Where Do the Green Bay Packers Go from Here?

Last Sunday's game between Green Bay and Atlanta has left another bitter taste in fans' mouths. Despite a valiant effort to rally back from an early deficit, the Packers came up short, again.

This team is becoming an enigma as each week passes. The running game and defense are a far cry from last year's performance, and Aaron Rodgers' ability to lead this team past a competitive opponent leaves many questions unanswered.

The defense has been affected by injury, but this team is still solidly built with the foundation of last year's personnel. 

At this point, if the current performance becomes status quo, the season looks to become a wasted opportunity for the Packers.

Aaron Rodgers is, unfortunately, still in the shadow of greatness, despite the "great one" being in another conference. Until Rodgers brings victories over more prominent opponents, he may still find himself in the shade of Favre.

Regardless of his statistical numbers, regardless of his touchdown to interception ratio, and regardless of his passing yards, Rodgers will not be fairly anointed as a success until he brings this team a winning record. 

So far, the Packers have beaten two teams that are extremely lacking. The victories over the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions are nothing but empty calories. There is no sustenance over winning games you're expected to win.

The losses to the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and recently, the Atlanta Falcons, have sounded alarms within the Packers' camp.

The Cowboys and the Buccaneers were playoff teams last year, Atlanta was not!  Playing below their potential to playoff-caliber teams should yield losses, but the loss to Atlanta is a bitter pill to swallow.

Next on the Packers' schedule is the lowly Seattle Seahawks and the slumbering Colts. 

If the Packers do not enter the game against Seattle with an emergent disposition, they may have to do a lot of soul searching.

If the Packers don't respond in that game, I feel that at that point they will have lost more than just a game. 

They may have lost their confidence in themselves, and, more importantly, a loss to Seattle may prove to be a loss of a season.