GT: Packers at 49ers - 1/20/24 - 7:15 - FOX

[Ron Swanson]

I'm not talking about "missing the playoffs" though. I'm talking about how many opportunities a team has as visible a pathway to the SB as we did this season. You can say that's based on how we performed against the two best seeds, sure, but we also had all our key guys healthy at the right time, with Aaron Jones playing the best football of his career. I'm not expecting to see this version of Jones for 4-5 straight weeks when it matters most ever again. Hope to be wrong, but between his age and workload/durability, history tells us it's unlikely.

[MoMM]

I'm not talking about "missing the playoffs" though. I'm talking about how many opportunities a team has as visible a pathway to the SB as we did this season. You can say that's based on how we performed against the two best seeds, sure, but we also had all our key guys healthy at the right time, with Aaron Jones playing the best football of his career. I'm not expecting to see this version of Jones for 4-5 straight weeks when it matters most ever again. Hope to be wrong, but between his age and workload/durability, history tells us it's unlikely.

I totally agree with you, especially the injuries part, for example we had Bakh, just extended him and he goes down, we had a team to win the SB back in that time and this killed our chances. Some people are even saying that having Zack Tom down for 1 quarter impacted the outcome of this game against the 49ers.

Who knows what will happen next? Aaron could be old and slow, in 1-2 years we will have to extend our WRs/ TEs, OL (Walker/Tom), etc. We won't have money for everything and then the young dynasty dies. It's not like NBA that you can go over the cap to re-sign your own players, or you can trade expensive players + picks for expiring contracts to clear cap space, etc.

[Kerb Hohl]

I'm not talking about "missing the playoffs" though. I'm talking about how many opportunities a team has as visible a pathway to the SB as we did this season. You can say that's based on how we performed against the two best seeds, sure, but we also had all our key guys healthy at the right time, with Aaron Jones playing the best football of his career. I'm not expecting to see this version of Jones for 4-5 straight weeks when it matters most ever again. Hope to be wrong, but between his age and workload/durability, history tells us it's unlikely.

Obviously the odds are all out of whack because the Packers were "better" than the metrics most likely, but odds are that this was the hardest path this team would ever face. 60/1 when the playoffs started (!!!). Purdy's small hands in the rain notwithstanding, the 49ers are a juggernaut. The Cowboys are a great team. We'd have had to go to a good Detroit team and then either beat a decent Mahomes team or a loaded Ravens team. All of these games on the road other than the Super Bowl, of course.

If the Packers make it back, even if they have a key injury or something, it's likely that the next run(s) will be "easier" than this. Even if you grant winning the first 2 rounds as almost happened this year.

I do understand that we almost were halfway there against the odds...but it's possible that the Packers could get back as the 2 or the 3 seed in a few years and have a much easier route to winning even with some key injuries or something.

Also, we could get some great luck of playing a pathetic defense as the "number one" seed in the Falcons and then Caleb Hanie and have to beat Big Ben because the Jets knocked off the 14-2 Patriots, one of their best iterations ever. We didn't get any of that this year.

[MVP2110]

I'm not talking about "missing the playoffs" though. I'm talking about how many opportunities a team has as visible a pathway to the SB as we did this season. You can say that's based on how we performed against the two best seeds, sure, but we also had all our key guys healthy at the right time, with Aaron Jones playing the best football of his career. I'm not expecting to see this version of Jones for 4-5 straight weeks when it matters most ever again. Hope to be wrong, but between his age and workload/durability, history tells us it's unlikely.

Sure things will change, some guys will get better and others will get worse. That's always the case, but when I look at this year's version of the Packers they don't standout as a Superbowl contender. Sure if some breaks go their way it's possible but definitely was never a likely thing to happen. And the NFC seems pretty open for the foreseeable future. Detroit is a good young team and San Francisco will continuily be up there but both of those things were true for this season as well. And Detroit might legitimately get worse if Ben Johnson leaves. Now maybe Chicago or Washington jump up in their place behind a great young QB or something but there doesn't seem to be a clear cut team that's better than us going forward. I'd guess basically every NFC team would trade places with us outside of maybe SF & Detroit.

