There is palpable tension in the frosty air of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Just three weeks ago, the Packers were sitting 6-0, poised to make a strong run at another Super Bowl. But after three losses in a row, the season sits at a crossroads. Losing against the iron defense of the Denver Broncos and undefeated Carolina Panthers is no cause for shame, but alarms were set off after this past week’s defeat at the hands of the 1-7 Detroit Lions.
The receivers as a group are statistically the slowest overall out of all NFL teams, the defensive line hasn’t registered a sack in three weeks, Eddie Lacy has fallen off of a cliff, the secondary can’t seem to consistently create turnovers, and now the Packers sit second in the division behind the resurgent Minnesota Vikings.
But in the face of all this doom and gloom, the Packers still have the reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers and several other dynamic playmakers on both sides of the ball. As long as number 12 is quarterbacking this team, they have the ability to remain competitive. They are in no way out of the playoff race. And quite possibly, the Packers could be better off going in as a five or six seed.
Upon hearing this, any rational fan’s first thought is that being a wildcard for this year’s playoffs is in no way better than being a top seed. It is just one more game the Packers could potentially lose. But consider this: The Packers now sit at 6-3, a very respectable record; but, because they started the season 6-0, the season is beginning to feel lost due to the mounting pressure of perfection each week.
If the Packers go in as a lower seed, all of the load associated with being a higher seed will not be present. They could be at an advantage from being able to carry momentum from the end of the season without having any stress preventing them from playing all out. Consider the recent trend of wildcard teams getting hot and winning it all such as the ’05 Steelers, ’07 Giants, and ’10 Packers. This theory isn’t just conjecture.
There are obvious changes that need to happen in Green Bay if they have any hope of reaching the Super Bowl. But now that the expectations have fallen back down to earth ,the Packers can relax and focus on playing winning football. They may not reach the playoffs as a top four seed, but with a more focused, less pressured approach, they could go under the radar all the way to Santa Clara.