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Down big when the team loses, then up a modest amount following a win.
That’s the trend that the Green Bay Packers are demonstrating this season, at least in terms of the confidence of their fans that the team is headed in the right direction. This week, the Packers bounced back with an 18-point win on the road against the New York Giants following an embarrassing loss in San Francisco. But after that loss, how much would the win in the Meadowlands move the needle back upwards?
In the FanPulse survey results for week 14, we have our answer, and that answer is: not very much. That loss to the 49ers sent confidence plummeting, dropping down to 37 percent — the lowest mark since the end of last season. This week, numbers are up 16 points, creeping back upwards to a 53% confidence rate. However, that still is the lowest mark of the regular season, about nine points lower than after week nine, when the Packers lost to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Here’s the trend line for this season:
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Meanwhile, this week’s survey had a handful of National one-off questions, a few of which addressed AFC teams. However, with the Packers on track for the postseason in the NFC, we’ll take a look at the one question about another division in the conference. That question is about the NFC East, and participants were asked to say which of the contending teams will win the division:
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Currently, the Cowboys sit at 6-6, while Philadelphia is a game back at 5-7. Neither team appears excited to take hold of the division, with Dallas losing to the impressive Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving and the Eagles surprisingly losing to the Miami Dolphins.
Whichever team wins the East will almost certainly be the 4th seed in the NFC, barring a complete collapse by multiple teams in another division.