Well, the 2013 season finished a lot later than I had expected. After it was revealed that Aaron Rodgers had broken his collar bone in October, I held little hope that they would even win one game without him. The fact that they still had a shot at a division title going into Week 17 was nothing short of miraculous. So many things had to come together for it to happen that this group started to have that “team of destiny” feeling to it. Of course the 2003 Packers had that same feeling until “4th and 26”.
And so the Green Bay Packer’s season came to an end yesterday on the “frozen tundra” of Lambeau Field. A place that used to be a guaranteed W but has hosted the end of the Packers post season in 5 of the last 9 playoffs. And for the second year in a row, it came at the hands of the San Francisco 49er’s, a team that is fast becoming for Aaron Rodgers what the Dallas Cowboys had become to Brett Favre. But instead of being thoroughly run over, as was the case last year in the City By The Bay, the Pack held their own. After being beat up and bruised all year long, and limping into the playoffs against an arguably superior opponent, the team managed to acquit themselves quit well in a close 23-20 loss.
The day after, I find this game leaving me with an unusual feeling. They were playing with house money, and while I always want them to win, the loss doesn’t leave me with a bad taste in my mouth, like what which would have been had they lost to the Bears the week before. A game that they would have been just as likely, if not more so, to lose. It was a game of dichotomies. While the defense rose up to twice deny the Niners a touchdown inside their own 10 yard line, and came away with a momentum generating turnover, they also could not get the timely third down stop and allowed San Francisco to bleed the clock while getting into position to kick the game winning field goal with no time remaining.
The offense started out miserably, found it’s rhythm and was able to keep up score for score, but then couldn’t find the end zone from 1st and goal at the 9. A score that would have given the Packers a four point lead and forced San Fran to score a TD to win the game. Aaron Rodgers had another miraculous escape to complete a 4th down conversion, but in the end the miracles ran out, and now we’ll have to suffer the arctic cold wondering what might have been, what needs to happen in the off season and dreaming of the warm summer days of mini camp.
Badger State Sports 