We’re certainly all sick and tired of hearing about the Green Bay Packers’ injury report. It’s usually extensive. It usually contains several key players. We usually have no idea when those players are going to return. Too often, their injuries are misdiagnosed and end up being much worse than initially reported.
In other words, it’s a shit show. One that we have all come to expect.
The Packers show up for practice, five guys immediately pull a hammy.
Not this training camp, though. The Green Bay Packers are unusually healthy as the season approaches.
Why is that, you ask?
Because they are doing next to nothing. You’ve surely noticed when the preseason games roll around. Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, Morgan Burnett — these guys haven’t played a down yet. That careful approach has extended to practice as well.
From @BobMcGinn: Packers have practiced 13x in 28 days. I saw 1 of 11 padded practices. They didn't do anything pic.twitter.com/i8c1SjE2Eg
— Greg A. Bedard (@GregABedard) August 23, 2016
In theory, that’s just swell.
Probably the only thing that’s going to slow the Packers down this season are injuries. Or if Aaron Rodgers plays like it’s 2015 again, but that’s another story.
Last year, the impetus was on starting fast. That’s what coach Mike McCarthy harped on all offseason. The Packers did that, jumping out to a 6-0 beginning. Then the wheels fell off, but we’re not here to recount that debacle again.
This year, the impetus is clearly on staying healthy, but at what cost?
Short, easy practices are great for staying healthy. Are they great for winning football games?
That remains to be seen, but we could certainly see the Packers opening the regular season flat. They’re barely hitting anyone now and they’re barely being hit. What happens when shit suddenly gets real in week 1?
But hey, at least they won’t have any injuries going into the game.
More Buffoonery . . . each and every year different ways to avoid “smash mouth” football. Hence Daniels yearly refrain about playing meaner. If there is a connection to avoiding injury by going light, then as soon as they play against a “smash mouth” football team there may be more injuries than usual. Pay me now, pay me later . . .
#PlayingScared
I think this team has about as much talent as any in recent years but I really can’t get behind the leadership who is terrified to let their players hit and get hit.
Don’t be surprised when a hungry Jacksonville team steamrolls us like we’re a JV team.