Monday, September 13, 2004
The Green Bay Packers begin their season tonight on Monday Night Football against the Carolina Panthers, the defending NFC champions. It's hard to expect big things from this team with the way the new emphasis on rule enforcements and the shape of their defense. Realistically, I think this team has enough to win the division and get into the playoffs with the game on Wildcard Weekend. Anything beyond that, however, is reaching for the sky.
I really think Mike Sherman needs to step down as general manager, however. After the late '90s trend of hiring head coaches as general managers has winded down (former Packers coach Mike Holmgren has abdicated his general manager powers), Sherman remains, I believe, the only coach who concurrently serves as his team's general manager. The Packers will not win a Super Bowl with Sherman serving as general manager.
I wish I could sit here and write that they will finish 12-4 or 13-3 and wrap up the NFC and Super Bowl, but I think that 10-6 is the best record with which they could finish the season. A tiebreaker annoits them NFC North champions over the Minnesota Vikings once again, and they lose at home in the first round of the playoffs (I know; I have them beating the Vikings at home in the Wildcard Weekend, but I'm quickly losing faith).
9:18:00 AM
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