Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions: Worst Loss in the Mike McCarthy Era?

In what can only be be described as one of the franchise's worst losses in recent memory, the Green Bay Packers were downed by the Detroit Lions, 7-3, Sunday at Ford Field. 

With a record that now sits at 8-5, it's most likely going to take a three-game winning streak against the New England Patriots, New York Giants and Chicago Bears for the Packers to have a chance at the playoffs.

Impossible? No. 

Highly unlikely? Absolutely, especially with the developments that surfaced in Ford Field on Sunday. 

In the trenches

Many who see this loss will immediately pin it on the loss of Aaron Rodgers in the second half due to his second concussion of 2010. That's the wrong place to starting looking for answers, however. 

The Lions won this game by thoroughly outplaying the Packers on both the offensive and defensive lines the entire football game. Detroit rushed for 190 yards with seven different rushers, and the Lions' defensive line completely controlled the Packers offense, no matter who was playing quarterback for Green Bay. 

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said it best after the game: "Our offensive production today had nothing to do with who was playing quarterback."

McCarthy coached a terrible game today, but at least he got that part right.

The Detroit defense tallied four sacks and four other quarterback hits, and it literally had the Packers' quarterbacks running for their lives. 

Which, of course, led to Rodgers' concussion on a scramble in the second quarter. 

But let's take a look forward. I wouldn't be as worried about the Patriots' defensive pressure next week, but what about games against the Giants and Bears? 

Those two defenses will play exactly like the Lions did Sunday: drop seven or eight in coverage, and rush just their defensive line to create pressure. 

And while the Lions' defensive line is nothing to scuff about, the Giants and Bears both have better lines than the Lions. They'll be licking their chops after watching this game tape. For the Packers, those matchups will make winning games against the Giants and Bears a much more difficult affair.

Quarterback play was still awful

The Packers' offensive line did their quarterbacks no favors, but the play from both quarterbacks was about as bad as it has been all season Sunday. 

Even before Rodgers went out, the Packers offense wasn't exactly moving the ball efficiently.

In fact, Rodgers only threw for 46 yards and an interception in his two quarters of play, and the Packers' only threat in the first half was squandered by an Andrew Quarless fumble in the first quarter. 

The Packers' quarterback play didn't improve much in the second half. Matt Flynn was moderately effective, throwing for 177 yards, but his decisions on both his interception in the end zone and his final 4th-and-1 were disastrous. 

The interception was a play you'd expect from a backup playing his first true NFL action, but that doesn't excuse it from being a terrible decision. Flynn locked in on Donald Driver from the very start, and there were at least three Lions in the area he threw to. 

That easy pick took at least three points off the board for Green Bay, and that proved to be very costly later on. 

Later on came when the Lions scored a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, but Flynn and the Packers got the ball back under four minutes left trailing, 7-3.

He drove them to the Lions' 31-yard line, but the Packers failed on three straight plays to convert a first down from one yard out. A field goal was out of the cards because of his earlier interception, and the Packers were forced to go for it on fourth down.

Flynn's final throw could be debated two ways:

The first would be to suggest that Greg Jennings has been the Packers' biggest playmaker all year, and that the Packers have lived and died by those kinds of plays all season. He had one-on-one coverage against Nathan Vasher and, by all accounts, he beat him on the play. The ball was just badly overthrown. 

The second way, which I tend to agree with, is to question why you go for the home run when all you need is one yard and still have a minute remaining. The Packers had two chances before the fourth-down play to take the home run shot and chose against it.

Why then do it on fourth down when the game is over if it falls incomplete? In my opinion, you go for the first down, extend the game, then take your shots at the end zone. 

Two bad decisions by our backup quarterback, but you just never know—he may be the starter next week. 

Scary stuff for Rodgers moving forward

The NFL this season has cracked down on concussions and how they are treated, and that puts Rodgers' availability next week in serious question. 

His concussion today marks his second in just over two months, and he'll again have to go through all the tests in the coming week to determine whether he'll play next Sunday in New England. 

But forget about next week, as hard as that might be. His two concussions certainly affects the Green Bay Packers and their playoff chances, but it also affects Aaron Rodgers and his long-term health as well. 

Try and flashback to a couple of quarterback in the 1990s: Troy Aikman and Steve Young. 

While both of these guys were Super Bowl winners, they also had their respective careers cut short due to the repetitive concussions they suffered. 

That's the scary part about this kind of injury. Previous head injuries lead to longer lasting symptoms in the short term, and the increased risk of more concussions in the long term.

Once the concussions start adding up, then further brain injury, depression, and memory loss are all risk factors. 

Obviously, Rodgers' concussion today leaves his status for next week in serious question. But it's important to remember that his long-term health is the greatest concern, and him missing next week is a very real possibility. 

Lastly, the coaching

Earlier this season, I wrote an article mentioning that coach McCarthy should be in the discussion for coach of the year. Well, after Sunday's performance, we can all but throw out that talk. 

The Packers looked unprepared and unmotivated, and the early game plan on offense was atrocious. 

There was no emotion in the Packers' play, and that's usually a direct reflection on the coaching staff. McCarthy said all week that Green Bay wasn't looking past the Lions, but that's exactly what it looked like they did on Sunday. 

In addition, the offense had zero rhythm the entire afternoon, and scoring three points against one of the NFL's worst defense is inexcusable under any circumstances. 

And what about the Jennings no-catch in the end zone? The replays I showed didn't appear to be conclusive either way, but why not let the officials take another look at it?

At the very least, you'll know definitively whether it was a touchdown or not, and leave all the speculation out of the equation. But we've seen indecision from McCarthy in the past regarding challenging play, so maybe this isn't such a no-brainer. 

Overall

It's hard for me to pinpoint another Packers' loss that was as disheartening and disappointing as this one. Green Bay failed in so many ways Sunday that you'd be hard pressed to tell who was the 8-4 team and who was 2-10 heading into this one. 

Sure, the Packers have had bad losses—Tampa Bay last season, several in 2008, even in the Chicago cold during the '07 campaign—but I think this one takes the cake. 

You're facing a third-string quarterback. A near must-win for the playoffs and you don't show up. Scoring just three points against a team you've beaten 10 straight times. A near home crowd type atmosphere in Ford Field and no weather excuses.

All this adds up to the worst loss of the McCarthy era in Green Bay. 

But we must remember: even though this loss hurts, that's exactly what it is—just one loss. It doesn't count for anything more then one L in the win-loss column. 

The Packers must remember that, because even though things look dark right now, the 2010 season isn't dead just yet. If they can win out and finish 11-5, they still should win the NFC North and secure a playoff spot. 

And as the Lions just proved today, anything can happen in the NFL.

The Packers have put their 2010 season on life support, and they'll need to take a page from the Lions' book if they plan on resurrecting it in the next three weeks.