I don't expect any big changes after the bye week. They just had a ten day mini-bye and LePew came out with the same ineffective offensive line and spongy defense. PePe has never shown the decisiveness to make major personnel changes when needed. Kevin King or Amari Rodgers sound familiar?

I don't know what PePe is like behind closed doors, but he certainly doesn't exude toughness and confidence on the field.

"the Perfect Time" to make "adjustments?" Without changes in leadership, I'm afraid it will be wash, rinse, repeat. Why? Because we need a new culture where there is toughness and accountability and energy and progress. Do you think this coaching staff can first make adjustments with themselves? I hope so. I really do hope they prove me wrong, but the last few years of accepting and even promoting mediocrity makes me doubtful.

Hate to dump on the whole article but I am thinking that it has been written by the Packers PR staff. Lafleur is the big reason that the offense has played poorly. Last year's receivers were loaded with rookies and Cobb and Lazard were pedestrian - and Lewis was really just another Oline blocker. Doubs Watson and Toure have experience and the young guys have speed and played well in preseason - and the first 2 games, But this whole group is not being used well and neither is Love. Love has great movement skills - but sitting there in the pocket especially with the Oline issues - what did Lafleur think would happen. Now nobody has put out the analysis of how long Love has had in the pocket - but in re-watching the games - it is apparent that the ball needs to come out on the first or second read - but too often Love is stuck looking around. Which is Lafleur's game planning fault. As we saw last weekend with the number of rookie starting QB's - short passes - quick passes and movement all helped these new guys at least be somewhat successful - And this is without a QB with the movement skills of Love. So I am one who has not willing to throw Love under the bus - especially with this supposed Offensive Guru named Lafleur - who has been totally uninventive and runs a standard static and therefore poor offense . Hopefully with this bye - we will see some movement and creative use of the speed that this teams have along with the breakaway potential that Jones will bring.

All I know is there are two opinions on love and one is wrong. IMO his first two games was over his head. I say what we saw the last three games is who he is. A history of making short passes, inaccuracy issues on long balls, and way too many interceptions not seeing the field or off target balls. This is who he was in college for three seasons.

This week decides which players are playing for a career and those who play a year. Doesn’t matter the coaching staff, kids who have no balls won’t last in the NFL.

"""There must be some benefit of the doubt afforded to LaFleur for the pedestrian offensive displays the Packers have put out for stretches of (or even entire) games. He is coaching the youngest and cheapest offense in the league by a distance.""""

I'm putting Mark Oldacres on my list of guys who might have a better perspective, even though it's from a long way away. It's the youngest and cheapest offense in the league.

"""Injuries have significantly hampered this team, specifically on offense and the bye should help the Packers get healthier. Between the absences of Aaron Jones,....."""

How good is Aaron Jones? I think he's probably better than he's ever gotten credit for being. How much did he contribute to those two MVP seasons? Quite a bit, IMO. And when we add a healthy Aaron Jones, and he starts getting the ball 20 times a game, it's going to make a difference.

We all know we've had offensive line problems, mostly regarding Bakhtiari, but that's all resolved now. Watson-Jenkins-Myers-Runyan-Tom have been practicing together, attending meetings together, etc., and that's going to make a difference.

"""The points allowed by Joe Barry’s defense would indicate the group is performing well, but it doesn’t feel like it""". That's because you have the virus. The tinfoil hat doesn't change the fact that other than our worst game, against Detroit, we're holding teams to under 20ppg average in the other four games.

I'm going to make a Leatherhead Projection here: We're going to win in Denver. That'll make us 3-3 going home for two more. One of those is against Minnesota, which had one big,decisive play in a win over Chicago. They're 2-4, preparing to get stomped this week by SF, and then next week we get them. The other is against the 3-3 Rams who haven't been much of an offensive machine. Maybe that'll change now that one of their main guys is back, just like the Packers.

I see 4-4 as likely, and possibly even 5-3, after 8 games.

They already had an extra three days to prepare for the Raiders, another supposedly "moribund" team--not for the Packers.

I'm sure the Broncos are also viewing this as a get-well opportunity and a must-win, as we're in the middle of a Chiefs sandwich for them.

True, the return of A. Jones should be a big boost, but the Broncos would be foolish not to key on stopping him. Whether they can or not is another matter.

The Packers are going to have a tough time winning until their passing offense gets out of its funk. We need our complete array of WRs and TEs involved going forward; this is how you build consistency. If dared to throw the deep ball, then Love is going to have start hitting them with a much higher batting average.

Finally, MLF simply must do a better job deep in the red zone by recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of his team, to go along with some imagination--to see even the slightest hint of it would be nice.

