Green Bay Packers 2017 Season Recap
What happens when a team's worst nightmare becomes a reality? As we discovered, anguish in the present, but possibly salvation for its future.
Green Bay Packers
2017 Record: 7-9
2016 Record: 10-6, NFC North champion
Win Differential: -3
What Happened: The Packers started the year 4-1, picking up right where they left off a season ago, looking to advance that one more step from the NFC Championship game where the Atlanta Falcons ultimately ended Green Bay's postseason run. But their Week 6 meeting against the Vikings in Minnesota would turn the Packers' season upside down. QB Aaron Rodgers would suffer a broken collarbone that would cost him the balance of 2017, save one abysmal performance against Carolina in December in a futile attempt to salvage a playoff berth. Those critical of the Packers have long maintained that Green Bay without their potential Hall of Fame signal caller are rendered to a squad of ne'er-do-wells that would struggle to remain competitive amongst the dregs of the league. This belief was affirmed in spades when Titletown with Brett Hundley under center would turn in a 3-6 record, a mark that becomes more underwhelming when 2 of those wins were struggles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns. After ending the season with a listless loss to the Detroit Lions (which would become the first Lions sweep of the Packers in 27 years), it was clear that things needed to change.
What To Expect: For fans of the Cheeshead Nation, these actions were long overdue. Two men who fans viewed as major impediments to Green Bay's quest for championship prominence were either fired (defensive coordinator Dom Capers) or reassigned (general manager Ted Thompson was moved to a senior consultant role). Replacing them would be Mike Pettine and Brian Gutekunst, respectively. Pettine has been a successful coordinator in his pro career, so bringing him in to infuse new life into the D was a logical move, the alignment change from a 3-4 to a 4-3 notwithstanding. But the more intriguing hire was Gutekunst. The former director of pro personnel will be expected by the Packer faithful to be more active in the free agent market, far more than his predecessor. And for this offseason, that looks to be the case. The acquisitions of TE Jimmy Graham (Seattle) and DT Muhammad Wilkerson (NY Jets) give the Packers two legitimate playmakers, one on each side of the ball. Graham is a known red zone terror, using his size and skill to score plenty of TD's. Combine that with Rodgers' accuracy, and there could be the makings of an unstoppable force. Wilkerson, meanwhile, is on the short list of excellent defensive linemen, and will be a welcome addition as Pettine will be working on the aforementioned alignment change. For the first time in a few years, the Packers have the impression of a conference contender. And if Rodgers comes back to his elite form, then Green Bay will avenge last year's substandard season, quite possibly with the Lombardi Trophy heading home in February 2019.
