Packers Hoping to Party Like It’s 2016

The Green Bay Packers are clinging to a scheduling quirk and a bit of history headed into Sunday night’s game at the Philadelphia Eagles.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Nov 25, 2022 12:09 PM EST

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers are running out of time to save their season. They’re also running out of reasons to believe.

Changes in approach on offense haven’t led to wins. A healthy No. 1 offensive line hasn’t led to wins. Changes in the practice routine haven’t led to wins.

So, the Packers are clinging to a scheduling quirk and a bit of history like it’s a life preserver headed into Sunday night’s game at the Philadelphia Eagles.

In 2016, the Packers lost four consecutive games to plunge to 4-6. With the season slipping away, they headed to Philadelphia for a primetime matchup. Green Bay won 27-13 to kick off the “run the table” sprint to an unlikely appearance in the NFC Championship Game.

In 2022, the Packers have lost five out of six to plummet to 4-7. With their playoff hopes standing on the thinnest of ice, the Packers are headed back to Philadelphia for a primetime matchup.

The six-games-to-go parallels are intriguing but the circumstances are different.

“I hope so. I hope so,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said of a repeat. “We had a good stretch there. We played some good football teams and some division opponents, as well, and got on a hot streak on offense. Now, that Philly team, I believe, was 5-5. Not, what are they, 9-1? So, a little bit stiffer challenge in 2022 than 2016.”

Rodgers is exactly right on the records and the challenge. In 2016, the Eagles indeed were 5-5. After a 3-0 start, that team had hit the skids. In 2022, the Eagles are 9-1. They’ve stumbled a bit the last two weeks – a home loss to Washington and an ugly win at Indianapolis – but this is a powerhouse team.

They are third in scoring differential, fourth in yardage differential and first in turnover differential. They’ve had an overwhelming differential in quarterback play, too. MVP candidate Jalen Hurts is fourth with a 106.5 passer rating. Philadelphia’s defense is first with an opponent passer rating of 69.9.

In the victory at Philadelphia in 2016, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams combined for 19 receptions for 245 yards and three touchdowns. Nelson has retired, Adams was shipped to Las Vegas and Cobb is six years older. Christian Watson, with five touchdowns the last two weeks, can’t make up all the difference.

Moreover, the Rodgers of 2016 was in the prime of his career. During the final seven games, he threw 17 touchdowns vs. zero interceptions in one of the great stretches of quarterback play in NFL history. In 2022, he’s thrown 19 touchdowns all season and will be making his seventh start with a broken thumb.

Rodgers said he believes history can repeat itself and the Packers can win their final six games this season. That seems like a ludicrous proposition. With games against the Eagles, Dolphins and Vikings on the remaining schedule and a season filled with inconsistent play, 0-6 seems more likely than 6-0.

Outside opinion doesn’t matter, though. It only takes one win – though a victory over Dallas was supposed to be that win and turned out to be nothing more than a fart in the wind.

“I think when you win, it creates momentum,” Rodgers said. “When I said (run the table) in 2016, how many people actually believed then? Probably not many. But then we got the first one. Then we came home and got the second one. We beat Seattle, got the third one and I think there was a lot of momentum that started in the locker room and guys started realizing this was a possibility, and it's like a snowball effect rolling downhill.

“We’ve got to pack that snowball this week and get it to the top of the hill and let it start rolling downhill.”