This Losing Streak Is Nothing Like 1953

Several different media sources have pointed out that the Packers haven’t seen a four game stretch this terrible since 1953. Let’s comfort ourselves by pointing and laughing at a team that was so hapless that it managed to post separate losing streaks of three and five games.

The 1953 squad wasn’t without talent: just one year prior, receiver Billy Howton tore through the NFL with 1,231 yards on just 53 catches. At that time, only Elroy Hirsch had ever posted more yards in a single year. But in 1953, Howton fell back to earth, mainly because quarterbacks Tobin Rote and Babe Parilli were hot garbage. Rote and Parilli had a combined season output of 1,833 yards, nine touchdowns, and 34 interceptions on 351 passing attempts. Read that stat line again and complain about Aaron Rodgers this year.

Of course, even if Rote and Parilli were actually, you know, good, the defense still was about as bad as you could imagine. During their fateful five game losing streak to close out the 1953 season, the Packers surrendered more than 100 yards on the ground every single week, including two games where opponents rushed for more than 200 yards.

But maybe that’s only because quarterbacks in 1953 didn’t have a chance to throw at Quinten Rollins.