Packers Stock Report: Getting your ass kicked edition

In the eyes of many Green Bay Packers fans,each regular season game isn’t so much a game,but a weekly check-up on the team’s readiness to win another Super Bowl. 

Most fanbases embrace the week-to-week nature of the NFL simply because they have no other choice. Every win is a step in the right direction and provides further hope that maybe,just maybe,this year is their year. Every loss is another reminder that their team isn’t among the league’s elite and a win is needed the following week in order to not fall too far off track.

That type of thinking doesn’t apply to the Packers. Most cheeseheads view the regular season as a formality. The Packers will win between 10-13 games. There will be many memorable moments and a few forgettable ones along the way. Watching the team will be a whole lot of fun. Etc.,etc.

But really,most fans ask,how does each week’s performance impact the Packers readiness to compete in January?

Beating the Bears in the season opener was nice,but man,the defense looked rough. The Packers FINALLY beat the Seahawks in week 2,but those injuries are bad news long term. Beating up on the Chiefs was fun in week 3,but if the Packers let a team hang around like that in January,we could see another playoff meltdown.

It was cool to see the defense play so well in week 4 against the 49ers,but only 17 points from the offense? That won’t fly in the playoffs. The Rams in week 5 proved to be a better team than we thought,but what’s up with the offense? And dominating Nick Foles on defense doesn’t make us feel any better about the defense holding up in the postseason. Phillip freaking Rivers threw for 500 yards on the Packers. OH GOD HERE WE GO AGAIN!

The corpse of Peyton Manning dominated the Packers and Rodgers threw for less than 100 yards? SEE,I TOLD YOU ALL THOSE FLAWS FROM THE EARLIER GAMES WOULD EVENTUALLY CATCH UP TO THE PACKERS. NOW WE GOTTA FIX A BUNCH OF STUFF IF WE WANT TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL.

That’s life as a Packers fan and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re spoiled. Some folks like to use the “spoiled” label as a negative. To me,it’s nothing but a positive and it’s something we should relish as long as it lasts.

The NFL season is a long journey. Most fanbases have no idea where that journey is going to end up. Packers fans know the general vicinity of where their journey will conclude. The main question is,does their team have what it takes to go that extra mile and reach the destination it desperately wants to get to?

Despite Sunday night’s debacle,I think this team still has what it takes. But it sure did add a few bumps on the journey.

Onto this week’s Packers Stock Report:

Rising

Datone Jones
Nobody is going to confuse Jones for J.J. Watt,but Jones has quietly become a reliable member of this defensive line. Now he just needs to avoid the nagging injury that has plagued him throughout his career.

Mason Crosby
Crosby was the only Packers player (besides maybe Randall Cobb) who seemed excited to be playing football on Sunday night. He actually showed a little emotion and *gasp* smiled after he made a 56-yard field goal. Every other Packers player had the body language of an old steer who knew he was on his way to be made into steaks and hamburgers.

Steady

Clay Matthews
I take back what I said about Crosby being the only player to show any type of excitement on Sunday. Matthews looked fired up. He always does. And hats off to Matthews for giving it a go after injuring his ankle. Nobody would have blamed him if he said the hell with it and went back to the locker room early so he didn’t have to watch that mess.

Falling

Casey Hayward
It was obvious that Peyton Manning singled out Hayward to pick on early and often. It worked,as Hayward was helpless again Demaryius Thomas on the outside. 

Nate Palmer
I never thought I would miss A.J. Hawk,but Palmer made me miss A.J. Hawk on Sunday. Oooof,he was terrible. Dom Capers has his work cut for him in trying to come up with schemes that mask Palmer’s obvious and easily exploitable flaws.

Eddie Lacy
It’s not like Lacy has gaping holes to run through,but he looks like a completely lost player compared to his first two seasons. Even when he does break off a few runs,they too often end in fumbles or near-fumbles. I miss the days of Lacy trucking over poor saps who dared to get in front of him once he broke through the line.