LANDOVER, Md. -- It was more startling to hear than to believe, because anyone who has witnessed what the Green Bay Packers morphed into in the month since their last victory knows it, but this former Super Bowl favorite has all but admitted irrelevance when it comes to the NFL of 2016.

No, that’s surely not what coach Mike McCarthy meant when he said “six losses puts your ass against the wall and that’s where we are,” after a national television embarrassment Sunday night against the Washington Redskins, who sent the Packers home with their fourth straight loss, 42-24 in another defensive meltdown, and an ugly 4-6 record.

The Packers defense gave up 375 yards to Kirk Cousins and Washington's receivers in the loss. Brad Mills/USA TODAY Sports

It was as close as anyone has come to conceding that their remarkable run of seven consecutive playoff appearances will end in six weeks -- or sooner if their losing streak turns from four to five Nov. 28 at the Philadelphia Eagles.

“We’re at six losses, that’s the reality,” McCarthy said. “Clearly understand the urgency that’s in front of us. Clearly understood the urgency coming into this game being at five losses.”

Urgency will only take the Packers as far as their shaky defense and a lack of a running game can carry them. Without much of a pass rush, their backup cornerbacks pressed into action since opening-day starters Sam Shields and Damarious Randall succumbed to injuries have failed unequivocally.

Suddenly, the malfunctions of Dom Capers’ defense -- which has allowed at least 30 points in four straight games for the first time in Packers history since 1953 -- have dominated the headlines instead of the struggles of Aaron Rodgers, who seems to be the least of the concerns lately.

Those who point to the notion that the Packers remain just two games out of first place in the flawed NFC North should take a look at the Week 12 schedule. Even if the Packers somehow manage to end their losing streak against the Eagles on Monday Night Football, they’ll still be in the same position they were when they left FedEx Field. At best, they’ll be two games out of first place with five to play because the co-leading Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions play each other this week on Thanksgiving. Barring a tie, one of them will be 7-4.

“We put ourselves in a tough spot,” Rodgers said. “We’ve got to find a way to get a win next week and approach it one week at a time. It’s all we’ve got right now. We’re in a tough stretch.”

There may still be time to turn it around.

“I don’t see why not,” defensive tackle Mike Daniels said when asked that very question.

Time, however, may not be the biggest obstacle. The Packers could play a full season’s worth of games with the roster they have now and not experience different results. It remains a team devoid of playmakers on either side of the ball.

“This is not the time for personnel evaluations, coaching evaluations and those types of things,” McCarthy said. “This is our football team. It’s the 2016 Packers. We’re in a rough stretch right now. We’ve lost four in a row, and we’ve got a tough one on Monday night in Philadelphia. We’re going to rally, stick together.

“We’ve got a good taste of the reaction of our football team to five losses, so clearly understand it’s not going to get any better being at six losses. So that’s part of the challenge in front of us and I have all the confidence in the world. This is a great group of men, so I don’t question that part of it. But we all need to perform better and we did not get it done tonight.”

Maybe McCarthy’s derriere-against-the-wall mentality can light a fire under his struggling team, but it sounded more like a concession speech.