This was the same belief on this site after the Lions game. The Packers should have no problem with the Raiders, since they were not a good team. No one seemed to understand that the Raiders were thinking the same thing about the Packers. So, Denver is "moribund"? While the Packers are playing with precision, toughness and passion? Every game is going to be a challenge. Except for the Bears; the Packers still own the Bears. You can well imagine that Payton is looking at the Packers defense and seeing opportunity. And eyeing the offense, and seeing a team that is not in sync. LaFleur also seems to have difficulties motivating the team, and seems unable to make adjustments when the opposing defense clamps down on the offense. So, sure, Denver should be an "easy/get well" game for the Packers. Instead, I think this will be another tight, tough game.

Comment from Joe Barry: "“You have mechanisms to survive the down, but I didn’t give them one,” Barry said. “It was probably the worst play of the night, unfortunately.”" What a terrible comment. A loser. Smith should have attacked and knocked him down. Then people should have rotated to help. And at least Lafleur should have called a timeout.

The players have to learn. But Barry and Lafleur both have a lot to learn too.

Teams are attacking the Packers because they are too predictable and play with poor discipline. This is a coaching issue, not so much the players.

So let's review. Teams are picking up what the Packers do offensively. It seems that execution is poor. Something that should not happen with five months of practice. It just seems to me that if plays are not run right, you just run them again and again until it is done right. Creativeness is worthless if you don't have execution.

And then the defense is beiing picked apart in critical plays, especially in the seond half. Lafleur says it can be fixed by scheme. So just another way of saying that the scheme Barry developed over the off-season doesn't work. Like a six lineman front that can't stop the run. Having linebackers cover WR's.

So the season has to be used to come up with better schemes and spending time teaching the players execution.

As being an owner, here is my take. The coaches are not earning their millions. Tme was lost this off season with poor planning and execution from the coaches. Any excitement there was is left with the reality of poor coaching and poor play.

there is 12 more games to play. I say, dump Barry. He is a loser. And simpify the offense until execution improves.

Unpopular opinion, opposing teams figured out how to beat Lafleur's offense last year and it wasn't just Rodgers that was the problem. 2019 was a bit pitiful adjusting to the new scheme, but the running game kept things going with Jones scoring an absurd about of RTD's. 2020 was really the year for Lafleur and Rodgers, as the running game was highly effective and the play-action was simply unstoppable while trying to cover the run and the pass at the same time. In 2021 you saw the offense basically look to Davante Adams every play and that was really the beginning of the downfall as there wasn't any real talent brought in at WR or TE to help. We saw exactly that in 2022 when defenses would cram the box full and dare Rodgers to beat them deep. Teams didn't respect it and for a small stretch, he made them pay. But for most of the season, it is just as it is now. Crowded box, ineffective and basic run schemes followed by no ability to separate from coverage and no ability to stretch the field with connecting deep shots to receivers. It's quite sad, actually. Lafleur needs to get back to his roots and get his QB moving, and he needs to get the offensive line figured out YESTERDAY. The last 3 weeks have been inexcusable and if it means re-working the entire offensive line to find a combination that works without #69 on the field, so be it. If they truly want to see Love as the future, or at least put him to the test, help the kid out and put him in a position to be successful. That all starts with MLF.

Denver has a pretty good defense which may decide the game.

Why do I never learn? Why do I not remember this site’s infuriating guarantee of reloading the page just as I’m finishing an insightful, well thought out, 12 paragraph comment?

ALWAYS COMPOSE OFFLINE AND CUT-PASTE, YOU IDIOT.

Sigh.

"Perhaps the most concerning aspect has been the regression in Jordan Love’s play after a promising beginning to life as Green Bay’s starting quarterback."

Is it a coincidence that his regression coincides with the regression of the O-line and thus the running game? Hmmm.

I wish I had the confidence to accredit the coaching staff with the brains to figure out how to get the O-line out of the basement. Love did well even when they were mediocre at the run and could at least pass pro.

I've always liked early byes. Almost every year, there is a rash of early season injuries, plus the Packers have long had a tendency to struggle more near the beginning of the season and get better toward the end.

The bye has been torturous for fans, though, as we have had all of this extra time to breathe in the stink of the last two games. It's been rough. I haven't even felt like watching many of the other games.

One thought on Preston Smith covering Davante Adams: If that is really what Joe Barry intended, it is obviously insane. But probably it was just a blown coverage, which is something that happens to all defenses sometimes.

Not seeing nor expecting any improvement with the OLines run & pass blocking. Too much work needs to be done plus sending some players & assistant coaches packing. Lack of performance is not acceptable. Can't waste another year not executing assignments. Young & coachable talent staring them right in their faces..better get to it. Tha football fans & even players will revolt.