I get being disappointed by this loss, I really do, but given the context of everything I think Packer fans should be overjoyed with how this season went

[Profound23]

I'm not talking about "missing the playoffs" though. I'm talking about how many opportunities a team has as visible a pathway to the SB as we did this season. You can say that's based on how we performed against the two best seeds, sure, but we also had all our key guys healthy at the right time, with Aaron Jones playing the best football of his career. I'm not expecting to see this version of Jones for 4-5 straight weeks when it matters most ever again. Hope to be wrong, but between his age and workload/durability, history tells us it's unlikely.

Obviously the odds are all out of whack because the Packers were "better" than the metrics most likely, but odds are that this was the hardest path this team would ever face. 60/1 when the playoffs started (!!!). Purdy's small hands in the rain notwithstanding, the 49ers are a juggernaut. The Cowboys are a great team. We'd have had to go to a good Detroit team and then either beat a decent Mahomes team or a loaded Ravens team. All of these games on the road other than the Super Bowl, of course.

If the Packers make it back, even if they have a key injury or something, it's likely that the next run(s) will be "easier" than this. Even if you grant winning the first 2 rounds as almost happened this year.

I do understand that we almost were halfway there against the odds...but it's possible that the Packers could get back as the 2 or the 3 seed in a few years and have a much easier route to winning even with some key injuries or something.

Also, we could get some great luck of playing a pathetic defense as the "number one" seed in the Falcons and then Caleb Hanie and have to beat Big Ben because the Jets knocked off the 14-2 Patriots, one of their best iterations ever. We didn't get any of that this year.

I must say, the one thing that irritated me the most on Saturday besides the horrible officiating was the fact the rain cleared up on the Niners last drive then started coming down 3x's harder when we got the ball. It's funny, but Packers have been a dome team for years now.

[Kerb Hohl]

Like, I get the "almost there" sentiment, but if I had to rank the 2010 vs. 2023 season playoff opponents, it would be this:

Toughest to easiest:
@ 2023 49ers
2023 Super Bowl vs. Mahomes/Lamar
@ 2023 Dallas
@ 2010 Atlana
@ 2023 Detroit
2010 Super Bowl Big Ben
@ 2010 Philly
@ 2010 Bears

Honestly you could convince me all 4 2010 games were easier than the 2023 games. It was just such an impossible task.

Even after a Packer win we'd have been pissed off, just 1-3 weeks later.

[MoMM]

Overall I really liked this season and I was a pro-tank at some point. My only problem was keeping Anders. Let's be honest, this guy was only drafted and not released by us because his brother is a top kicker and our management dreams that the same trajectory will happen again, which is super unlikely.

[Kerb Hohl]

Overall I really liked this season and I was a pro-tank at some point. My only problem was keeping Anders. Let's be honest, this guy was only drafted and not released by us because his brother is a top kicker and our management dreams that the same trajectory will happen again, which is super unlikely.

OK, let's look at this way.

2023 starts. Everyone agrees it's a rebuilding year given a new QB and all of the dead cap. Now's the time to see if you can develop a kicker because otherwise you're gambling on a 39 year old Crosby for one more expensive/reasonable year at best. We have a rebuilding team so let's get a guy with potential and stick with him through struggles because we don't think we're gonna win it. Yup, we're 6-8, who cares...

Now it's December/January..."woah, we might make a run! Let's see who is out there..."

December/January signings I'm aware of:

Giants/Rams Mason Crosby. Go and watch his kicks. Lol.

Rams sign guy that got the yips in the 2022 playoffs and missed like 6 kicks in a row for the Cowboys.

That's what was out there.

I could maybe question the drafting of Anders...but I have zero blame. *Zero* blame of how they handled it in-season.

[WeekapaugGroove]

It's borderline insane that the whole god damn world grows up kicking balls yet we can't find 32 humans who can do it competently.

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[Ron Swanson]

If the NFL has taught me anything, it's that you throw out the analytics once you get to the postseason. We didn't play our best football and yet still should have beaten the team everyone said was an unstoppable NFC juggernaut. I'm just gonna disagree that you chalk it up to "well, it was a tough road so you can't blame them". The opportunities were there and we just didn't execute. "Youngest team in the league" or not, they certainly weren't playing like it the past 10-12 weeks, and I think that should therefore shift your expectations. All that said, yes, I'm very excited about the future going forward, just also very bummed that we should arguably be favorites to come out of the NFC right now instead of sitting at home.

