It's a Tough Time to be a Packers Fan
All we can do is watch. And hope.
By Kevin Gibson

The alt-country band the Bottle Rockets released a song a few years ago which stated in no uncertain terms that it’s a bad time to be an outlaw.
Folks, it’s not a great time to be a Packers fan, either.
Two straight home losses with a total of 20 points scored is not a good look, especially when your defense has developed into a stifling, top-5 unit. If your defense holds opponents to an average of 13 total points at home? That’s a Packers team that needs to be moonwalking into the win column. Instead, it's just been ugliness.
Complementary football? Not so much the past two weeks. And don’t even get me started on the puzzling special teams failures. That 64-yard Brad McManus field goal attempt at the end of the game Monday night had a better chance of hitting my windshield than it did going through the uprights. And my car was parked in Kentucky.
Shortly before that, in a gotta-have-it fourth and 1 situation, the Eagles defense literally called out the Packers’ play before the ball was snapped. They knew an inside zone run with Josh Jacobs (out of the shotgun, no less) was the call, they were right, and Jacobs promptly got blown up. He admitted after the game that it made him second-guess how he executed the run. How could it not?
Fans are demanding blood. People are demanding for heads to roll. They are criticizing Packers media for a perceived lack of outrage, and I have even seen a couple on social media threatening to end their Green Bay Packers fandom.
These are people who clearly cannot handle adversity on any level. It’s disappointing. Moreover, it’s embarrassing.
Pre-snap penalties feel rampant on both sides of the ball this season. In reality, the Packers have committed the 13th most penalties in the NFL, with 66. It’s too many, but it could be worse – the Jaguars lead the league with 83 committed penalties.
Against the Eagles, dropped passes were a problem, with shades of 2024 trickling in. But for the season, the Packers have the fourth fewest drops in the NFL. It bears noting that the passing corps on Monday night had been reduced, due to injury, to using a backup cornerback to run routes. (Yes, I realize Bo Melton had been a wide receiver coming into this season, but he was moved to corner for a reason.)
But this is not the 1970s and ’80s. That era was about gross organizational dysfunction and financial failures. It was about a total lack of direction over an extended time. That was an era when there were murmurs about the team possibly being forced to move.
But since Bob Harlan took over in 1989, followed by his hiring of Ron Wolf to be general manager, the Green Bay Packers franchise has been on a different trajectory. Two successive Hall of Fame quarterbacks, a pair of Super Bowl wins and more than 330 total wins later, and two ugly mid-season games on offense deserve at least some measure of patience. Throw in the fact the team has an ascending young quarterback -- and the aforementioned good defense -- and there’s always reason for hope.
It’s going to take a collective gut check and some hard work. And if Matt LaFleur and his staff faceplant for the rest of the season, the “Fire LaFleur” crowd will likely get their wish. But expecting it now makes little sense. It’s pure irrationality. Do we really want Rich Bisaccia to take over the reins mid-season?
So, yeah, at the moment, it’s definitely a tough time to be a Packers fan. But the offense itself seems to believe it's a blip.
“We're right there," Love told the media this week. “We're right there as an offense."
In other words, “R-E-L-A-X.” Sound familiar?
Let's hope Love is right. We’ll find out soon enough. And let's face it, all we can do is watch.
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Kevin Gibson is a professional writer and author based in Louisville, Ky. He's also a former sports writer who covered high school, college and professional sports, a Packers shareholder and a fan since 1975. Even John Hadl couldn't break him. Follow him on Twitter: @kgramone
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Comments (27)
NFLfan
November 14, 2025 at 03:19 pm
I don't think fans are being overly critical as It is more about the same problems recurring. There are systemic problems that those in charge are not willing to address.
Fans would understand if they felt problems were being solved, be it a better play-caller, a GM who recognized talent and chose better, a HC who held his positional coaches more accountable, a HC who fired sub-par coaches more quickly. But, the same problems recur but show up in different areas--it's always something-a weak corner room, lack of discipline, a weak OL and on and on. It has been years since GB had a complementary team-either the D or the O seems to be deficient.
So, I would say it is a lack of leadership, a lack of problem solving, a lack of accountability which wears out fans.
WestCoastPackerBacker
November 14, 2025 at 03:19 pm
Still better to be a Packer fan than to be a f an of many other teams. Still a well-run franchise overall but underperforming at the moment. Hoping they can right the ship and get their act together so we’re not starting over with a new coaching staff. Except feeling like they have got to be able to do better than Bisaccia on ST. WTH is the issue there?
