I don't know if I was just in early or not, but I freaked out when I checked CHTV and your Polluted Thoughts weren't here yet, Al. Didn't Know I was an addict and needed my fix.

I think Stokes will be fine along with the rest of the D, Al. A pass rush was expected against a non-running QB playing from behind, but if the D sticks to giving up only 13 I'll settle for it. Stokes will get picked on more and better have help if JA ever gets healthy. Put X as his helper and make them pay.

I was one of the first ones to say that we should trade Rodgers all the way back in 2015. While we'd have missed out on "run the table" with that, we'd also have reloaded much earlier than we could have. Rodgers, out of spite, was also great in 2020. I don't care about 21 or 22.

Regarding the defense: We have to get Stokes off the field. He's just not good. We've got personnel concerns at every level of the defense. The vets on DL are not doing well. The LBs, other than Cooper, have been a liability. I hope it gets better or this team will not be going very far in the playoffs.

They're young. There is time for growth.

This from Al about Love is spot on...

"he processes information, learns from his mistakes and usually figures it out. I expect him to keep developing and improving over the next year or two - he is by no means a finished product at this point, but he's still pretty damn good and I'm glad we have him."

One of the biggest things I've seen from Love is he DOES learn from his mistakes. People need to remember Aaron Rodgers WASN'T Aaron Rodgers in 2008 or 2009. IMO that started happening at the end of the 2010 season and into the playoffs. Not even all of those games were great performances, but I think it started week 16 against the Giants. By the start of the 2011 season Rodgers was THE BEST in the NFL or top 2.

Love was ALWAYS going to take some time yet some here or any other site think he should have EVERYTHING figured out already. Like Al I'm glad we have Love. Has he been great this year. No he hasn't. I don't think you can play 3 snaps in the preseason and come in and be great. Not after ONE year of starting.

It's not always going to be smooth but in the next few weeks while the YOUNGEST team in the NFL starts to find it's footing, it's going to be fun and Love is going to be the MAIN reason why.

Stokes? Just shoot me now!

So glad to see Cooper continuing to ascend!
So frustrated with Gary’s lack of production: can only hope he busts out big time this week! Except Murray is a running QB par excellence, so, idk. 😬🏈

My prediction on this weeks game is tough. The Packers are favored by 5. I do not think the Packers will cover. The Cards are looking good and Lamar likes to run. I believe it will be a close game. Take the Cards and the points but the Packers win in a high scoring game that goes down to the end.

It sure don't come easy for the Packers. But the Packers made it easy for the Rams on that TD drive in the 4th quarter. How many 8-yard gains did the Rams get on those uncontested in-routes? And I think there were a couple more on that last drive before the defense finally tightened up. They should've tightened it up earlier.

I thought Rashan Gary was going to benefit from playing out of a three-point stance this season. Maybe he's just gotten too used to standing up.

Valentine's QB rating against stat does not take into account his pass interference in the end zone, and I'm not giving up on Stokes after a couple of rough outings with Alexander not playing, but yeah, we should be seeing more Valentine than Stokes going forward. It was already trending in that direction when Valentine got hurt again.

The style points come from the media not the team. It is really hard to win any game in the NFL so the Pack just needs to stack wins early in the season and worry about hitting their stride before the playoffs. The best team in football is the Chiefs and they are the post card for winning ugly these last two years. The defense is the key as the offense will score in the 20's without breaking a sweat. Very encouraging to see them stop the Rams on that last drive, throw everything else out. What happens in the key moments, during clutch time, when games are truly won and lost in the fourth quarter, is absolutely key. GPG!

Hopefully all the new directions
start showing up.
I called for more Brooks ,"outside" since the
first game.
Time to trade Gary. At least Listen.

Great talent plays every down, anywhere.
Just ask A. Rodgers.

Good job Al at catching the important facts.

Until the Packers become more consistent, we will have games like this. And that includes Love.