[MVP2110]

If the NFL has taught me anything, it's that you throw out the analytics once you get to the postseason. We didn't play our best football and yet still should have beaten the team everyone said was an unstoppable NFC juggernaut. I'm just gonna disagree that you chalk it up to "well, it was a tough road so you can't blame them". The opportunities were there and we just didn't execute. "Youngest team in the league" or not, they certainly weren't playing like it the past 10-12 weeks, and I think that should therefore shift your expectations. All that said, yes, I'm very excited about the future going forward, just also very bummed that we should arguably be favorites to come out of the NFC right now instead of sitting at home.

We'll see how the Ravens do this year but there is a very strong correlation between the best DVOA teams and winning the Superbowl

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[Kerb Hohl]

If the NFL has taught me anything, it's that you throw out the analytics once you get to the postseason. We didn't play our best football and yet still should have beaten the team everyone said was an unstoppable NFC juggernaut. I'm just gonna disagree that you chalk it up to "well, it was a tough road so you can't blame them". The opportunities were there and we just didn't execute. "Youngest team in the league" or not, they certainly weren't playing like it the past 10-12 weeks, and I think that should therefore shift your expectations. All that said, yes, I'm very excited about the future going forward, just also very bummed that we should arguably be favorites to come out of the NFC right now instead of sitting at home.

I mean, again, we are wearing Packers glasses. The 49ers played a spectacularly **** game by their standards. If we're judging how we should feel coming out of a game, I can guarantee you the 49ers can play a way better game than that. Purdy's hands did not do him favors in the rain. We got so many gifted bad throws on 3rd down or whatever, even if we dropped some key INTs.

About all I can say is I would never "throw out the analytics." Yes, the full season analytics would say the 49ers were head-and-shoulders better than the Packers. The last 10 weeks analytics agreed, the Packers were a top 5 NFL team. But they also had a short week of rest and were on the road, so that cancelled out a bit...but still was probably why the Packers covered the spread and had a chance to win. But you could kind of say similar things about the Texans. They have CJ Stroud and blew the doors off the Browns. But the Ravens played well and kicked the **** out of them, as they should have.

[MoMM]

Overall I really liked this season and I was a pro-tank at some point. My only problem was keeping Anders. Let's be honest, this guy was only drafted and not released by us because his brother is a top kicker and our management dreams that the same trajectory will happen again, which is super unlikely.

OK, let's look at this way.

2023 starts. Everyone agrees it's a rebuilding year given a new QB and all of the dead cap. Now's the time to see if you can develop a kicker because otherwise you're gambling on a 39 year old Crosby for one more expensive/reasonable year at best. We have a rebuilding team so let's get a guy with potential and stick with him through struggles because we don't think we're gonna win it. Yup, we're 6-8, who cares...

Now it's December/January..."woah, we might make a run! Let's see who is out there..."

December/January signings I'm aware of:

Giants/Rams Mason Crosby. Go and watch his kicks. Lol.

Rams sign guy that got the yips in the 2022 playoffs and missed like 6 kicks in a row for the Cowboys.

That's what was out there.

I could maybe question the drafting of Anders...but I have zero blame. *Zero* blame of how they handled it in-season.

I'd try any other kicker, it's not like Anders was a super high prospect in the last draft, we could try any of the other undrafted ones (and some even had better stats than Anders). The way Anders was playing no one would sign him, so we could bring him again next season to compete for the job.

[Kerb Hohl]

Overall I really liked this season and I was a pro-tank at some point. My only problem was keeping Anders. Let's be honest, this guy was only drafted and not released by us because his brother is a top kicker and our management dreams that the same trajectory will happen again, which is super unlikely.

OK, let's look at this way.

2023 starts. Everyone agrees it's a rebuilding year given a new QB and all of the dead cap. Now's the time to see if you can develop a kicker because otherwise you're gambling on a 39 year old Crosby for one more expensive/reasonable year at best. We have a rebuilding team so let's get a guy with potential and stick with him through struggles because we don't think we're gonna win it. Yup, we're 6-8, who cares...

