Steven Helmer Publications

Look, I'm not going to pretend it is even remotely likely to happen. However, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers still considering another season of football at the age of 42 there are reasons why a return to the Green Bay Packers would make sense for the former MVP passer. Timing is everything and, when the Packers decided to part ways with Rodgers following the 2022 season, the time was right. Rodgers was still playing at a high level, but Jordan Love was ready to take the reins and there was clear disconnect between the quarterback and the front office. Now, the timing is again right, with Love firmly entrenched as the starter but the team in need of a reliable backup quarterback after losing Malik Willis to free agency. It would be an arrangement that would benefit both sides. For the Packers, they would be getting a quarterback who, while no longer in his prime, has shown he can still play at a high enough level to win games. He is also familiar with Coach Matt LaFleur's offen...

Reports out of Green Bay today indicate veteran coach Luke Getsy, who served as a senior assistant last season, will be serving as the Packers' quarterbacks coach next year. While I've seen some criticize this decision, I think it is a sound choice by Head Coach Matt LaFleur. Yes, there is an argument for bringing in a new and hopefully innovative voice to help Jordan Love's progression from good to great while also developing a backup quarterback to replace sure-to-be-gone Malik Willis. However, in this case, I do think familiarity isn't necessarily a bad thing. My support for Getsy as QB coach has already been documented, when Tom Clements retired last January and I advocated for Getsy as his replacement.  Getsy's time as an offensive coordinator in Chicago and Las Vegas was a failure. However, his three years prior to that, when he was serving as quarterbacks coach in Green Bay arguably couldn't have been better. To recap, in the seasons with Getsy as his coa...

Multiple reports state the Green Bay Packers have agreed to a multi-year extension with Head Coach Matt LaFleur, as well as General Manager Brian Gutekunst, choosing to make a renewed commitment to both despite the former losing to the division rival Chicago Bears in the wild card round of the NFL playoffs last week. Assuming the reports are true, speculation (and hope from some fans) about Matt LaFleur being fired or traded proved to be just that. Ultimately though, it was ultimately the most logical outcome for both the team and LaFleur himself. So logical in fact, we probably should never have doubted it. The idea of Green Bay parting with LaFleur because of a playoff loss always seemed knee jerk and out of character for a franchise that has had just 15 head coaches (not counting interim coaches) in its nearly 107-year history. It is a team that knows the value of patience and stability when it comes to coaches. At least in hindsight, it was kind of ridiculous to think they would be...

OK. I've had a few days to let Saturday's playoff loss to the Chicago Bears sink in, gotten my anger and frustration out of the way via social media and am ready to move on to the offseason. And yes, I know the NFL will keep playing on even though the Green Bay Packers are now eliminated but I honestly don't really care enough about any of the other teams to stay interested. So, before I move on to other things until August (or at least the NFL draft), here are my final thoughts about the season: This is a new NFC North, and the Packers need to adjust. Head Coach Matt LaFleur was 39-10 his first three seasons with the Packers but the 2019 Minnesota Vikings were the only other team with a winning season during that three-year span (the Bears went 8-8 when they made the playoffs in 2020). The Detroit Lions have had a winning season in each of the years since and each division rival has won the NFC North at least once in the past four years. This year, all four teams had a win...

The Green Bay Packers' season isn't over yet, with the Chicago Bears on the schedule tomorrow night for the Wildcard round of the NFL playoffs. However, based on the speculation surrounding Head Coach Matt LaFleur's future, I think it would be possible to think that wasn't the case. At minimum, there seem to be a lot of talking heads out there who think his tenure in Green Bay will be done if the Packers lose to their division rivals, giving the team an opportunity to hire recently fired John Harbaugh as their new coach. While I won't pretend to know enough about the team's inner thoughts and discussions, I think that would be a mistake. Look, I'm not going to lie and say I haven't had my doubts about LaFleur too but, while there have been plenty of times when I've disagreed with a play call or the decision to use (or not use) a challenge flag, it is hard to overlook the fact he is a winning football coach. His first three years, paired with quarterb...

Earlier this week, Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur announced long-time assistant coach Tom Clements is retiring after serving as quarterbacks coach for Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love. Clements' history of success developing passers will leave a void on the roster. Fortunately for Green Bay, they may already have his replacement. After first being brought to Green Bay in 2006 under former coach Mike McCarthy, Clements only spent 3 years away from the team, from 2017 through 2021, which included time with the Arizona Cardinals and some years when he didn't coach at all The guy who filled three years of that gap was Getsy and he built a resume that justifies bringing him back. Currently a Packers' consultant after recently being fired by the Las Vegas Raiders, Getsy's attempts at being an offensive coordinator/play caller both with the Raiders and Chicago Bears were arguably a disappointment. However, it was his time as Packers' quarterback coach...

