Steven Helmer Publications

My thoughts from the Green Bay Packers ' 30-27 win at the Jacksonville Jaguars today. I don't buy into the whole "trap game" concept. I think players and coaches at this level are just too good to think too far ahead and overlook a team. I do think the Packers faced the Jaguars on the road at an inopportune time, when Jacksonville was finally getting healthy and coming off a big win.  I had some doubts when Green Bay traded for Malik Willis at the start of the season, but he's proving to be well worth the low draft pick they gave up for him. I still would rather see a healthy Jordan Love under center, but Willis has stepped up when he's been asked to play and is a perfect complement to the Packers' run game, able to make plays with his arm and his legs. It means Green Bay doesn't need to rush Love back from his groin injury. Speaking of Lov e, I'm not so certain they shouldn't have pulled him out of the game earlier. Maybe not after the firs...

I'm a big believer in assuming more knowledgeable people know what they are doing, even if I don't understand their reasoning. That was the attitude I took yesterday afternoon, when I learned the Green Bay Packers traded defensive back Rasul Douglas and their fifth-round pick in 2024 to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a third-round pick. However, a day later, I truthfully struggle to see the logic behind that trade. The Packers aren't having a good season and that wasn't unexpected since they are clearly in rebuild mode. So, in that regard, the trade would make some sense if you're only looking at the long-term. Yet even then, it's still flawed for a number of reasons. First, the Packers are down but not out yet.  They no longer have Aaron Rodgers behind center so one of the quarterback's signature late-season rebounds isn't going to happen. And 2-5 is admittedly hard to bounce back from. But seven teams from each 16-team conference make the playoffs e...