Brady Poppinga: Packers Played Not To Lose; Seahawks Took Calculated Risks

The Green Bay Packers didn’t lose because they failed to recover an onside kick or any of the easy-to-identify 50/50 plays where they fell short against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

The Packers lost because they played not to lose, rather than to win, former Green Bay linebacker Brady Poppinga writes on FootballbyFootball.com.

Two days after the Packers’ meltdown in the NFC Championship Game, Poppinga outlined seven instances in which Green Bay’s conservative approach and Seattle’s aggressiveness turned a surefire Packers win into a Seahawks victory. The blame is littered around the Green Bay sideline, but there is no doubt most of the fault lies with Packers coach Mike McCarthy.

Sometimes, Poppinga writes, you have to go out on a limb.