Ho! Ho! Ho!
Three words for the season, and aptly for the 2023 Green Bay Packers who have three games to play, one for each Ho!. But it also feels like the bottom of the ninth, three outs left. This rollercoaster ride of youth has left more than a few feeling queasy but there’s still a shot to unwrap a Wild Card present after New Year’s, but getting to 9-8 will only happen if they get to 7-8 on Christmas Eve in North Carolina. This is a team with a Head Coach running out of room to fall on swords, a defense in chaos so you better watch out, better not cry because Santa Claus is coming to town.
With my holiday shopping done, thought I’d pen a quick letter to Santa, it’s only the 20th, I’ll overnight it.
Dear Santa,
If you could see it in your holiday heart, swing by the Green Bay Packers team hotel in Charlotte Saturday night before you really get busy. All they want for Christmas is to get their you know what together for three just three hours to make sure everyone on your Sunday night itinerary with green and gold lights will go to bed happy.
A believer,
Mark
(PS, thanks for the rescue club last year, wore it out.)
I didn’t want to burden St. Nick with all that ails Matt LaFleur’s defensive side. Coordinator Joe Barry’s two shell, reliance on four to rush system has had it’s moments but it’s also ruptured against the run and now the pass. This side of the ball has had several significant tremors that has led to the eruption. Rashan Gary got a monster deal and all were happy but the boat really got rocked by the Rasul Douglas trade. The Jaire Alexander shoulder injury was underestimated by the medical staff, misunderstood by the populace, De’Vondre Campbell is now spouting about his ailments and how they are being perceived and a back end revolving door with Darnell Savage, Eric Stokes, Rudy Ford all missing time during Alexander’s eight game absence, it’s become unsightly. It feels like there’s poison in the room now and little time to extract it against a happy go lucky Panther team that won for just the second time in miserable weather with Bank of America Stadium nearly empty. How this defensive unit, still intact, pulls it together is what Christmas, 2023, is all about.
