Was the 2011-2021 Era A Success?

[LombardiTime]

Greetings everyone.

I have never posted here before but have been a long, long time lurker and have very much enjoyed the insights and information shared on this board and its predecessor by so many diehard Packer fans over the years.

I started following the Pack in the early 70s and have been through all the ups and downs with the team since that time.

After tonight's outcome and given what I and it seems most observant fans believe will be significant turnover of the roster this offseason, including potentially at QB with Aaron Rodgers, I thought the time might be ripe to ask a question of the learned posters on this board that I have been contemplating for quite some time.

It is a question that does not have a RIGHT or WRONG answer, but I think it is an intriguing one.

And that question is the one in the subject line above.

I have bandied about this question about with fellow Packer fan friends, but I thought it would be interesting to hear what some rabid, knowledgeable fans who I do not personally know have to say about this subject, so what do you think, was the 2011-2021 era a "success?"

Looking forward to reading your responses.

[texas]

No.

Zero Super Bowls in that time (or even SB appearances) despite an ostensible all time great QB.

Some of the individual wins were fun, sure. But I have fun winning my fantasy football game each week.

We always look back on these seasons with disgust. And we will be looking back on this decade with disgust.

I don't really remember much about 2014 except the NFCCG. "Dez didn't catch it" was fun but if you ask me about the 2014 NFL season, my mind immediately goes to the meltdown. Same thing with 2013- Cobb's 4th down play was fun, but I just think of the loss to the 49ers.

What I will remember this season is the meltdown, like every other season this past 10 years.

[Crazylegs Starks]

Welcome!

Tough first question! Honestly, I don't like lumping all those years together*. However, if the goal is to make the dance and have a shot more often than not, then it was a success; only the Patriots did it better. I'm sure many will disagree with me though.



*I'd go with three eras:
2011-2014 "peak MM/Rodgers"
2015-2018 "we've gotten stale"
2019-2021 "new blood"

[lupedafiasco]

No.

[bud fox]

No

Being in the weak nfc north has made it better for our wins and playoff appearances

Being in the weak nfc north had made it harder to improve our weaknesses.

Blessing and a curse.

[Scott4Pack]

Yes! And yes! And yes some more!

I grieve over all of the heart-breaking playoff losses as much as anybody. But when it comes to NFL football, I’m nothing more than a FAN of the game and of the Green Bay Packers.

For every loss, in regular seasons and playoffs alike, we have a number of WINS. Even during this 11 year period that you mentioned. Gosh, if I say “no” to this poll, then there isn’t a single team that has been successful either.

I also began as a fan of the Packers in the 70s. No matter what happened these past ten years, I’ve learned to enjoy ALL of the successes when you have them, because there isn’t a single organization over the long haul that has succeeded more than the Green Bay Packers.

I can only call 11 - 21 a ravaging success. Yeah, I wanted at least one more Lombardi. But this has been a great run. And Aaron Rodgers is a huge part of that. I’d take this anytime.

[go pak go]

I mean without question this era was a resounding success. We witnessed one of the best players to play the QB position and witnessed some really great teams.

The Packers assembled some truly great teams. 2011, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Some seasons were disrupted by injury, but there were 3 clear seasons and games where Rodgers had the opportunity to elevate the team and his legacy to put games away and he did not.

Rodgers has his moments vs the Cowboys in 2014 and 2016 where he rose above. But beyond that it is hard to ignore the Seahawks, Bucs and 49ers games where he had the chance (and in the case of the Hawks and 49ers...multiple chances) and just couldn't put it away.

Yes it is absolutely a success, but one that will go down as disappointing. I would call this era similar to the 1980's and 1990's Dolphins, John Elway before 1997, Drew Brees's from 2010 and beyond and the 2000's Colts.

[TheGreenMan]

I think if I was asked this 5-7 years ago I would absolutely say "yes".

As things move forward with a coaching change, Gute coming in, and a lot of Rodgers talk. Handful of #1 seeds and NFC championship games. It's been no wonder the expectations have never been higher the last couple of years. I think the roster should be proof of that. I came to terms in the McCarthy era that we weren't going to win another one until an overhaul happened and new life was breathed into the team (after the game that shall not be named). I felt like a season was successful if we made the playoffs .

Well, here we are at the close of another season of LaFleur where the stakes had never been higher. It felt different this year. Everything was on the table for me so to speak. It had to have been for the Packers after the Rodgers uncertainties last spring. And we didn't get it done.

