Inbox: That’s a sour taste

I dunno yet what you’re going to say, Mike, but I know I’ll need to hear it. I think I was ready to lose, but not like that. A bitter end to a bizarre season. Thanks for being here for us.

I just do my best. Bitter and bizarre are good words. The football gods handed the Packers an opportunity that may or may not have been warranted, and they proved it wasn’t. That’s a sour taste but so it goes.

Brian from Iron Mountain, MI

One week you’re the team no one wants to face in the playoffs. The next week you’re the team no one is going to face in the playoffs.

It remains at its core a week-to-week league.

Mark from Westminster, CO

The Packers of the first 12 weeks of the season returned, as the offense squandered way more chances than it cashed in, the defense didn’t take the ball away, and the return game couldn’t provide a spark.

Ian from Sherman Oaks, CA

During LaFleur’s halftime interview he said he told the guys that this was going to come down to whoever wanted it more. So what do you think it was? Motivation? Execution? It’s hard to argue with the coach and the results.

I don’t question the motivation. The defense did not play well in the second half, and the two personal fouls on Rasul Douglas and Quay Walker were beyond inexcusable. But I put the loss mostly on the offense. AJ Dillon, Allen Lazard and Romeo Doubs all had brutal and costly dropped passes. Aaron Jones‘ fumble was a killer. Five of the offense’s first six possessions got inside the Detroit 35-yard line and the Packers had nine points. The running game got stuffed with the Lions sitting back in two-high most of the night. Green Bay had a 12½-minute advantage in time of possession after three quarters but led by only three. I could go on and on. That game was there for the taking, the Packers didn’t take it, and then they got whipped at crunch time by power running, play-action and one well-timed, all-out blitz.

A fumble, an interception and two stupid shoving penalties? Was it really that simple?

Almost, yeah. But it started with the dropped passes in my mind, and then continued with dropped passes as well. You have to make the plays that are there, because against good teams a lot of plays won’t be.

Mike, just an observation on how at the beginning of the season Watson was struggling and Doubs was flourishing, yet tonight for whatever reason Doubs was struggling and Watson seemed to be consistent as he’s been lately. Hopefully Doubs just had a rookie mistake game. Still can’t wait to see what…