Now it's December/January..."woah, we might make a run! Let's see who is out there..."

December/January signings I'm aware of:

Giants/Rams Mason Crosby. Go and watch his kicks. Lol.

Rams sign guy that got the yips in the 2022 playoffs and missed like 6 kicks in a row for the Cowboys.

That's what was out there.

I could maybe question the drafting of Anders...but I have zero blame. *Zero* blame of how they handled it in-season.

I'd try any other kicker, it's not like Anders was a super high prospect in the last draft, we could try any of the other undrafted ones (and some even had better stats than Anders). The way Anders was playing no one would sign him, so we could bring him again next season to compete for the job.

This is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but when a team is playing the suboptimal, yet best option (see: Zach Wilson for the Jets this year or basically the Badgers QB situation for the past few decades), the "yeah, but I bet something else would be better" (no, actually it wouldn't or they'd have done it) gets me every time.

We literally got to watch 2 other teams try other kickers. One was Mason Crosby who did not do well in limited kicks and the other was literally a guy that got the yips in the playoffs. This is my evidence. But this is why I argue with other fans but am calm with how a team operates. Because it's usually the right process.

[MoMM]

It's borderline insane that the whole god damn world grows up kicking balls yet we can't find 32 humans who can do it competently.

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Totally... well, there are (American) Football leagues in Brazil and Europe, it's insane that most of the kickers don't come from these places.

[M-C-G]

Like many of you, I use to let a loss bother me for days, but after that Seahawk game, nothing quite the same.

I'll be amped up and yelling during games, but now win, lose or draw after, I'm over it. Being up with 5 minutes left, I never felt like we were actually winning, which was an odd feeling. Next time, I'll try a different lucky shirt and see if that gets the team over the hump next season.

[Ron Swanson]

If the NFL has taught me anything, it's that you throw out the analytics once you get to the postseason. We didn't play our best football and yet still should have beaten the team everyone said was an unstoppable NFC juggernaut. I'm just gonna disagree that you chalk it up to "well, it was a tough road so you can't blame them". The opportunities were there and we just didn't execute. "Youngest team in the league" or not, they certainly weren't playing like it the past 10-12 weeks, and I think that should therefore shift your expectations. All that said, yes, I'm very excited about the future going forward, just also very bummed that we should arguably be favorites to come out of the NFC right now instead of sitting at home.

We'll see how the Ravens do this year but there is a very strong correlation between the best DVOA teams and winning the Superbowl

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The "through the divisional round" qualifier misconstrues the point I was making.

[MoMM]

It's borderline insane that the whole god damn world grows up kicking balls yet we can't find 32 humans who can do it competently.

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Totally... well, there are (American) Football leagues in Brazil and Europe, it's insane that most of the kickers don't come from these places.

It even remind me about a brazilian soccer player that almost went to play for Tampa. He made 9 out 10 from 50+ during the trial, but he decided to reject the offer.

Top scorer in the history of São Caetano with 68 goals scored, Adhemar jokes that he could have had the same success during his career as a football player in American sports.

– I think it would be easier, despite there being a little pressure there, there is no goalkeeper, no barrier and the ball practically stays still and the higher you shoot the better it is. Shooting is easy, you just need to have trust in the guy who holds the ball for you.

[Kerb Hohl]

Aubrey of Dallas was a failed US soccer player. Yeah, you'd think there would be more.

The kickers keep getting better and better, though. I think Carlson of this season would've been a middle-of-the-pack kicker like 20 years ago.

It's funny to look back at the 70s and teams weren't attempting 50+ yarders that much and were hitting 60% of kicks as a league average. Meanwhile, they kick a bunch of 50+ yarders now and hit 85% of FGs overall. I'm sure kicking indoors more helps, but still.

[JayMKE]

ngl I always kinda felt like I could pick up kicking if I tried hard enough, maybe that’s crazy but taking a chance on anybody & having a “developmental kicker” is just dumb. This Anders guy was missing extra points all year and predictably blew the big game, that’s the difference between going to the SB or not.