I'm not sure I can call this season a success, but that's a lot of years between 2011-2021 to say it was a total failure.

I'd have to agree with Crazylegs:

*I'd go with three eras:
2011-2014 "peak MM/Rodgers"
2015-2018 "we've gotten stale"
2019-2021 "new blood"

2011-2014 - No.
2015-2018 - Yes (My McCarthy realization)
2019-221 - No.

[salmar80]

I'm going with "a disappointing success".

We've had such good teams during that span, that it feels unreal that we didn't win a SB or few.

[German_Panzer]

No. Not if you have #12 and come close so often. But it was also not a bad stretch. I mean we were at least competitive and sometimes very close (NFCCG in Seattle).

[Pugger]

I too am a long time fan who started in the 70s as a kid. I say yes. I know some will say no because we don't have another ring with our MVP but I fear the unreal success of NE and Brady has skewed our perception of NFL success. Yes, the ultimate goal is the Super Bowl but it isn't as easy as Brady and company make it appear. There are only 12 quarterbacks in the 53 year Super Bowl era with more than one ring - Brady, Bradshaw, Montana, Aikman, the Manning brothers, Big Ben, Elway, Plunkett and our beloved Starr. Of these men all but 4 have "just" 2. There are only 5 QBs in the HOF without at least one ring. I'd say there are more than 5 QBs in the Super Bowl era who should be in there but are not because they didn't win one.

I submit if we didn't have Rodgers under center we don't even make the playoffs 11 times out of 14 years, let alone 2011-2021 nor do we have our 4th Lombardi in our trophy case. Should we put an asterisk next to Favre because he only has one ring? Someone here will say "but at least he got us to two of them". Fine. But why don't we excoriate him for losing that second one? Football is the ultimate team sport. You need a ****load of things to go right to win a championship. If we decide to move on from #12 it might be a long long time before we enjoy the kind of success we've enjoyed all these years.

[NCF]

If we decide to move on from #12 it might be a long long time before we enjoy the kind of success we've enjoyed all these years.

It might be a long long time before we enjoy the kind of success we've enjoyed if we don't. Time will tell.

[TheGreenMan]

If we decide to move on from #12 it might be a long long time before we enjoy the kind of success we've enjoyed all these years.

It might be a long long time before we enjoy the kind of success we've enjoyed if we don't. Time will tell.

Maybe it's because I wasn't here in the 60's and 70's, but... I'm ready for a change.

[paco]

[Pckfn23]

Ultimately, no, it was not a success. There were high expectations, especially this year. Those expectations were not met. However, it was a fun ride. I am glad I got to be a part of it.

[Labrev]

Winning divisional titles and making the playoffs alone is a success... for a team that has had multiple losing seasons recently and/or had to rebuild, because it shows improvement and that you are trending in the right direction. Then you have to take that next step.

If you are a perennial playoff team, then no, continuing to make the playoffs and having no SuperBowls (or even conference championships) cannot be considered success; it is at-best stagnation.

2020 could be seen as a success because we hired a new coach and he was able to fix a lot of the dysfunction that made us losers and establish a winning culture again. Sadly, we failed to take that next step, and now that window appears shut.

[Gunzaan]

Good question, with lots of layers and plenty of opportunity for different perspectives/answers.

I try to keep it simple, though. 10 years in a really bad division with 0 Super Bowls appearances and no “superpower/dynasty” as a constant obstacle in the NFC? Nope, that is a pathetic failure.

[wallyuwl]

Good question, with lots of layers and plenty of opportunity for different perspectives/answers.

I try to keep it simple, though. 10 years in a really bad division with 0 Super Bowls appearances and no “superpower/dynasty” as a constant obstacle in the NFC? Nope, that is a pathetic failure.

Pretty much. Four legitimate shots at a ring, 2011, 2014, 2020, 2021, and not even 1 SB appearance. Failure.

[TheSkeptic]

Yes, it was a success. A qualified success. But if the Packers mortgaged the future by keeping Rodgers 1 year too long and they get nothing for him, if Bakh retires with all that dead cap, if Love is a bust, then it becomes a failure.

[NCF]

If the only measure of success is championships, then obviously, the answer is no. If we are allowed to expand the definition, then yes, I think this era was a resounding success. Lots of ups and downs, but the team pretty consistently put itself in position to compete for championships. They just never got over the last hurdle.

I still feel robbed of the 2013 season. If Aaron hadn't got hurt, I think that team would have went far.