The Boo Birds Land At Lambeau » Brats & Beer

December 4, 2006
posted under: Jets, Packers, Post-game

If you are very quiet, you can still hear the sound lingering in the cold air above the Upper Great Lakes.

“Boo!”

Good Lord, I don’t think I’ve ever heard the Lambeau faithful in such a deep throated roar of disapproval as they were at halftime yesterday. Of course they had good reason to express themselves that way, considering how their Packers played in the first 30 minutes against the New Yawk Jets; the Green Bay defense got beat over thead with a two by four by Chad Pennington and crew, allowing 340 yards of offense and 31 points while the offense went scoreless with an anemic 97-yard effort.

After being embarrassed last Monday night by the Seahawks, I thought for sure the Packers would come out full of fire and bile ready to erase all memory of that game, but they played like they were full of brats and beer. Not once in that first half did they come close to putting pressure on Pennington and there didn’t seem to be a running play the Jets couldn’t force down Green Bay’s throat for at least five or six yards. I hate to sound like Mike Woods here, but I’m about ready to throw in the towel myself after that debacle.

And it wasn’t all on the defense: Brett Favre and the offense failed at almost every turn to sustain a drive, and the one time they did, a breakdown in pass protection led to a sack and a fumble that ended the short-lived effort. Another short drive ended with Dave Rayner missing a 40-yard field goal.

This gridiron gang was starting to look like a football team a few weeks ago, but now they’re no better than a bunch of juvenile delinquents in jerseys. Why are they suddenly so awful? In his post-game press conference, Mike McCarthy stressed a lack of execution by individuals, but I’m still wondering if it is a symptom of talent level or coaching. Either way it makes for some damn depressing Sundays.

On the bright side of all this, some wives are happy that their husbands are getting a few more chores done on the weekend.