Cheese Curds, 11/23: Packers aren’t used to losing close games under Matt LaFleur

On the road against a 6-3 team atop its division, the Green Bay Packers committed four turnovers on offense and allowed 420 yards to the opposing offense. Most days, that would be a recipe for a blowout loss.

But the fact that the Packers took Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts to overtime is indicative of the team’s resilience. They racked up four first-half touchdowns against arguably the best defense in the NFL, converting both of the turnovers their defense forced into touchdowns. They overcame an injury to their veteran starting center and hardly missed a beat.

And yes, ultimately they did end up losing the game after their own fourth and final turnover. Perhaps it’s not the fact that they lost this game that seems to have Packers fans so frustrated — after all, the Colts entered Sunday as two-point favorites. Instead, it is probably the fact that there was a W there for the taking, and it slipped away (or bounced away, or the team dropped the ball, or whatever metaphor you prefer). That’s just not something that we’re used to under Matt LaFleur, as the team has been tremendously good in one-score games under his tenure. But after going 8-1 in 2019, the team’s record in those games is a more sustainable 2-2.

Yes, this Packers team could be 8-2. But they still sit at 7-3 and in the driver’s seat in the NFC North with a chance to effectively lock up the division title on Sunday Night against the Chicago Bears. Let’s just try to keep that in mind as we head towards Thanksgiving Day.

Packers lament difficult loss, but they’re far from discouraged | Packers.com
Blowing a 14-point lead and ending up with an L will be what most fans remember, but the Packers' head coach and quarterback actually found reasons to feel good about Sunday.

Colts' special teams too strong for Packers | Packersnews.com
Special teams are probably not one of the areas where the Packers feel good, however. They clearly missed Tyler Ervin on returns, and not just because of Darrius Shepherd's fumble.

Packers' Aaron Rodgers, Matt LaFleur defend Marquez Valdes-Scantling after fumble in OT | ESPN
MVS is taking a lot of grief for his overtime fumble, and rightfully so. But the other three turnovers were equally as bad, just coming at times when the team could still overcome them, and he did have a few big plays to keep the Packers in the game. One thing is sure: sending a player death threats over a football game is completely inexcusable, and it's shameful that this fan base is doing so again.

Uncommon turnovers doom Packers in Indianapolis | Packers Wire
Again, those turnovers were the biggest problem in this game. Corey Linsley's inexplicable bad snap, Rodgers' terrible throw on a hole shot, and Shepherd's kickoff return fumble all cost the Packers valuable possessions that could have made the final field goal attempt a game-winner instead of a tying score.

6 Bizarre Turkey Attack Stories | Mental Floss
With Thanksgiving just a few days away, let's remember some of the times that our tasty feathered friends decided to go down fighting.