By Zack Cimini

Coming into the 2004 season, the Green Bay Packers were thought of as an easy lock for the playoffs and potential Super Bowl contenders. The reason why is because they?re always guaranteed to win almost every game at home. Their home field advantage at Lambeau field has helped them win seven or eight games automatically. Who can forget every time the Buccaneers were to play Green Bay announcers would bring up the fact the Tampa Bay can?t win in any weather below thirty-two degrees? Maybe that?s part of the reason why Green Bay is struggling at home. Did they have too many home games for the fall? Nobody really knows but if they don?t go on a quick winning streak, it?s going to get ugly.

Green Bay doesn?t have the reasons that a team like Miami does. They brought back the same group of players, and have one of the most prolific passers in NFL history. Mike McKenzie sure didn?t help things by holding out until week two. The defense has struggled on all levels, especially in the running game. They have already allowed Thomas Jones, Tiki Barber, and Chris Brown to have career days against them. That?s what it all boils down to. When your defense can?t hold an opposing offense statistically than you?re going to lose, because obviously that means the opposing team is controlling the ball with the running game.

Ahman Green proved from the last three seasons that he is a top five running back. But this year he hasn?t been able to get on track, mostly because of his fumbling problems. He already has four this year, and has had some costly ones. One that comes to mind was against Chicago when he fumbled near the goal line, and Mike Brown ran it 95 yards for a touchdown. That just can?t happen on a regular basis for an All-Pro player like Green. That was the biggest reason why Mike Holmgren traded Green to the Packers, and now it?s finally showing. Brett Favre has also had some turnover problems of his own, having already thrown six interceptions. That is usual for Favre though who has always taken lots of risks in games.

The Packers season is far from over, as their schedule is favorable. They have Detroit, Dallas, and Washington before their bye week. If I was Mike Sherman I?d be telling my team that we absolutely need to win these three games. Then they could go into their bye week at .500, and come out of it starting on a clean slate. They would have eight games left, and if they win six of them they?re pretty much guaranteed to make the playoffs.

Another thing Green Bay can?t do is look ahead, because their schedule gets extremely tough after the bye week. You always hate to see great quarterbacks go out like this, but I don?t know if Brett Favre has another year in him. He has been contemplating retirement for a few seasons now, and it appears this team won?t be a potential Super Bowl team for some time now. So why continue to play and put more of a beating to your body? He has the consecutive starts record, and he has already won a Super Bowl. He has fulfilled the expectations that every starting quarterback in the league has tried to do.