The Green Bay Packers have become known in recent seasons for their prodigious, score-at-will offense led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, timely and turnover-hungry defense, and overall winning philosophy.
So far this year, though, they have not looked like that team.
They currently stand at 1-2, and even worse, fourth place in the NFC North. On Sunday against the rival Detroit Lions, they lost a lethargic affair, only managing seven points against a Lions squad that came into the game with a secondary decimated by injuries.
Even more troublesome than their offensive ineptitude is that head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers seem to differ on where the fault for the team's slow start lies.
After the game Sunday, Rodgers said, "We have to do a better job of adjusting some of our offense if a team is going to play us two-high and go back to some of the ways they did in 2011."
Rodgers was most likely referencing the Cover-2 defense that employs two deep safeties splitting the deep portion of the field, which the Packers often found success counteracting with the ground game.
He also seemed to be pointing the finger of blame away from himself and the rest of the offensive players and toward the coach and play callers.
Asked Monday about Rodgers' comments, McCarthy seemed to disagree.
"I'm not really up here to talk about scheme," the coach said. "One thing I always talk to our players about all the time is scheme is not a crutch. The fundamentals and the things we do from an execution standpoint were not good enough, clearly, on offense.
"The only correction I would make as a play caller is, 'Do you go to it sooner', as far as just attacking their coverage, attacking their two-deep. Once again, we have good players. We didn't play very well in the run game and it definitely factored in the game."
When asked specifically what he thought Rodgers meant by his comments, McCarthy had this to say; "I'm not sure what you're talking about. Trouble adjusting? I don't remember."
One of the issues the Packers have faced, even during their run of recent success and dating back to their Super Bowl victory in 2010, is a weak and injury-prone offensive line. The inability to hold up in pass protection has been somewhat mitigated in the past by Rodgers' nimbleness and quick thinking, but the run game has clearly suffered with a less than stellar group of linemen leading the way.
This is at least one potential reason for why the run game has sputtered, and in turn the coaching staff has been apprehensive to turn to it as a solution to their offensive woes. On Sunday, they averaged only 3.5 yards per carry and only three first downs.
There have also been questions raised through the first three weeks about the level of receiving talent on offense, as Randall Cobb and Jarrett Boykin haven't played up to snuff. Sunday, the coaching staff counted six dropped passes among the backs and receivers.
Heading into their second straight division road game this Sunday against Chicago, the once high-flying Packers offense currently ranks 28th in the league overall and 27th in rushing, though they have to date faced the number 1 (Detroit), number 3 (Jets) and number 8 (Seattle) defenses.
McCarthy is doing his best to stay positive.
"We're going into Week 4," McCarthy said. "We've had some adjustments as far as the practice schedule approach. Every team doesn't just jump out of the box and practice great each and every day. That's no different this year.
"We'll just continue to stay focused on the things that we feel in our preparation phase that lead to success on Sundays."
