Green Bay Too Soft? Watch Robbie Gould Kick During Packer Team Introductions
The Green Bay Packers entered the playoffs as the #1 seed in the NFC and many expected them to ultimately reach the Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers had another great season and the Packers entered the postseason with their defense healthy once again, which hadn't been the case all year. Their biggest question mark was their special teams unit, which had been a disaster all season.
The San Francisco 49ers came in on a roll, playing great defense and featuring a great running game. However, with Jimmy Garoppolo as their quarterback one would think the Packers would have the edge. They were at home, they had Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams and they could put all resources into stopping the run and put the pressure on Garoppolo to win the game.
Well, as we all know, Packer's special teams would perform bad enough to waste any such game plan. They allowed a blocked field goal, a big kickoff return to Deebo Samuel to start the second half that would setup San Francisco's first points and then they saved their worst for last.
With under five minutes left in the game, they allowed a blocked punt that ended with San Francisco's only touchdown of the day. Just like that, the game was tied at 10. The 49ers would take their first lead of the game as time expired and the Packers were done.
It's easy to blame the special teams alone for what ultimately happened at Lambeau Field, but perhaps the Packers just didn't have the right attitude or edge as a team going into the game. You don't need much more proof than by watching what went down during the Packers team introductions when 49ers kicker Robbie Gould continued to practice, showing no regard for the Packers team whatsoever.
I can't imagine any other NFL team letting an opposing kicker continue to warm up when team introductions were being made to fire up the crowd. Surely, at least one player would challenge him and make him go away. It's a kicker, for crying out loud, and he's on YOUR home field. You do have to give credit to kicker Robbie Gould who didn't give a crap about Lambeau theatrics, their team or their fans. The 49ers kicker showed more guts than the entire Packers team.
The Packers didn't care and that attitude may have haunted them throughout the game. Outside of their first drive, they never really operated with any sense of urgency or rhythm.
They would ultimately lose at foot of Robbie Gould, not that they did much to stop it. They didn't even bother to bring 11 men onto the field for the game winning field goal attempt.
The Packers didn't deserve to win the game on this day and now begins an offseason full of questions and uncertainty. Have we seen the last of Arron Rodgers as a Green Bay Packer? Davante Adams too? I guess the only thing we know for sure is they will have a new special teams coach and, hopefully for Packers fans sake, a chip on their shoulder at last. Hopefully one big enough to at least challenge a kicker.