Packers Peaking and Primed for Playoffs

Momentum is a beautiful thing when you have it, and a terrifying factor when you are facing it. 

Luckily for the Green Bay Packers, they have it.

The Packers are entering the first round of the playoffs with a 7-1 record in their last 8 games, including victories over playoff teams Arizona, Baltimore, and Dallas…err…I mean America’s team. 

Granted, the victories against the Cowboys and Ravens came at Lambeau Field, and the Packers will ultimately be road-bound throughout the playoffs (save for an NFC Championship matchup versus the Eagles).  And yes, Arizona pulled multiple starters during last week’s game and “really weren’t trying to win.” 

Does that mean the Cardinals were trying to lose? 

They claimed they were simply trying to avoid injury, but they weren’t even successful accomplishing that, with injuries to Dominque Rogers-Cromartie, Anquan Boldin, and Calais Campbell—all starters. 

And it was pretty evident in that game that the “Go Pack Go” chants weren’t bothering the Packers one bit.

The Packers are not necessarily being written off as a contender in the playoffs, but seemingly every other team in the NFC is being lauded as having a better chance of making it to the big dance than Green Bay, and that’s okay. 

The Packers are hopeful that general mindset continues as they advance through the playoffs unnoticed because their offense, defense, and special teams are all ready to dominate, starting with Arizona this Sunday.

On offense, the Packers are absolutely loaded with playmakers. Every one of their top four wide-outs can run every route in the Packers’ playbook. 

When their so called “possession” receiver, Jordy Nelson, is running deep down the middle to haul in 51-yard strikes from Aaron Rodgers and when their “deep threat” receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings are consistently catching balls over the middle off of short drag routes for 6-yard pickups, it’s difficult to predict which plays and routes are coming by observing on-the-field personnel.

Furthermore, with the emergence of tight end Jermichael Finley in both the passing and running games, opponents are biting more on play-action out of multiple-tight end, regularly assumed running formations. 

This development allows Finley the chance to get behind the defense for big plays. 

Ryan Grant is also starting to flash more big-play potential with 3 touchdown runs of +20 yards during this momentum building second half of the season. 

Yet, what has probably been the most significant reasoning behind the stellar play of the offense has been the much-improved performance of the offensive line. 

Aided by Mike McCarthy’s play-calling, the line has limited deep throws while increasing slants and crosses off mostly 3-step and 5-step drops, and they’ve protected Rodgers much better during these last 8 games. 

Injuries and shuffling of the offensive line played a role in their inconsistent play early in the season, which is why improvement came almost immediately following the return of the same five guys across the line week-in and week-out. 

And with Rodgers playing as well as any quarterback in the league, the Packers are thinking, in the famous words of Matt Hasselbeck,  “We want the ball and we’re going to score.”

On defense, the Packers have developed an aggressive attitude.  They are pressuring the quarterback, challenging receivers at the line, and exploding through ball-carriers. 

Dom Capers has stated over and over again that nothing is more telling about the ability, attitude, and overall teamwork of a defense than its ability to stop the run. 

For the 2009 season, the Packers led the league and set a new franchise mark in this category. 

They also led the league in turnovers forced, arguably the quickest way to crush the opponent’s morale while building momentum for one’s offense. 

The play of the Packers’ 3-4 defense starts with the men upfront: Johnny Jolly, Ryan Pickett, Cullen Jenkins, and BJ Raji.

These names go mostly unnoticed across the NFL, but the team certainly knows their worth. 

Pickett is the steady commander in the middle, stout against the run and eager to take on the double-team. 

Raji fits a similar mold, but he adds an ability to disrupt plays and penetrate into the backfield via his bull rush, a move with which he’s simply embarrassed some NFL vets. 

Jenkins can be counted on to pressure the quarterback, no matter what the situation is, what the down and distance may be, whether the game is on the line, or who’s playing quarterback. 

And Jolly can do it all: make plays in the backfield, hold the edge, eat up blockers, bat down passes… As much credit as the linebackers get for the plays they make, it’s the D-lineman who deserve credit first-and-foremost. 

Speaking of linebackers, Clay Matthews is a force. 

