Send in the Clowns | Packers Therapy #499

The Packers ended the regular season the way the universe clearly intended: by shuffling into Minnesota, fielding a roster made of practice-squad LinkedIn profiles, and producing an offensive masterpiece so daring it finished with negative passing yardage.That’s not a typo. That’s not “net yards with sacks.” That’s not “if you squint.” That’s -7. In the National Football League. In a game played by adults who get paid.And yet—somehow—Matt LaFleur still found the time to call a last-second timeout so Brandon McManus could kick a field goal and preserve the sacred 16–3 final, depriving the Vikings of a shutout like a man proudly tipping over a trash can after the building already burned down.This episode is Chris and Dave in full Therapy mode: tired, sarcastic, spiritually uninsured, and staring into the abyss while the abyss runs Cover-0 blitz every third down.They unpack the absolute non-event that was Vikings-Packers:Clayton Tune’s historic evening of “I wore the helmet, okay?”LaFleur’s game plan, which appeared to be: drop back… and perishThe Daniel Whelan Punters Showcase™, featuring eight punts and a 54-yard average—your 2025 Packers MVP, ladies and gentlemenThe injury roulette wheel that still managed to claim real humans in a “meaningless” game, because of course it didThe sudden appearance of fresh defensive juice (hello, Sorrell and Colin Oliver), which raises the most Packers question possible: why do the backups look more alive than the starters?The CBS announcing crew so bad that Pastor Kevin nearly renounced football, capitalism, and possibly baptismThen the boys pivot to the part nobody wants but everyone’s getting: the Wild Card matchup in Chicago against a Bears team that’s feeling itself, catching tipped interceptions like it’s a birthright, and walking around like the main character.Chris lays out the grim season-arc prophecy: this feels like the year the worm turns… unless the Bears do what the Bears always do—step on their own rake in front of a national audience.Also included: a long, uncomfortable coach hug that should’ve come with a consent form… and the final regular-season edition of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Picks, where one man achieved perfection in the only week perfection was mathematically inevitable.So yes: the Packers are limping. Yes: the vibes are rancid. Yes: we’re still here.Because this isn’t just football.It’s Therapy.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/packerstherapyPayPal: [email protected] its first show in 2005, Packers Therapy is the longest-running Packers podcast on the Internet. Hosts Chris and Dave began the show as a way of capturing the spirited chats the two co-workers had about the team around the office. The two have no pretense about being experts: they are just two opinionated shareholders who love the team, follow it closely, but don’t always see the Packers fortunes eye to eye.The guys encourage comments and questions via their Twitter feed @PackersTherapy or email to [email protected] and read and respond to as many as they can during each show.Packers Therapy is a part of the Packers Talk family of podcasts, serving up five distinct podcasts to satisfy the most fervent of Packer fans. Variety is the spice of life, so subscribe to Packers Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Packers Talk on Twitter and Facebook.