Look Out, the Packers Are Hungry
Hunger. It’s something the Green Bay Packers haven’t seemed to possess in a while.
I mean, we’re pretty sure Josh Sitton would eat the ass out of a live hog if you threw some barbecue sauce on it, but we’re not talking about literal hunger. We’re talking about the metaphorical kind. The drive that leads a person or a unit to achieve great things.
You could sense that the 2010 team had it.
And the Packers haven’t really had it since.
Until this year.
Apparently, this year’s Packers aren’t living off that 2010 title and are tired of hearing about how they can’t win in the playoffs.
Andrew Quarless says the Packers have a chip on their shoulder. Sitton says the team is extremely hungry. Aaron Rodgers says the influx of young talent — guys who weren’t around for the last run — has the team more focused on greatness.
“It’s a different team, every year is different,” Rodgers said. “This group seems to be a little hungrier. We’re a few years now removed from the Super Bowl and there’s a lot of guys who weren’t a part of that run who are big contributors for us. It’s fun to see those guys and their hunger to get there.”
Is this going to translate into another Super Bowl season?
It certainly can’t hurt. The Packers of the past couple years were fairly complacent and we all know how those seasons ended up.
However, I think we can all agree that the road is tougher this year.
Yes, the Packers were a wild card in 2010, which means they had to win three games on the road to make the Super Bowl.
However, did anyone really think they were going to lose to the Matt Ryan-led Falcons? Talk about teams that don’t do shit in the playoffs — hello, Atlanta!
Or did you really believe the Jay Cutler-led Bears could knock off the Packers in the NFC Championship? Jay Cutler, people!
This year, the Packers face the hottest team in football in the Dallas Cowboys, who are also undefeated on the road. If they beat Dallas, they’re likely to face Seattle. That game will be in Seattle, which is arguably the toughest place to play in the entire league.
So the Packers are going to need more than hunger. They’re going to need near-flawless execution and probably a little luck to go along with it if this is to be their year.
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Yes, many people thought the Packers would lose in the 2010 playoffs. They were 1.5 point dogs to Atl and 3 point dogs to Philly. Only against Chicago were they favored and then only by three. They only beat Philly by the skin of the finger tips of Desmond Bishop. Point is 1. you can have all of the “hunger” in the world, but it still takes some fortune and strong play. Rest assured the Cowboys, SeaHawks and Panthers have a “hunger” as well. 2. The road is not HARDER this year…. two games instead of three and one game at home as a substantial favorite. You are remembering 2010’s run with revisionist history eyes.
I think that we were two dropped passes (by Jordy Nelson against Buffalo) from playing for the NFC Championship at home, and I am still having a hard time putting that behind me. Then again, it is now just a question of winning three games in a row and that’s it.
All the hunger in the world won’t heal Aaron’s calf. The team will go as long and as far as he can carry them.
Aaron just needs to throw quickly and decisively, like he is well capable of, since he can’t scramble around and try to buy time. Lacey and Stark also need to have a good game. The defense really needs to step up for this game, although the have been looking better lately. I hope they blow them out – we will see….
Packers better bring bag lunches to Seattle so they don’t leave hungry too.