 Here are my thoughts from today's 22-10 Green Bay Packers ' playoff loss at the Philadelphia Eagles . This game felt like a broken record. Slow start on offense, game changing errors and a lack of discipline at key moments put the Packers behind early and derailed any opportunity to mount a comeback. It's the same formula that led to their six losses during the regular season and, in this case, made their postseason run short and sweet. The defense put in a valiant effort. As was mentioned in commentary, it felt as though the Packers should have been much further behind at the half than they were, but the defense held the Eagles to just 10 points despite everything going wrong on offense. They even finally found their pass rush, though it was too little, too late. One of the biggest game changers was losing Elgton Jenkins early. Green Bay had a lot of injuries in this game, but the loss of Jenkins arguably had the biggest impact as the backups struggled against the leag...

Here are my thoughts from today's 24-22 Green Bay Packers ' loss against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field: I usually am one of those fans who tries to remain positive but Green Bay does not look like a playoff team right now. Losing Jordan Love in the first half didn't help but the Packers just can't seem to stop beating themselves, whether it's nobody picking up a blitzer, not paying attention to where the ball is in punt coverage (how does the coverage team not know where the ball is being kicked?) or the defense letting the Bears get into field goal range at the last second. This game makes one-and-done against the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend seem very likely. As a fan I'm also a bit concerned about Green Bay being 1-5 against the NFC North. I hope that doesn't become a trend. Part of the solution, at least in my opinio n, might be to defer whenever they win the coin toss. I understand Matt LaFleur's reasons for wanting the ball first, espec...

A couple weeks ago, it looked as though the Green Bay Packers would easily secure at least the sixth and possibly the fifth seed in the NFL playoffs.  Now, with a week to go in the regular season, Green Bay has a shot at the 6th seed but since they would need help, most likely will enter the postseason as the 7th seed. This means a guaranteed game on the road against the 13-3 Philadelphia Eagles (who will be resting their players the final week of the season) followed by a road game against either the 14-2 Minnesota Vikings or the 14-2 Detroit Lions (whichever they face will also be rested because, as the top seed, they would get a bye week). On paper, this seems insurmountable for a team that has a combined five losses this season, all of them coming from the three teams mentioned above, and a growing list of injuries on the defensive side of the ball. However, while I'll be first to admit this may not be the year they go all the way, I don't think they should be written off j...

Here are some of my thoughts from today's 27-25 Green Bay Packers ' loss at the Minnesota Vikings : If Green Bay wants to have a chance in the playoffs, they need to stop beating themselves. Some mistakes, like the first-half Josh Jacobs' fumble and the pass interference against Keisan Nixon are unfortunate but forgivable. Others, like giving your opponent a second chance on a missed field goal by being offsides or not lining up properly when trying to convert on third and one, aren't. I am going to include Head Coach Matt LaFleur in the above comment as well. Yes, hindsight is 20/20 and I would have a different opinion if they picked up the 1st down. However, had Green Bay kicked the field goal rather than going for it on fourth early in the game, the game's outcome might have been different. All things considered; the defense played pretty well tonight. The secondary is beaten up and other key players, like Quay Walker, were out while facing a loaded offense. T...

Here are some of my thoughts from the Green Bay Packers ' 34-0 victory over the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field last night: Green Bay Packers fans received an early Christmas gift. The Packers are in the playoffs with two games to go. While the division title is off the table, they still have an opportunity to improve their seeding spot or, depending on the outcome of their upcoming game against the Minnesota Vikings, may be able to rest players in the final week of the regular season. This was as dominating of a performance as you could ask for. Yes, the Saints have been plagued by injuries and are a shell of the team they were at the start of the season. However, pitching the NFL's first shutout of the season isn't something that should be overlooked, especially against a team that took the Washington Commanders down to the wire just a week ago. Green Bay's defense, after all, was missing key personnel too. And the best part of that (for Packers fans at least)...

My thoughts from last night's 30-13 Green Bay Packers ' win at the Seattle Seahawks : The Packers exorcised some of their Seattle demons. Green Bay has had some infamous defeats against Seattle, whether it was the Fail Mary game or the fake punt disaster that cost them a trip to the Super Bowl. Most of the current roster wasn't around the last time they lost in Seattle and the reboot seems to be working. This game was mostly about Green Bay's defense. Despite injuries in the secondary and losing linebacker Quay Walker, the defense ended the game with seven sacks and two interceptions. Just as important, that unit kept Seattle from ever getting into the game, even when the offense fizzled out a bit in the second half. Once key pieces, like cornerback Jaire Alexander, return, it theoretically could even be better. Jordan Love is growing as a passer. It's sometimes easy to forget he only has 30 career starts and probably hasn't peaked yet. However, the growth is...

Here are some of my thoughts from last night's 34-31 Green Bay Packers ' loss at the Detroit Lions :  The loss was disappointing but also encouraging. The Packers have the youngest team in the league and theoretically still haven't reached their full potential. This game, against arguably the best team in the NFC, came down to who had the ball last. Had Lions' coach Dan Campbell chosen to kick the field goal with nearly a minute remaining rather than be aggressive and let his team pick up another first down to run the clock down, there's no reason to believe Jordan Love couldn't have orchestrated a game-tying or even game-winning drive. If they meet in the playoffs (which is likely), it'll likely be a similar game with potentially a different outcome. The injuries in the secondary are becoming a concern . The Packers were already down Jaire Alexander and Corey Ballentine and lost safeties Evan Williams and Javon Bullard during the game with Keisan Nixon ap...