TruePackerBacker
November 14, 2025 at 05:14 pm
Listen, I totally understand that but here is where the problem lies for me:
Seen a comment stating we have been very good in the past 30 years which I agree. However, what we have accomplished in that same 30 years, A couple teams have done in less than 10 years. Not saying its easy making it to a superbowl, but whats also not easy is having a solid franchise QB (2 HOF so far) for 30+ years straight. These QBs dont grow on trees, meaning packers will still go thru an era of, lets say, 3 qbs in a 5 year span in the future unless we hit the JACKPOT again, which is very hard. These other teams who accomplished what we did in 30 years didnt have this. So What Gives?
It really pains me that Rodgers only made it to 1 SB. Im sure it pains him also because half of it wasnt his fault. But comment like this ( "Still better being a packers fan than other fans") is starting to be played out when a team like browns can strike gold on a HOF QB and win 2 SB in the next 5 years with their top 5 Defense and that matches our 30+ years just like that. Just saying :)
GBPfaninMO
November 14, 2025 at 07:11 pm
I give that a right on, excuses are like aholes
NFLfan
November 14, 2025 at 03:28 pm
The Packers have been very good for 30+ years. It is difficult to witness an excellent team drift towards mediocrity especially if fixable problems are not fixed over a several year period-I'm getting bored.
Coldworld
November 15, 2025 at 08:07 am
A team isn’t one player. A team is more than that. The same is true of a coach or GM. Just as no player or roster is forever, nor are off field personnel. Theres a lifespan for success in this in sport and the evidence it’s expired is unusually visible too. In this case we’ve been seeing the same failings and outcomes for a while now. Sometimes it becomes obvious that change is necessary. This is one of those times.
KenEllis
November 14, 2025 at 03:32 pm
"In other words, 'R-E-L-A-X.' Sound familiar?"
Aaron Rodgers uttered his famous R E L A X comment in 2012 after defeating the Houston Texans in week 6 of that season.
Since 2012, Packer players, coaches, scouts, ball boys, front office personnel, and Packer fans have all been R E L A X I N each and every Super Bowl Sunday while watching other teams compete for the Lombardi Trophy.
Maybe a bit less R E L A X and a lot more U R G E N C Y for the NFL franchise that used to be known as TitleTown is in order.
NFLfan
November 14, 2025 at 06:55 pm
Green Bay is kind of a low key town where there is plenty of relaxing going on-it might be the default.
The Rams look good-Davante is having a good year.
GBPfaninMO
November 14, 2025 at 07:16 pm
Yeah I noticed that about the season Adam's is having, in the off-season I didn't mind not signing him,who knows if he was interested,but now yeah they could really use him but with Lagoat and Love stinks who knows how it would have went.
NFLfan
November 14, 2025 at 07:49 pm
Rodgers had a good OL, Bakhtiari , Davnte and felt free to audible out-he wasn't reliant on MLF
Snap the ball
November 14, 2025 at 08:50 pm
Shut him down and running game we can beat them
splitpea1
November 14, 2025 at 03:50 pm
Oh, come on. This was supposed to be an "all-in" season, and it looked that way after the first two games. So fans are rightfully anxious after seeing some of the football they've seen since then.
"Do we really want Rich Bisaccia to take over the reins mid-season?" I'm not advocating any action just yet, but if there was ever a situation when you wanted to kill two birds with one stone (or one office visit), this is it.
"We're right there as an offense." Prove it. R-E-L-A-X? Sorry, somehow this isn't as reassuring.
I don't really buy the "collective hard work and gut check" bit either. I'm sure everyone works hard, but the situational awareness and ability to adjust in game time doesn't always show up on the offensive end. So the Packers have to play smarter, not harder, and that includes the offensive coaching staff deviating from the boxes in their collective heads. Maybe they can start with urgency on the first possession... and repeat so you can imprint your stamp on the game instead of playing to the level of the competition and ensuring a dogfight every time.
Handsback
November 14, 2025 at 04:05 pm
Don't have to give my age but won 25 cents when GB beat the Cowboys in Dallas for the first SB game. MLF, won't stop that, but will continue to point out the team's short comings. My experience is that he won't last long. His problem is that he doesn't have the team ready for big games. Either bad planning or poor practices he isn't delivering.
JMHO
Tundraboy
November 15, 2025 at 12:14 am
"My experience is that he won't last long. His problem is that he doesn't have the team ready for big games."
Absolutely. And that's the single most important criteria for any coach, and the Hallmark of this organization at one time.
Aldo
November 14, 2025 at 05:15 pm
Undisciplined football is not winning football. Green Bay Packers coaches seemingly have forgotten that. Breakdowns on the field occur when issues haven't been addressed and rectified. We are seeing that far too often.
