The Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks are likely to score touchdowns sometime this season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers probably will get a field goal, or at least a safety with the defense they have.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos may have games in which they score more than one touchdown.
But to hear the gloom from Green Bay and the gloating from Chicago, the Packers and Brett Favre are destined never to see an end zone again.
The Packers apparently are so concerned, they signed disgraced wide receiver Koren Robinson on Monday, knowing Robinson faces possible disciplinary action from the league after a DWI arrest that got him released from the Minnesota Vikings during training camp.
The Bears handed the Packers their first shutout in the Favre era, a nightmarish start for coach Mike McCarthy’s career.
McCarthy got the job after serving as offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, who finished dead last in the NFL in offense last year. But not once were the lowly 49ers shut out, which means, of course, that the Packers must be the worst team not only since Favre arrived but since Curly Lambeau talked Green Bay’s Indian Packing Company into donating $500 for uniforms.
“Maybe we just ain’t very good,” Favre mentioned for about the 50th time since finishing 4-12 last year.
So on Monday, the cries among fans and media got louder for Favre to turn in his uniform and hand off to young Aaron Rodgers so the Packers can get about the business of rebuilding sooner rather than later.
As panicked as the Packers might be, however, the subject of changing quarterbacks didn’t come up in Monday’s news conference with McCarthy, who blamed pass protection and short-yardage failures more than Favre.
Benching Favre isn’t an option at the moment.
“I could have played the fourth quarter a lot differently, got our offense out of there and saved the quarterback the embarrassment of throwing two interceptions,” McCarthy said. “But I don’t believe in playing that way. I think you play to win.”
Playing Rodgers would be excellent news for the Bears. Oh, in the short run, it appears the Bears are better off if Favre sticks around until his gray hair falls out. They have beaten Favre in four of their last five meetings now. But if Rodgers is playing in the season finale on New Year’s Eve at Soldier Field, the Bears will have an even better chance of winning.
The Packers aren’t as sentimental as you might think. If McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson really believed they could win more games in 2006 with Rodgers than Favre, they wouldn’t have hesitated to mention it while Favre was pondering his future on his own.
With two rookie guards and a rookie receiver, the last thing the Packers need is a virtual rookie quarterback.
Rebuilding is not something any regime acknowledges doing. Rebuilding in the NFL occurs mainly from Sunday to Sunday. McCarthy and Thompson know their jobs are on the line, too, so if it’s Favre or them, the decision gets easy.
Just because Favre means a lot more to Green Bay than Drew Bledsoe means to Dallas or Jake Plummer means to Denver doesn’t mean all three quarterbacks can’t get yanked if it’s in the best interests of their teams.
When Rodgers ascends, as he inevitably will, there will be great anticipation in Packerland. There will be cheers for every one of his completions. There will be optimistic watches for every sign of progress. And it could very well be that he will become a very good player.
Chances are also excellent that in a million years he never will be 20-8 against the Bears.
The Packers play host to the New Orleans Saints this week. They are another one of McCarthy’s former teams. McCarthy’s reputation grew when he turned Aaron Brooks into a serviceable quarterback for a few years. Brooks was acquired from Green Bay. He was another heir apparent to Favre who wasn’t going to get a chance in Green Bay.
The Saints were 3-13 last season, worse than the Packers. That was before they beat the Browns in Cleveland on Sunday, unveiling Reggie Bush and Drew Brees and an improved defense.
The Saints are now expected to go undefeated, leaving the winless Packers in their wake as the next team to embarrass Favre at Lambeau Field. Then the Packers go on the road to Detroit and Philadelphia, where the games won’t get any easier.
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dpierson@tribune.com
