NFL Packers hope to gain from Jets defeat

It was a costly loss and Green Bay feels that it now has a challenge ahead.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- The Green Bay Packers don't have a lot of time to ponder what might have been.
A victory Sunday over the New York Jets would have given them a first-round bye and the home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
But after losing 42-17, the Packers will have to face Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field in a wild-card playoff game Saturday night.
"I've got to be honest with you, that really is a challenge for me and our team, to be able to come back and [not] be disappointed about what we had in front of us," coach Mike Sherman said. "And what a tremendous opportunity we had staring us right in the face.
"But there are other opportunities out there for us. If we can take advantage of the next one, maybe we'll forget about this one."
Packers perfect at home
Home-field advantage means so much in the NFL, but especially to the Packers, who have never lost a home playoff game, are 35-0 with Brett Favre in cold-weather starts and are the only team that didn't lose at home in the regular season.
"Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think we'd get blown out of a game with so much meaning," Cornerback Tyrone Williams said.
And with their next game just five days away, leading receiver Donald Driver (shoulder) and Pro Bowl safety Darren Sharper (knee) might not have enough time to return to the lineup.
The Packers (12-4) are desperately trying to find something positive about their worst regular-season defeat since Favre became their starting quarterback in 1992.
"Things happen for a reason. Maybe it gives us a chip on our shoulder," Sherman said. "Maybe it motivates us to greater heights. Maybe it brings us closer together because everyone is down on them."
Fans question loss
A waitress walked up to Gilbert Brown at lunch Monday and demanded to know what had happened at the Meadowlands.
"They're calling home and talking to their parents and their parents are saying, 'What the heck's wrong with you guys?' " Sherman said. "So, it can have a unifying effect, believe it or not.
"Now, would I rather have won the game? You'd better believe it. At the same time, I think ... it'll be a rallying force for our football team."
Just as soon as they get over the disappointment.
"This was our shot," guard Marco Rivera said. "This was our shot to get the advantage that we needed to get to the Super Bowl. Now, we have to do it the hard way."
No NFC team has won three games to get to the Super Bowl except for the Washington Redskins in the strike-shortened 1982 season.
Several AFC teams have done so, most recently the Baltimore Ravens, who won the Super Bowl two years ago despite having just one home playoff game. The Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl in 1998 as a wild-card and Tennessee made it as a wild card a year later.
"I don't know if there's any magic formula to doing it other than just playing well and executing your offense, defense and special teams," Sherman said. "But I think part of the thing that helped [those teams] was a lack of injuries."
Injuries have been problem
The Packers have plenty of those. Fourteen starters missed 63 games during the season, yet the Packers went 12-4, tying Philadelphia and Tampa Bay for the league's best record.
"This team has bounced back and shown resiliency all year," Vonnie Holliday said. "I don't see why this loss will be any different."
Driver, who caught 70 passes for 1,064 yards and nine touchdowns in his first season as a starter, was injured on a reverse in the second quarter and the offense sputtered without him.
"When you lose guys, it does take the wind out of your sails a little bit," Favre said. "Especially Donald, who's had a great year. Hopefully he's able to come back next week. He's a tough guy.
"We have sort of run out of guys at times and we've been able to overcome it. We'll just see if we can overcome this one."