The one thing that I like is defense held at the end of the game. That didn't happen with Joe Barry. Kudos to Hafley. And I think the coaches have to learn a few things too.

I like it when Lafluer tries out different players. Last year and this year too. So here are the top six defensive backs. Mckinney, Alexander, Nixon, Bullard, Valentine and Williams. Gotta get them on the field.

If Morgan gets healthy, watch for Rhyan replacing Myers.

I’d go with Valentine instead of Stokes, who I think is making business decisions.

The Packers have had games in recent memory where they were beat up and either stood up to a superior roster or beat a better team...mostly at home, yes. Each game has a life of its own. I give the Rams credit for winning in the trenches for most of three quarters. Their OL kept resetting the LOS in the run game 2-3 yards upfield, and their front 7 was good on hassling Love (and slowing the run game). They're 1-4, but aside from the blowout to AZ, they've been in all one-score games.

That said: the Packers are looking more and more Jekyll & Hyde. Slow starts...which Packers team is coming out which quarter and how long can they sustain it? Arizona went into SF and beat an up-and-down Niners team last week. They're not a terribly prolific passing team, but they'll run it right at you--and they score TDs--and they like to bring exotic looks on defense (even if they aren't sacking the QB or forcing TOs at a tremendous rate). The Packers need to find some of the run mojo they were mining with Willis in the backfield...it seems a lot of that has disappeared with Love.

Just throwing in my two cents...as if it would matter:
I really like this team. I think the effort is really great. Sometimes the fundamentals are a little off, but they'll get it.
The big thing I feel with the LB's is they are still figuring out angles and gaps that they are responsible for .
Stokes- he seems to lose balance when receivers cut , if they keep working with him I think he'll be fine.
I wish people would relax a little bit on Meyer. I know he isn't dominant but I think he is solid for the most part and I absolutely love the way he is able to pull on outside running plays.
As far Gary is concerned and really LVN and Smith, they are doing an excellent job on off tackle runs, it just isn't a bread and butter play as it was in the past. It really is hard to play run and pass as quickly as needed in today's NFL. If our secondary could take away quick options I think our pass rush can get home more often.
I think I'm a lot like many others here that would love our D to be absolutely suffocating. Unfortunately that is really pie in the sky type thinking these days. We have some really good pieces, we just need to get them in the right spots at the right time.
As you can probably tell my mind is way more polluted than AL's .
I can even relate to A-Rod's troubles in NY. He's seen a lot over the years. Sometimes its hard to let things go. I've been teaching HS history for 43 years, still am. Often have to swallow my comments as to how things are being done these days. Sometimes the old ways work pretty well...they got us this far.

Sometimes a team plays to the perceived level of an opposing team.

I think Rodgers is likely a Coach Relocation Facilitator. The bits I've watched the Jets play this season, and especially against the Vikings, he wasn't "like a kid out there having fun playing a game." That ego still screams "IT'S NOT MY FAULT" after every miscue. Saleh's public suggestion that Rodger's cadence *may* have been responsible for some of the five false starts was enough for him to be lovingly set free.

Speaking of former Packers, Aaron Jones is week-to-week with a hip injury. The Vikings slow slide will begin soon.

"Is it too much to ask that we can trust the Packers to have an easy game when all signs say it should be one? "
Yes it is too much to ask.

"For this week's Good, Bad and Ugly, you really could have just kept it to two words - Jordan Love."
The Good - The bomb to Reed.
The Bad - The timing with Wicks. The timing is just off between these 2 right now.
The Ugly - The pick 6. While we don't want to give up a pick 6, that could have potentially been the best thing that could have happened. If they get the safety there that is 2 points. The Rams get the ball and if they go down to score at the end of half that is 9 points. And they got the ball to start the 3rd with a lot of momentum. That is 16 points from the time that play happened. Instead they give up the 6 (missed extra point), and they go down and get a FG before half. 3 point differential compared to 16. Huge difference in that game.

