In the end, it was all an optical illusion. The Green Bay Packers were never mounting a serious run at contention.

This 2022 team was average. Simple as that.

In the regular-season finale at Lambeau Field, the Packers fell to the Detroit Lions, 20-16. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is in objective physical decline and again played small with a season on the line. He’s 2-8-1 vs. the spread in his last 11 elimination games. The defense couldn’t get stops in key moments. So, Matt LaFleur’s club finishes 8-9 with questions all over the roster… starting at quarterback.

On the other side, running back Jamaal Williams set the franchise touchdown record. Ahead of the 2022 season, Williams told us one F-bomb at a time how he planned to change the country’s opinion of the Detroit Lions. This was a perfect exclamation point to his career season.

We’ll zoom out next week for a big-picture podcast on the Packers.

This episode, Go Long’s Bob McGinn meticulously breaks down the Lions loss. Much like he did after every game last season. (Note: All of those 2021 episodes are archived in the “Go Long Pod” tab at GoLongTD.com.)

Subscribers can access the full episode below, as well as McGinn’s incredible 13-part series wrapping up his 43 years covering the Packers.

Thanks, everyone.

The series…

• The Packers' A players, 1991-2021… Learn what made Sterling Sharpe one of the game’s forgotten stars.

• The Packers’ A-minus players, 1991-2021… How did Donald Driver emerge out of nowhere?

• The Packers’ F players, 1991-2021… It hasn’t always been pretty. Jamal Reynolds and the busts inside.

• The Packers’ A team grades, 1991-2021… Why the ‘96 group was an all-time team.

• The Packers’ A-minus team grades, 1991-2021… Oh, what could’ve been in 1997.

• The Packers’ F team grades, 1991-2021… Special teams have been a problem.

• The Packers' offensive career arcs… The careers of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers in total context.

• The Packers’ defensive/ST career arcs… Get a sense for how the players on defense progressed. Era to era.

• The 1979-2021 All-Time Green Bay Packers offense… Favre or Rodgers? Green or Jones? Sharpe or Lofton or Adams?

• The 1979-2021 All-Time Green Bay Packers defense… We know Reggie White, LeRoy Butler and Charles Woodson were all-timers. Who else rounds out the squad?

• The 1979-2021 All-Time Green Bay Packers special teams… Jarrett Bush was a bad, bad man.

• Presidents, GMs, Coaches, the best who led the Green Bay Packers 1979-2021… How Ron Wolf, Mike Holmgren and Bob Harlan put an NFL franchise back on the map.

• Best ambassadors, personnel men, contract negotiators, more 1979-2021… LeRoy Butler’s legacy continues to live on.