TheBigCat
November 14, 2025 at 05:54 pm
While the past few games have been painful for Packer fans (after a strong start of the season), I'd still rather be a Packer fan than a fan of just about any other club. There is no billionaire owner who threatens to move the team if his terms for increased income (new stadium) are not met (eg. Browns to Baltimore; Raiders to LA, back to Oakland, then to Vegas; Rams from LA to St. Louis, then back to LA; Chargers from San Diego to LA). Or an organization run by the owner's twenty-something sons (Jets). Or an organization run by a 90 yr old wildcatter who thinks he still has it (Cowboys). Or an organization that hired a guy who sounded good on TV, but was wholy incompetent as a GM (Millen with Detroit) Nope. Give me the Packers, warts and all.
NFLfan
November 14, 2025 at 06:53 pm
I'd kinda like an owner to supervise the rats or is that the mice?
Snap the ball
November 14, 2025 at 08:24 pm
Last 30 years
Packers won 2nd most games in the NFL. But short on the big Dances
We have scored the most points and TDS in that time frame
bjb2012sime
November 14, 2025 at 09:05 pm
16 teams in the NFC, so on average each should go every 16 years. Pack last went in 2010 season, none since. I consider that underperforming with the players we have had. MLF has been average since ARod left and I have seen no improvement of late: team comes up short in big games, clock management and decision making is poor, accountability of coaches and players virtually nonexistent, as are in-game adjustments. I'm sick of LaFleur's mealy mouth press conferences spewing platitudes and redundant tropes. I wanna pluck his eyebrows out and give him a noogie on that fade haircut. He's dead to me.
Snap the ball
November 14, 2025 at 08:48 pm
Should have won two back to back with Rodger’s last years.
He would be retired and we would know who is wife is.
Starrbrite
November 14, 2025 at 09:32 pm
Ascending QB….hmm—maybe?
Go Packers!!!
Alberta_Packer
November 14, 2025 at 09:44 pm
I believe that we have reached the point when the QB must transcend the Coach in order to advance to the SB. Over the last few months (and years) we have seen the best of MLF - his ceiling - if you will. Conversely, I am less convinced that we have seen the best of Love. There seems to be more but it needs to be unlocked. So maybe it's time for Love to go A.R. To exercise his veto power on any play from the sidelines in order to assert his own game plan.
A.R. made McCarthy and LaFleur look to be better coaches than they actually were / are. Frankly I would rather see Love take control of the Offense - than continue to entrust LaFleur with his standardized game plans. Otherwise hope may be our only other option - that often does not produce a favorable outcome.
Boneman
November 15, 2025 at 06:58 am
I think that this is the problem, not the solution. The plays and the concepts are pretty good but Love is not pulling the trigger when he should or reading out the defense like he should. Until he can do that you can't give him more on his plate. Check out Kurt Warner's breakdown of Love against Philly. Love had many opportunities he missed.
joejetson
November 14, 2025 at 11:09 pm
Many of the comments have mentioned this- the same problems keep reoccurring. That is what frustrates fans.
Problems should be addressed and solved immediately. That's what coaches are paid big $ to do.
The defense has finally been upgraded, but special teams, clock management, pre-snap penalties, and inexplicable game management keep rearing their ugly heads game after game, and season after season.
PePe LeFleur has put himself on a short leash for job security. He's had enough time to demonstrate if he can win important games. Time is running out if this continues.
Boneman
November 15, 2025 at 07:17 am
Yes I would rather be a Packer fan and deal with GB's shortcomings than any other team. Having grown up a Rams fan and then lived in Miami and become a Dolphins fan I can tell you it is far worse most anywhere else. The strength of the Packers is their ability to weather problems and not to over react. Yes it's frustrating and the time may well come for either MLF or Gute to go. That time is not now. Everything is still there for the taking this year. If you consider that this is our rough stretch and give our coaches and players a chance to play out the season, we still have as good a shot as anyone. We should get excited by the opportunity we have in front of us. The ST's look like they're improving as a unit. The offense will get going eventually, we know that and have seen it. This time we truly have a championship defense that has real teeth. It would not be a shocker if we go on a little run and win a bunch of games in a row. I'm excited for the rest of the year. Let's gooo!
Leatherhead
November 15, 2025 at 07:38 am
I love the Packers, as I have for 60 years. I am dismayed by the people who call themselves fans and then just incessantly rip the team,the coaches, and the front office in a deranged effort to pretend they're smarter than the professionals running the team.
A win tomorrow makes us 6-3-1. I've stuck with this team through worse starts than this.
dobber
November 15, 2025 at 09:00 am
The end of the bar has almost as many seats as the worry bus.