Here are my thoughts from last night's 30-17 Green Bay Packers ' win at home over the Miami Dolphins . That was arguably the most complete game the Packers have played this year. There were a few mistakes, but Green Bay's offense moved the ball while the defense kept the Dolphins' explosive offense in check for the most part. Miami tried to make it a game at times but were always a minimum of two scores behind. Green Bay is finally becoming a physical team. For quite a few years, it felt as though the Packers struggled to impose their will. That's no longer the case, especially when Josh Jacobs is carrying the ball and moving defenders backwards. Speaking of running backs, this is easily the most depth the team has had at the position in years. Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks can all pick up yards out of the backfield. Plus, they still have promising rookie Marshawn Lloyd once he's healthy enough to play. I love watching tight end Tucker Kraft play. ...

Here are my thoughts from today's 38-10 Green Bay Packers ' victory over the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field. There are no apologies for winning in the NFL. However, the Packers got a lot of help from the 49ers in this one, both because of San Francisco's injury woes, including starting quarterback Brock Purdy, and the various mistakes the 49ers made during the game. Still, it was better than seeing the Packers once again beating themselves. I am starting to have some concerns about Jordan Love. He escaped the game without turning the ball over but not without seeming to try to do just that. Two dropped interceptions and two near fumbles could have single handedly changed the outcome had they gone another way. I'm not saying the Packers made a mistake making him the franchise quarterback, but he sure does seem to be going through a bit of a sophomore jinx as their starter. I wasn't crazy about how the Packers closed out the first half. I won't fault the...

 My thoughts from today's 20-19 Green Bay Packers ' win at the Chicago Bears : The Packers' special teams won a game! After seeing so many games over the past few years lost as the result of a missed field goal, missed extra point or blocked punt, seeing what looked to be a Bears' victory ended with a blocked field goal was big. I'm still catching my breath from that. Eleven victories in a row against Chicago for the Packers. Jordan Love's interceptions are becoming a real problem. The ugly throw in the first half changed the tone of this game. In addition to taking at least three points off the board, it was the last time they possessed the ball in the first half, not counting the kneel down at the end. You just can't waste opportunities like that. It was, however, great seeing Love healthy enough to use his legs. I don't think Green Bay will ever let him be a rushing quarterback (for good reason) but the man can make some plays on scrambles when nee...

Some thoughts from today's 24-14 Green Bay Packers ' loss to the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field: Not to take anything away from the Detroit Lions, who were near perfect, this game was as much about the Packers underperforming as the Lions overperforming. Lots of frustrating penalties and almost as many dropped passes. Love's bad throw on the pick-6 late in the first half certainly didn't help much. I would take a healthy Jordan Love over most quarterbacks in the NFL but I'm not so certain the Packers wouldn't have been better off starting Malik Willis in this game. The groin injury was clearly impacting Love's mobility and likely was a factor on some of his off-target throws. Green Bay is also lucky he didn't aggravate it more. A Willis-led offense also would have put more emphasis on the run, which would have been more suitable for that weather. I'm going to give the defense a thumbs up though. Not counting the seven points from Love's intercep...

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...

My thoughts from today's  Green Bay Packers ' 24-22 win over the Houston Texans at Lambeau Field. Welcome to Green Bay, Brandon McManus! I won't get into the controversy surrounding the Packers' new kicker because I'm smart enough to recognize I don't know everything there is to know about it and, in this country, someone is innocent until proven guilty. However, General Manager Brian Gutekunst's decision to try to fix the team's kicking inconsistency with a veteran who hadn't kicked in nearly a year could have backfired badly. So far, so good though. That game winning kick was huge. Hopefully it'll be one of many. Green Bay got the win but there's still a lot for the team to work on. There's no doubt the Packers have talented albeit young, players but you don't normally beat good teams when you turn the ball over three times and make numerous other game-changing mistakes. This game still had me comparing Jordan Love to Brett Favr...

My thoughts from today's Green Bay Packers ' 34-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals . Jordan Love seems to be finding his rhythm. He wasn't 100 percent when the Packers played the Minnesota Vikings and there was still some rust last week, I think. Today, a healthy Love did his damage both with his arm and his legs. The only black mark was the interception, which only happened because Bo Melton slipped while the ball was in the air. He also found a total of nine receivers. Xavier McKinney didn't end up with his sixth 2024 interception , but the defense continued to take the ball away. So far, Jeff Hafley seems to be a great addition at defensive coordinator. If the edge rushers can start getting more pressure on the quarterbacks, it could be the best defense the team has had in a long time. It was great seeing Romeo Doubs have an impact. Green Bay handled last week's drama as best as it could and both parties seem willing to move forward. That second touchdown ca...