slumping performance as of late—will also look to bounce back into the playoff race riding the added threat of Greg Olsen, but the Packers defend well against even the greatest of tight ends.

The Steelers—the team that poses the biggest threat—are armed with a myriad of weapons equal to the Packers, and if the Steelers can control the ball more they will have the advantage.

The Seahawks—a team in huge defensive disarray—will look towards their rising star in Justin Forsett as a counter to the Packers coverage. But if the Pack can contain the outside passing threats, and Forsett, the game will easily sway in their favor.

And finally, the Cardinals are a very tough team to face on their own turf. They have more weapons than the Packers.

The Cardinals can run, pass, and defend. This game could be a defining moment for the Packers should they falter anywhere along the way.

It is easy to say where the improvements need to be, despite seeing signs of said improvements in recent weeks. With the addition of the current injuries, however, the Packers have to feel like they are at square one all over again.

But starting at square one only means you have nowhere to go but forward; you have nothing left to do but build.

Idealistically, the Packers could wind up 12-4 on the season. Or if things go the other way, the Packers could wind up 7-9 on the season. But most will agree that the Packers, in their current state, are looking at no better than 9-7.

The Packers are currently sixth overall in the conference, with the Giants and Falcons hot on their trail, but they are only one game behind the fifth spot in the conference.

In my opinion the Packers are good for 11-5, with a worst case scenario of 10-6 earning a low wild card bid. The playoffs will be a totally different monster to deal with, especially when the team is devoid of two of their star defensive players.

Either way the saga continues, with a new chapter being written in Packers lore; only time will tell whether this story has a happy ending.

So, that leaves us with YOU the discerning Packers fan. Let’s see where everybody stands, and I want to know what your thoughts are: Where will the Packers wind up at season’s end, and how will they fare over the next six games.

Let your opinions, and voices, be heard Packer Nation!