"I wrote earlier this year that we might see the Packers secondary looking different from week to week"
I think we will see various looks. But I want to see WIlliams and Bullard on the field more together. So come up with a 3 safety look more often would be the best way to go. For me its about getting the best players on the field. At this point I feel like both Bullard and Williams are the best players to be on the field.

"I have to admit, I think if the Rams had Cupp and Nacua this game, they likely win."
Counter that point. I think if the Packers have Watson and Doubs, I think they win by 3 TD's.

"I know he got more snaps because Wyatt was out, but I think we really need to see Karl Brooks continue to get opportunities. "
I want to see Brooks on the field at minimum for all pass rushing downs. He is too good to not be on there for those at least.
Another option. On run downs put him at DE. Let him move around.

I believe Doubs will be targeted several times this week—and he’ll make the catches.
I think the DLine will continue to improve.
The LB’s are a liability; hopefully Cooper is the pixie dust for that group—I believe he is.
My impression of Love is he doesn’t appear to ever get rattled.
So far Wyatt is the bus driver for the DLine…Someone wake up Clark.
Go Packers!!!

D-Line may emerge from their slumber when they encounter the energizer bunny-K. Murray.
(not holding my breath, though)

Al as usual your article has hit on many of the key points for the Packers at this point. The offense still needs to get in sync in several areas. IMO they need to get the ground game going again as it was when Malik was filling in for Love. They need to get all of their weapons (receivers) back on the field again. That will help Love. Love needs to work on his decision making. Yes, he learns from his mistakes but while he is learning his mistakes can cost the Packers games.

On defense Hafley's front seven needs to get better, end of story. They are not close to being a dominant force in the games. Hopefully as the season goes on they will improve into a unit that we can have confidence in. It was good to see them make a big stop in the 4th quarter. Maybe it's the beginning of what the defense will ultimately evolve into. Time will tell. Thanks, Since '61

I know we're still young, but most have a year or more under their belt. I also expected the O line to be better at this point, they seem somewhat inconsistent in all phases.

Al, if you want to relax, don't follow the Packers. Don't follow sports. That's not how it works. Sure we love blowouts, but they are pretty unlikely with the youngest team in the league, after their QB gets hurt and misses two game. And with a new DC and scheme and a bunch of rookies playing again.

The NFL is built for parity and any team can get hot or play very well on "any given Sunday."

Jordan Love: he's been inconsistent throwing the ball, at times,(excepting that incredible pass to Reed last week) and I think Love is masking a banged up leg. When you throw high or low it's mechanics and he's not pushing properly with his leg. Just speculation. He's also not running much. As I see the circus with the New York Jets I'm glad we have a solid guy who wants to listen and do better.

Rashan Gary has been this week's pinata in the media. Many folks forget that the opponents also have smart offensive coordinators who are going to scheme to keep him from knocking the bejesus out of their quarterback. Lucas Van Ness hasn't been heard from much and Kenny Clark has been a mystery. The new defensive coordinator needs to find a way to get more out of this group. He needs to blitz more with Cooper. I'm wondering if Quay Walker might be better as a rush end.

Romeo Doubs: first play against the Cardinals throw a bomb to him and see if he can back up his words.

The Cards will be no pushover. It might again come down to "Nervous" Narveson. Pray for him.

Spot on for me this week. Can we ever relax, ever. Case in point this past game. Surely, we had the opportunity to run up the score, once we seized momentum, but did we? Of course not. Telling myself that this just has to end at some point. I've been watching the Packers for too long to believe it wont. This was never the norm before.

Note to the Web master... Jersey Al's Polluted Mindset articles are - in my view - one of the best things about Cheesehead TV's website.

So why do you all make it hard to find the articles ? Maybe I'm not ADHD or something, but I think navigation of this website is a pain in a lot of ways.

Al, you're a part owner... pull some rank and get a link to your articles at the top of the web page.

Thanks!
Greg W.