GREEN BAY, Wis. -- At some point, the sting from Sunday's
overtime loss in the NFC Championship game will fade, and the Green
Bay Packers will begin working toward a promising 2008 season.
Hardly anybody expected Green Bay to end up a few plays away
from the Super Bowl this season. But the Packers will carry high
expectations into next season, provided Brett Favre's annual
flirtation with retirement turns out as usual -- with the state of
Wisconsin swooning as Favre returns to work.
Just two years removed from being one of the worst teams in the
league, the Packers have pulled off a dramatic turnaround under
general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy. They now
appear to be a team that is built to last.
"With the way the season went, I guess you would feel that the
team would be better next year," cornerback Charles Woodson said
Monday, as players cleaned out their lockers at Lambeau Field. "We
had a lot of young guys on the team, especially offensively for
Brett. We found that running game that we needed this season with
Ryan Grant. You would only think that the team would get better."
The Packers were the NFL's youngest team this season, and
several of their key players are locked into long-term deals.
Thompson just got a contract extension, and McCarthy is expected to
sign his new deal this week.
Still, Packers players know that their success this season
doesn't ensure them of continued success. Just look at their
division rivals, the Chicago Bears, who fell from a Super Bowl
berth to a 7-9 record.
"You never know how this league might go," defensive tackle
Corey Williams said. "We might go back next year, and it might be
five or six or 10 more years. You really can't just say that. We've
just got to go out and keep the same attitude that we had this
season."
In terms of personnel, Favre's future is the only major,
immediate concern for the Packers. Favre -- surprise, surprise -- was
noncommittal on his future after Sunday night's 23-20 loss to the
New York Giants, saying only that he planned to talk to McCarthy on
Monday before heading back to Mississippi to huddle with his
family.
Neither Favre nor McCarthy were available to the media on
Monday.
Could he really even consider retiring after such a
disappointing performance on Sunday, with an interception in
overtime that set up the New York Giants' game-winning field goal?
"It's definitely a possibility," said backup quarterback Craig
Nall, a hunting buddy of Favre's. "There comes a point, I think,
in everybody's career where you try to decide, have I had enough? I
don't think one play is going to make his whole career. Granted, he
probably wished he didn't throw that interception, everybody would
have. But I don't even think he's that worried about that last
play. I think he's looking at the big picture and making his
decision based off of that. That one play didn't cost us the game,
either."
Beyond Favre, the Packers really don't have too many glaring
holes heading into the offseason. Williams is the Packers' most
significant unsigned free agent, and he plays at the Packers'
deepest position, defensive tackle.
Williams said not knowing whether he'll be back made Sunday's
loss even tougher.
"I'm just really trying to think about the positive side of it,
just being around the guys, the fun we've had," Williams said.
"Just try to pray and hope I'll be back."
The Packers have a wealth of young, talented players who still
have room to improve.
Green Bay could use some more depth on the offensive line and
young prospects to develop behind Woodson and Al Harris, who were
dominant at cornerback this season -- until Harris unexpectedly had
his hands full with Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress on Sunday.
"We lost," Harris said. "I would say I lost my individual
battle, which I haven't done in a while. But that's enough fuel
right there, the fact that we lost. You don't want to lose and have
a bad game on the end game. That will fuel me."
And all the talk of the Packers' potential for next season was
lost on Woodson, who was still reeling from Sunday's loss.
"Nothing's guaranteed," Woodson said. "You would hope things
get better next season, but next season is next season. We'll worry
about that when it gets here."