He’s talented, but the reason he’s so good is he just tries harder than the guy across from him on every snap of every game.  His motor is unbelievable. 

Nick Barnett is also making more plays of late as his reconstructed knee hardly seems to be hindering him anymore. 

And then of course, there’s the Packers’ secondary, led by should-be Defensive Player of the Year, Charles Woodson. 

He has been sensational this season. Everyone knows about the interceptions, the returns, the forced fumbles and sacks, but what they don’t know is how effective of a tackler he is. 

Woodson is listed as a corner, but make no mistake, he tackles with the mindset of a linebacker. 

He’ll play the run looking to blow-up a running back. He’ll rove the field from the safety spot and take a tight end head-on in a collision—a battle he usually wins. 

He has no fear, and Woodson’s smarts and instincts are just uncanny. 

Most of his interceptions come from bating the quarterback into throwing. 

He always seems to be one step ahead of everyone else on the field. 

His presence will sometimes force the opposing quarterback away from his side of the field, which only opens up opportunities for Nick Collins, Atari Bigby, and Tramon Williams. 

The genius of Capers and the skills of the players at his disposal have combined for very memorable defensive showing this season.

On special teams the Packers had been awful most of the season, plain and simple. 

They were allowing opponents to accrue big returns at critical junctures, often in the fourth quarter. 

Their kicker Mason Crosby was consistently missing short field goals and, their punter’s hang time was regressing. 

Lately though, the coverage units have been superb.

Crosby hasn’t missed a field goal since the Steelers game, and though Jeremy Kapinos is still struggling with his hang time, the Packers have been punting less thanks to the production on offense. Therefore, Crosby’s struggles are at least hidden now. 

Even Nelson has broken a couple long returns via the kickoff return. 

The Packers are really starting to click on every level at just the right time.

The most telling sign, though, that this team is ready to make noise in the playoffs is that this team is tough. 

They’re mentally tough. 

Their coach is Pittsburgh tough. 

Their quarterback is especially tough, and that hasn’t just been revealed by his performance under duress this season. 

Rodgers’ toughness was realized last season, when critics were still calling him injury prone, predicting him to miss starts because of it. 

He separated his shoulder in Week 4 of 2008 and played through it for the rest of the season, starting every game and silencing most of those critics. 

But, the game that truly identified how tough Rodgers was happened on Monday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints. 

The Packers were down early and in catch-up mode throughout. 

Rodgers threw an interception to a Saints corner who ran the ball down the sideline, eyes fixated on the end zone. 

Rodgers came out of nowhere to meet him inside the 5-yard line, lowering his throwing shoulder and absolutely laying out the defender, preventing the score. 

Rodgers knocked the Saint off his feet and out of bounds with that same shoulder he hurt back in Week 4, the same one that was still hurting, and probably hurting even more after that hit. 

The Saints scored a touchdown shortly after, as was to be expected, extending their lead into a blowout, but Rodgers made a statement with that play. 

He quickly took responsibility for the turnover by hustling to the sidelines to prevent the easy score.  Delivering that hit with his bum throwing shoulder has forever cemented his toughness into the minds of Packer fans. 

Green Bay has four games on the road ahead of them, but they have no doubt in their minds about what they are about to accomplish: winning the Super Bowl. 

The Packers have momentum, their fans travel well, and they’re being underestimated. 

Watch out.

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Packers Report: Poor Blocking, Red Zone Inefficiency, Dumb Penalties, Oy Vey!

The Green Bay Packers are light years away from the team everyone predicted them to be after the preseason.  The team’s lack of discipline when it comes to penalties is most alarming as it has been killing drives for the offense, eliminating yardage gained by special teams, and taking away opportunities for the defense to get off the field. 

Green Bay’s offense has disappointed as they have blocked poorly in both the running game and the passing game, been horribly inefficient in the red zone, and have managed not to stay healthy across the board. 

The defense, on the other hand, looks to be on the rise after an up-and-down five games to start the season.

Penalties have always been a problem for the Packers and they are well-aware of it; they finished second to Dallas last year for most in the league while leading the league in penalty yardage.  What’s disturbing is that they are on pace to finish this season with higher totals in both categories than in 2008. 

