Picking on the Packers

"The Green Bay Packers?" scoffs Tackle Alex Karras of the Detroit Lions. "Why, they're just an average team. They're going to get beat often." In past years, such talk would have drawn a chorus of mirthless laughter in any N.F.L. locker room. This season, Karras may have a point. In their first five games, Coach Vince Lombardi's Packers, champions in four out of the past six seasons, hardly looked like the terrors they were cracked up to be.

Against Karras' Lions in the season opener, Green Bay had to come from behind to escape with a 17-17 tie. They then barely scraped by the so-so Chicago Bears 13-10 on a last-minute field goal, and won uninspired victories (27-17, 23-0) in a return match with Detroit and against the fledgling Atlanta Falcons. Two weeks ago, Green Bay suffered through an afternoon with the Minnesota Vikings; at the closing gun, the Packers found themselves on the short end of a 10-7 score against a team that had lost four straight. Worse yet was the way Minnesota won--by beating the Packers at their own ball-control brand of football. The Viking offense completed only two passes, chopped out the yardage on the ground; the Viking defense intercepted three Packer passes, stopped Green Bay nine times on third-down situations, and held them to a paltry 42 yds. total rushing.

Age & Injuries. Lombardi's defense is the same solid rock, allowing just 54 points in five games, fewest in the league. The offense is the rub. In five games the Packers scored only 87 points to rank a lamentable twelfth out of 16 teams; 22 times they lost the ball on fumbles and interceptions v. 24 times for the entire 1966 season. Injury-benched Fuzzy Thurston is no longer opening up truck-size holes at guard; age appears to be robbing Forrest Gregg, Jerry Kramer and Bob Skoronski of their speed and timing. In the backfield, the Packers sorely miss the devastating running and blocking of Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor. Replacements Donny Anderson, 24, and Jim Grabowski, 23, may yet earn their $1,000,000 bonuses, but they have quite a way to go: against Minnesota, Green Bay's "Gold Dust Twins" gained only 32 yds. in 19 carries. Bart Starr is still the incomparable quarterback. But Starr has been hampered by rib injuries and a jammed thumb, served up an embarrassing nine interceptions in the first two games, and was taken out of the Atlanta game because of his injuries.

Starr is slated to return on Oct. 30 against the St. Louis Cardinals, winners of three of their first five games.

And that, to say the least, will take a load off Coach Lombardi's mind. "We're having a helluva time," admits Vinnie. "But this is going to be a great club, maybe next year, maybe this year. Or," he added, "maybe next week."

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