Born out of a series of Tweets by commenter @RandBallsStu, an idea by your humble proprietor and a sick thirst to rile up Packers fans for no good reason, we present the second installment of our series called, "The Increasingly Lost Season." In this series, Stu will give a brief recap of the Packers' misfortunes as they tumble from 15-1 Super Bowl repeat team of destiny to Randy Wright-esque putridity (even if, in all likelihood, they really don't). Stu? ------------ As predicted right here last week, the Packers' increasingly lost season came to a merciful, thudding end on Saturday night, as they were hammered by the San Francisco 49ers, 45-31. The flaws that had haunted this ragtag collection of SAG cardholders who play football between shoots were exposed for all to see. The porous offensive line. A non-existent running game. An anger-prone quarterback unable to step up (not a height joke) against a team that, correctly, passed on him in the draft. Perhaps most notably, a defense that was exceptionally talented at preening and celebrating the rare occasions they made a tackle or defensed a pass, if little else.

If you read this series throughout the fall and winter, none of this surprised you. I'm sure, however, that there are Green-and-Gold partisans who are still gobsmacked at the events of Saturday night, grasping for answers that simply aren't there as a bleak January settles across Wausau, Omro and Rhinelander. All I can say to them, sadly, is, "Get used to it." The two elite franchises in the NFC North, Minnesota and Chicago, both pick ahead of the Packers in the 2013 NFL Draft, as Green Bay's Wild Card victory over Minnesota in the Asterisk Bowl looks ever more hollow. The Vikings, who used the 2012 draft to help catapult their team from 3-13 to 10-6, have proven they know how to rebuild and reload. The Bears, who were just edged out of the playoffs, fired Lovie Smith, showing that they will make the bold moves necessary to keep up with Minnesota. Green Bay, meanwhile, shows zero signs of taking their personnel decisions more seriously or holding coaches responsible for humiliating defeats like their Divisional Round shellacking. Ted Thompson, the man who signed Don Barclay, isn't stepping down. Mike McCarthy still has a job. Even defensive coordinator Dom Capers is still drawing a paycheck. You'd be forgiven for thinking they've decided to emulate the Lions rather than their two divisional betters. Will an increasingly lost season turn into an increasingly lost off-season? The answer, as is becoming abundantly clear, is yes. Thank you for taking the time to read and share these posts throughout the football season. We'll check in around draft time to see if these disturbing trends continue for Green Bay, or if they've made the tough decisions that are no doubt required to start them on the long road back to their former glory.