With a 27-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans at Lambeau Field in Green Bay in front of a booing home crowd, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers blew their shot at becoming the NFL’s all-time winningest franchise on Thursday night.
The Packers (4-7) also probably blew their shot at the postseason as Green Bay dropped two games behind San Francisco (5-4) in the race for the NFC’s final wild-card spot and have a game in Philadelphia against the NFC East-leading Eagles (9-1) next on the schedule.
If the Packers lose to the Eagles, their next chance to take the title of the NFL’s all-time winningest franchise will come against the club that currently holds the record for victories in pro football, the Chicago Bears. The Bears and Packers currently each have 786 wins in franchise history, but the Bears may add to their total if they can knock off the Falcons or Jets in their two games before taking on the Packers.
In all likelihood, Thursday’s game was the best chance for the Packers and Rodgers, who was 24-of-39 for 227 yards with two touchdown passes to rookie Christian Watson in the loss, to take the record. Opportunity blown.
Losers of five of their last six, the Packers, who were the No. 1 seed in the NFC last season when Rodgers won his second consecutive MVP award, will have to win out to even have an outside shot at the postseason. “We’ve got to play up to our potential,” Rodgers said after the loss. “If we play up to our potential, we can win our last six games. I’m confident in that. Obviously I’ve got to play up to my potential. Tonight wasn’t it.”
As bad as the night was for the Packers, the morning may have been worse for the Titans as Tennessee offensive coordinator Todd Downing was arrested on charges of speeding and driving under the influence early Friday. Downing, who saw his typically underwhelming offense turn in its best performance of the season against the Packers, was pulled over by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and booked into jail at 4:39 a.m. There’s been no confirmation yet, but whatever Downing potentially ingested was more than likely consumed on the team plane.
“We are aware of the reports regarding Todd Downing and are in the process of gathering additional information,” the Titans said in a statement. Thursday’s win was Tennessee’s (7-3) seventh victory in eight games.
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