Three Incorrect Reactions to the Packers' Win Against the Panthers.

GREEN BAY : The Giants humiliated the Green Bay Packers. The Buccaneers had embarrassed them. The Panthers nearly humiliated them. Green Bay defeated Carolina 33-30 on Sunday to get away from there. Not only did it boost their chances of making the playoffs, but it also ensured one more crucial game. Jordan Love and this incredibly gifted collection of young players will eventually be in the playoffs. They will be better prepared for the big game thanks to their big-game experience. These are the Three Overreactions for this week. 1. LAFLEUR FRIVING AMID THE CATASTROPHIE After the Bucs’ defeat the previous week, head coach Matt LaFleur had good reason to fire Joe Barry, but he chose to retain the troubled defensive coordinator. Why? Who knows?

LaFleur frequently claims that this is a results-based industry, and the outcomes in the defense sector have been appalling. Tommy DeVito, the quarterback for the Giants, defeated the Packers and won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. After defeating the Packers, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. If Bryce Young, the quarterback for the Panthers, had succeeded in finishing the comeback, he might have also won NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Kirk Cousins may now urge the Vikings coaches to allow him to play the Packers the next week, even if it means using a cane. There’s a chance that Josh McCown, Cade McNown, and every other unsuccessful Bears quarterback from the previous few decades will battle outside Soldier Field.

$5 for 3 months SAVE NOW SKIP TO CONTENT LOG IN $5 FOR 3 MONTHS SUBSCRIBE NOW Part of the McClatchy Media Network Local News TNT Diner Business Sports Tacoma Now Obituaries • Seahawks High School Sports Personal Finance Shopping NFL FOOTBALL Three Overreactions From Packers’ Victory Over Panthers BY BILL HUBER SPORTS ILLUSTRATED GREEN BAY PACKERS NEWS, ANALYSIS AND MORE UPDATED DECEMBER 25, 2023 12:58 PM Packers GM Brian Gutekunst on Trading Aaron Rodgers to Jets Maven – Green Bay Packers GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers were embarrassed by the Giants. They were embarrassed by the Buccaneers. They almost were embarrassed by the Panthers. Green Bay escaped Carolina with a 33-30 victory on Sunday. It was a huge win – not just for its playoff hopes, but it guarantees one more hugely important game. At some point, Jordan Love and this abundantly talented group of youngsters are going to be in the playoffs. This big-game experience will help get them ready for the moment. Here are this week’s Three Overreactions.

1. LAFLEUR FLIRTING WITH DISASTER Coach Matt LaFleur had good reason to fire Joe Barry after last week’s loss to the Buccaneers but decided to keep the embattled defensive coordinator. Why? Who knows. LaFleur likes to say this is a results-based business, and it is, and the results on defense have been horrendous. Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito beat the Packers and was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield beat the Packers and was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Had Panthers quarterback Bryce Young been able to complete the comeback, he might have been named NFC Offensive Player of the Week, as well. At this point, Kirk Cousins might beg the Vikings’ coaches to let him face the Packers next week, even if he needs a cane. Josh McCown, Cade McNown and the entire list of failed Bears quarterbacks from the past couple decades might get into a fistfight outside Soldier Field for the right to face Green Bay in the finale. After a semi-encouraging first half on Sunday, Green Bay got destroyed over the final 30 minutes. The Packers didn’t win the game so much as they were saved by the bell. After failing to reach 20 points in four consecutive games, the Panthers scored 30. After failing to get in the end zone the last two weeks, they scored four touchdowns. This isn’t just about Sunday’s defensive collapse. The coin flip, of all things, was a debacle. Cornerback Jaire Alexander, back after a six-game absence, wasn’t one of LaFleur’s three captains. He went out, anyway, for the opening coin flip. “I don’t think Coach knew I was from Charlotte,” Alexander said. Oh, he probably knew and didn’t care. Making matters worse, Alexander botched the flip. Instead of deferring the decision to the second half, he said the defense wanted to go on the field. That’s not the same thing. Fortunately, a pregame talk between LaFleur and the officials saved the embarrassment of kicking off to start the game and the second half. “I said, ‘I want our defense to be out there,’ and they all looked at me like I was crazy,” Alexander said. “It’s pretty simple what I said. ‘I want the defense to be out there.’ They like, ‘You mean defer?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I guess.’” The Packers have a young team. Young often means impressionable. With Alexander going rogue, it’s time – no, it’s past time – for LaFleur and the people at the top of the organization to seize control. It’s time to clean house. Replace the defensive coordinator. Get rid of the defensive assistants. And trade Alexander and anyone else who isn’t fully committed to building the next championship team. Related: Comparing Love’s First 15 Games to Rodgers in 2008 2. PACKERS NEED A RUNNING BACK One of the big stories of the game was Aaron Jones’ blast-from-the-past performance. Dogged by injuries for most of the season, Jones rushed for 127 yards on 21 attempts. He set season highs for carries (by one), yards (by 54) and average (by 1.4). More than the numbers, he set the tone as Green Bay raced to a 13-3 lead. It was Green Bay’s first 100-yard rushing or receiving performance of the season. With the Packers desperately needing a win and with the pass-catching corps riddled with injuries.

3. FILLING THE TEASER? Definitely not. The Packers are 7-8 and 10th in the NFC. The New York Times, however, projects that the Packers have a 90+ percent chance of making the playoffs if they can defeat the Vikings the following week and the Bears in the championship game. But let’s be honest. It is not possible for the Packers to advance to the postseason. Their defense is, to put it mildly, appalling. The run defense is constructed out of cardboard. That is an organizational issue rather than a Barry one. In terms of yards allowed per carry since LaFleur came over as coach in 2019, it is the lowest in the NFL.

There are more vulnerabilities in the pass defense than in a block of Swiss cheese. Barry’s favorite zone defense was dismantled by the Bucs last week. Therefore, he played man and was demolished in the second half by a rookie quarterback who had not thrown a touchdown pass in his previous four games and had not reached 200 passing yards in seven straight games.

The pass defense has more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese. The Bucs destroyed Barry’s preferred zone defense last week. He thus played man and was destroyed in the second half by a rookie quarterback who had not reached 200 passing yards in seven straight games and had not thrown a touchdown pass in his previous four outings.