This One's Tough to Take

If you would have told me half way through the second game against the Vikings that the Packers would win the division and be in the Wild Card game against the 49ers until the end, I would have called you a liar, but I would have taken it.

Well, that's exactly what happened.  And I feel sick about it.  

Against all of my expectations, not only did the Packers win the division and make the playoffs, they made a game of it against the 49ers.  The defense did okay, largely making up for their usual blown coverages and lack of pressure in the pass game by making just enough plays to bend but not break.  The offense looked okay too, if you don't count the absolutely inept first quarter.  Despite moving the ball fairly well in the final three quarters, the Packers put up only two touchdowns, and that was fatal.

Holding the 49ers to 23 points is nothing to sneeze at when you consider how much talent they have.  Certainly, Packer fans would expect that with a healthy offense, 23 points would be beatable.  But, as has now become customary, Colin Kaepernick absolutely destroyed the Packers with his legs whenever the 49ers needed a play.  Dom Capers, once again, had no answer for Kap when it mattered most.

As has now become customary, Colin Kaepernick absolutely destroyed the Packers with his legs whenever the 49ers needed a play.  Dom Capers, once again, had no answer for Kap.  

In sum, the Packers played a disappointing game, but not an awful one.  In some ways, that makes figuring out the problem more difficult.  Fans of the Bears, Lions and Vikings should be ecstatic about what happened to the Packers today.  Had the Packers been dominated, it would have been easy to decisively make changes such as the clamored for firing of Dom Capers. 

The problem is that, with as good as this team played at times, there are holes all over the place, and they were all on display today.  There are legitimate questions about whether the issues are with the players on the field or with the men coaching them up.  The easy answer is both.

The offense stalled in the red zone, like it did for much of the year.  The defense gave up big plays and missed opportunities to take the ball away.  The pass rush was non-existent.  Pass protection was spotty.  The strained depth, especially on defense, was strained to the breaking point.

The task that Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy face this off season is prioritizing and dealing with all of these holes, and that starts with a decision on the fate of Dom Capers.  I would tend to say that it's time for him to go, but I would be okay with giving him another year if he gutted his staff, specifically the secondary coaches.  Beyond that, the Packers need pass rushers, linebacker help, and defensive line help.  They need more offensive line help, though that may come with improved health over the off season (I feel like I've been saying that for 3 years).  

This off season promises to be one of significant changes for the Packers, and rightfully so.  The 49ers are really good, and they are young.  The Packers need to be prepared to deal with the 49ers and teams like them and the Seahawks if they're going to return to the Super Bowl.  Right now, they don't have the bodies or the brains on defense to deal with a team as physical as the 49ers, especially if they have a signal caller as dynamic as Kap.