An Embarrassing End to a Shameful Season

The Green Bay Packers’ 31-0 loss at home to the Detroit Lions was a somehow fitting finale for a lost season that allegedly began with such promise, much like last season. But this season was arguably much more shameful than last season, when Aaron Rodgers was injured in game six after the Packers had won critical games against Seattle and Dallas. People “hoped” that Brett Hundley would live up to all the hype around him—especially by those who didn’t take seriously or didn’t read the less-than-glowing assessments of his skills by draft experts. Unfortunately, Packer fans were soon disabused of such notions. The season-ending 35-11 loss to the hapless Lions put a capper on a season whose only “positive” was the likelihood that Hundley would be gone and Rodgers would be back healthy again. 

Earlier this season Rodgers had thrown for 442 yards in a 31-23 loss to the Lions in Detroit, so there was at least the thought that Rodgers could end the season on a high note at Lambeau Field. But Rodgers has had a history of putting up some real stinkers against the Lions, like in 2010, when he was knocked out early in a 7-3 loss, after completing 7 of 11 for 46 yards and an interception. This time, the Packers were already down 14-0 when Rodgers decided to call it quits for the season after the wooziness from an earlier play didn’t go away. There would be no team records to set today, either by Rodgers in passing yards or by Davante Adams, who wanted to play but was forced to sit out because of a bum knee. In came the guy who was 0-15 for the Cleveland Browns last season, DeShone Kizer. What did you expect? Rookie Baker Mayfield won 7 games this season with basically the same team--except he was the quarterback, not Kizer. The Packers drives were as follows: Punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, downs, downs, interception.  Kizer might be able to scramble for some yards, but he can’t pass worth a lick.

An embarrassing loss in front of the home crowd to end a shameful season which Rodgers started every game. Last season we at least had the notion that things would be different if Rodgers could at least play. He did this season, except that Packers did the “unthinkable”: they finished with an even worse record than last season. Now we are left to “hope” that the Packers can’t go anywhere but “up” next season.