Packers Huddle

BF004 wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 13:23

Hell, even Wally was optimistic.

Pretty sure that automatically wins me this argument.

YoHoChecko wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 14:00

BF004 wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 13:23

Hell, even Wally was optimistic.

Pretty sure that automatically wins me this argument.

And yet a week earlier:
image.png

BF004 wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 14:06

Guess I think it is a little worse right now. There weren't any 'FIRE COACH X' threads in that time despite worse losses, worse record, worse outlook. Here its because we didn't win by more than 14.

BF004 wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 14:06

YoHoChecko wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 14:00

BF004 wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 13:23

Hell, even Wally was optimistic.

Pretty sure that automatically wins me this argument.

And yet a week earlier:
image.png

Hey if wally was even slightly optimistic about this team at any time, that is saying a lot.

Guess I think it is a little worse right now. There weren't any 'FIRE COACH X' threads in that time despite worse losses, worse record, worse outlook. Here its because we didn't win by more than 14.

YoHoChecko wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 12:31

texas wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 02:55

I disagree with your recollection. We were unanimously picked by every nfl.com (might have been ESPN but it was one of the major ones) expert before the season to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, which I think might have been a first. I remember making a point of the fact that our defense won us that first game, which hadn't happened in like a decade. I remember being astounded at how bad our luck was and how good we would have been if we just had a few lucky breaks here and there. Also I remember reading a playoff QB ranking at the start of the playoffs, where they ranked Rodgers near the bottom and specifically, below Matt Ryan, and I thought it was just so much trash because I could tell Rodgers was like the best or 2nd best QB in the whole damn league. I don't think I was alone during that season either in thinking we had gotten incredibly unlucky and were in fact one of the top teams. People like MM's famous quote "we're nobody's underdog" for its message, but I think a lot of people also legitimately believed it at the time too.

There's some contradictions here.

So, maybe you're right that everyone picked the Packers before the season; that would be a little strange, since we were just fine in 2009, but like... there's a hot "rising" team to pick every year. Look at all the people who picked the Cardinals to soar this year or the Browns last year. Preseason expectations are not what I'm discussing.

YoHoChecko wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 12:31

In-season, maybe you were optimistic and positive about the team; I can't speak for you. But a) that feels a bit out of your current m.o., and b) that doesn't mean you were representative. In fact, the two things you mention--Rodgers being ranked low on playoff QBs and MM's slogan--speak exactly to the fact that expectations for the Packers had, in the general public, dropped off precipitously.

YoHoChecko wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 12:31

MM wouldn't have to say "we're nobody's underdog" if the general consensus was that we were, in fact, the underdog. Rodgers wouldn't be ranked low if the general consensus was that the Falcons' regular season win over the Packers was just bad luck and would not likely be repeated in the playoffs. The notion that "Rodgers can't win when it matters" was always stupid, because losing a playoff shootout where both teams score in the 40s the previous year does not make you a bad crunchtime QB, but that was the feeling and the vibe that existed.

YoHoChecko wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 12:31

So if you were a rebel who thought the Packers were better than they were perceived to be (and rebellion does fit what I know of your m.o.), then great. But don't re-write the script to say that analysts and fans generally felt that way. It just isn't the case.

texas wrote: ↑

13 Dec 2020 01:08

YoHoChecko wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 12:31

texas wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 02:55

I disagree with your recollection. We were unanimously picked by every nfl.com (might have been ESPN but it was one of the major ones) expert before the season to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, which I think might have been a first. I remember making a point of the fact that our defense won us that first game, which hadn't happened in like a decade. I remember being astounded at how bad our luck was and how good we would have been if we just had a few lucky breaks here and there. Also I remember reading a playoff QB ranking at the start of the playoffs, where they ranked Rodgers near the bottom and specifically, below Matt Ryan, and I thought it was just so much trash because I could tell Rodgers was like the best or 2nd best QB in the whole damn league. I don't think I was alone during that season either in thinking we had gotten incredibly unlucky and were in fact one of the top teams. People like MM's famous quote "we're nobody's underdog" for its message, but I think a lot of people also legitimately believed it at the time too.

There's some contradictions here.

So, maybe you're right that everyone picked the Packers before the season; that would be a little strange, since we were just fine in 2009, but like... there's a hot "rising" team to pick every year. Look at all the people who picked the Cardinals to soar this year or the Browns last year. Preseason expectations are not what I'm discussing.

It was definitely one of the major sites. They had like 7 or 8 experts make their pre-season super bowl picks and every one of them picked us.

YoHoChecko wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 12:31

In-season, maybe you were optimistic and positive about the team; I can't speak for you. But a) that feels a bit out of your current m.o., and b) that doesn't mean you were representative. In fact, the two things you mention--Rodgers being ranked low on playoff QBs and MM's slogan--speak exactly to the fact that expectations for the Packers had, in the general public, dropped off precipitously.

I don't think my M.O. is negativity and pessimism. It certainly isn't pessimism.

YoHoChecko wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 12:31

MM wouldn't have to say "we're nobody's underdog" if the general consensus was that we were, in fact, the underdog. Rodgers wouldn't be ranked low if the general consensus was that the Falcons' regular season win over the Packers was just bad luck and would not likely be repeated in the playoffs. The notion that "Rodgers can't win when it matters" was always stupid, because losing a playoff shootout where both teams score in the 40s the previous year does not make you a bad crunchtime QB, but that was the feeling and the vibe that existed.

Well, that's not entirely true because it is possible for a coach to both pretend that they are an underdog even though they are not, as well as feel as though they are actually underdogs and be incorrect. I do think you are correct in that most of the media probably were not seriously considering us at that point (although they 100% did early on). But MM's words don't indicate anything one way or another.

YoHoChecko wrote: ↑

11 Dec 2020 12:31

So if you were a rebel who thought the Packers were better than they were perceived to be (and rebellion does fit what I know of your m.o.), then great. But don't re-write the script to say that analysts and fans generally felt that way. It just isn't the case.

I do remember a lot of fans thinking we were pretty solid. I know that year I said that the Falcons were way overrated and that they had significantly overperformed relative to how good they actually were. One of the things I liked best about that season is that on the way to our SB victory, we knocked off the teams who were responsible for our 3 worst recent screwjobs. I was very angry the previous year when Pittsburgh beat us late in the year on a &%$@ play, and I hated how literally every bounce and call went ATL's way in our regular season matchup, and the Bears had been on a streak of being the beneficiary of lucky bounces and officiating blunders against us, including what I remember as one of the worst screwjobs I have ever seen officiated by none other than affirmative action hire Al Riveron, who has consistently failed upwards.

Because of all that, I remember that season better than many of our most recent seasons.

YoHoChecko wrote: ↑

14 Dec 2020 07:46

ESPN Playoff machine a has us winning a 3-way tie at 12-4 if our loss is to the Titans now, btw; other teams conference records have met ours (that's tie with the Saints and the Seahawks OR Rams)

I dunno if that's common games or SoV or what.

BF004 wrote: ↑

14 Dec 2020 13:30

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think I was the first I had seen build in a garbage time filter and still think mine is far superior than just filtering out <.05 & >.95 or <.10 & >.90 as is commonly seen.