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Cheese Curds, 10/22: Packers determined to avoid repeat of 2015

The Broncos gave the NFL the game plan for stopping the Packers’ offense five years ago. This Green Bay team wants to make sure that the Buccaneers didn’t do the same last Sunday.

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Green Bay Packers v Denver Broncos Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

In 2015, the Green Bay Packers started out ablaze, particularly on offense. Mike McCarthy’s team rode out to a blistering 6-0 start as the offense had great success, even without Jordy Nelson, on the shelf with a torn ACL.

Then, coming out of the bye week, the Denver Broncos put a smackdown on the Packers, showing the rest of the NFL the blueprint for stopping the Nelson-less offense. Injuries piled up in the receiving corps as well, and teams started using a single high safety, stacking the box, and rushing four men, knowing that the Packers’ receivers were having trouble getting separation. The Packers’ average points per game dropped by a full touchdown from the first six games to the last ten, and the team went 4-6 down the stretch and just squeaked into the playoffs as a Wild Card.

Many have mentioned that game and its long-term impact as a possible parallel for last Sunday’s loss in Tampa, this writer included. It felt like a similar game in real time, but the question is whether other teams will be able to replicate the Buccaneers’ success the way the rest of the league did five years ago. For the Packers’ part, they’re determined not to let this game impact them moving forward, and that starts with film study and changes to the game plan.

Those topics are the subject of today’s Cheese Curds as the team’s leaders talk about how they plan to avoid falling into the 2015 trap once again.

Packers are ‘on to the next’ | Packers.com
The team is confident that a rebound is coming. Matt LaFleur's teams haven't lost in back-to-back games, and they intend to make sure that this week isn't the first time that happens.

Green Bay Packers confident they won't allow one loss to turn into two | Packersnews.com
That process starts with some intense self-scouting - a hard look in the mirror to identify the self-created problems and fix them. One blowout loss does not a season make, as plenty of Super Bowl champs have lost big in the regular season, but it must be the wake up call that the team says it was.

'One out of five' dud games doesn't define 4-1 Packers to Aaron Rodgers - ESPN
As for Aaron Rodgers, he was pretty grumpy when a media member asked him if the Packers' offense has been figured out, simply responding with "One out of five."

Providing a closer look at what’s happening with Packers S Adrian Amos | Packers Wire
This season, Amos is playing much more free safety than he did a year ago, according to Pro Football Focus' charting. That might be one reason why his play seems to have slipped a bit this year - he seems to be better in traffic than in space.

Defensive pressure (or lack of) dominates in Week 6 Packers Film Room – The Athletic (subscription)
Ben Fennell's film room piece for this week examines why the Packers can't seem to get much pressure, but he also notes that it wasn't for lack of trying by Mike Pettine. Indeed, by his count, Pettine blitzed 13 times on Sunday, a season high, but Tom Brady often got the ball out too quickly for it to matter.

Florida man speeds about in leaf blower-powered vehicle Video - ABC News
Pardon me while I grab a mop bucket and umbrella and zoom around the neighborhood.