In a week-15 win over the Carolina Panthers, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense did what they’ve done so many times this season: Take the ball and march down the field and into the end zone.
The drive summary: 7 plays, 81 yards in 3:43. It was surgical.
It was the 7th time this season a touchdown concluded the Packers opening drive.
As amazing as the Packers early game touchdown production is, equally confounding is it’s third quarter struggles. In 5 games this season the Packers have been shut out in the third quarter.
“I just don’t think they’re prepared mentally to come out in the second half,” Packers hall-of-famer Mark Chmura tells Wisconsin’s Afternoon News. “It gets worse when the weather gets cold because it’s chilly, and you go in the locker room where it’s nice and toasty and warm…mentally they’re just not ready, and I put that on LaFleur.”
In each of the Packers three losses, a goose-egg populates the third quarter box score.
On two occasions – versus Jacksonville and Carolina – the Packers earned a win despite a scoreless third. However, the Packers were held nearly a touchdown under it’s season scoring average and allowed lesser teams to make things interesting in the 4th.
“I’m not happy with the way this team is trending right now,” Chmura continues. “They played three bad teams the last three weeks. They let these teams hang around kinda like they did Saturday night and they’re playing a tough team this weekend.”
The Packers finish up the regular season at home against the Tennessee Titans (10-4) and on the road in week-17 against the Chicago Bears (7-7). The Titans currently lead the NFL in scoring average at 31.1 points per game.
“He’s [Matt LaFleur] got to find a way to get these guys raring to go. If they want to reach their ultimate goal, they got to to run the table.”
The Packers will clinch the NFC’s number-1 seed with a win over the Titans coupled with a Rams win over the Seahawks.
Regardless of what happens on Sunday, the Packers will lock-up the top-seed with a week-17 win over the Bears.