Coming out of the bye week, Green Bay was determined to limit the penalties, starting with their game against Detroit.  Jordy Nelson took the opening kickoff back the other way for a touchdown, yet the return was called back on a holding penalty.  Later in the game Chad Clifton committed back-to-back pre-snap penalties on first down which decidedly stalled a promising drive by the offense. 

And once again, late in the game, Nick Barnett made a nice move on a blitz to get to the quarterback only to take the passer down by the facemask and draw a 15-yard penalty on what would have been a sack to bring up fourth down.  In all, the Packers committed 13 penalties for 130 yards, in their first contest following their bye week, at home, against the hapless Lions who were missing Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson on offense and three of their four starting lineman on defense. 

At this point, head coach Mike McCarthy has to take the blame for the complete and utter lack of discipline displayed by this team week-in and week-out.  He has got to change the mental make-up of this team and the only other option at this point seemingly is to yank the starters for a snap or series if they commit anymore inexcusable penalties.  There has to be accountability for these mistakes.

The blocking on offense has been absolutely atrocious up to this point.  Offensive line coach James Campen and offensive coordinator Joe Philbin need to do a better job coaching or they will be in danger of getting axed while the season is still ongoing.  Rodgers is on pace to be sacked 80 times this season if the offensive line (and it is offensive) continues to allow five sacks per game on average through the rest of the season, and of course if Rodgers manages to stay healthy throughout this forcasted beat-down. 

Everyone has had a hand in the pass-protection problems.  The tackles have been losing a lot of one-on-one battles this season, a fact that is confirmed by this eye-popping statistic: every opposing team the Packers faced so far has had one defensive end sack Rodgers at least twice in the game (Adewale Ogunleye—two sacks of Rodgers, Antwan Odom—five sacks of Rodgers, Leonard Little—two sacks of Rodgers, Jared Allen—four and a half sacks of Rodgers, Julian Peterson—two and a half sacks of Rodgers).  This simply cannot continue. 

However, Rodgers has taken blame for some of his sacks this season as he’s held the ball too long at times, waiting for the big play downfield to develop rather than checking the ball down when the pressure comes. 

The line’s interior has also gained its share of criticism through miscommunications in protection calls that have allowed free rushes at Rodgers by defensive tackles.  Even the backs and tight ends have struggled; Rodgers is getting sacked by defensive lineman whom the back or tight end chipped before entering their route.  Collectively, the entire offense must perform better in pass protection for drives to succeed.

The Packers’ deficiencies in the run game and the red zone are intertwined with their inability to block and their timely penalties.  Whether it’s the one-yard runs that put the offense in second-and-long’s or the pre-snap penalties that force three straight passes, the Packers have become a painfully predictable pass-happy team. 

Defenses are loading up to stop the pass, so Green Bay has to start effectively running the ball to take advantage of these opportunities.  Too often one Packer will blow their blocking assignment, either by mental lapse or sheer physical domination, and Ryan Grant will be hit in the backfield. 

The constant shuffling the line has had to undergo because of injuries has hindered the cohesion of the unit as a whole.  The starting lineup from tackle to tackle needs to stay intact for a certain level of comfort and familiarity to be established. 

The offense will continue to struggle sustaining drives and scoring touchdowns as long as the run game remains unproductive.  With Clifton returning from injury just in time to give the offense four pre-snap penalties against Detroit before again leaving with an ankle injury, it’s time to see what rookie TJ Lang can give the team at left tackle. 

Clifton has always had a reputation for being top-notch in pass protection but a liability in the run game.  Lang, on the other hand, has performed well when run-blocking.  He’s mostly unproven pass-blocking, though he did come in late in the Vikings game and held his own against Allen, save for one allowed sack. 

Getting a player on the field, one that the coaches have been impressed with, and seeing what he can do is quite possibly the best option as everyone else up to this point has done a fairly poor job at the left tackle position.  Lang’s presence in the running game could really pick the offense up as long as he’s able to hold up in pass protection.  Throwing him into the fire is the only way to find that out.

The most feasible reasoning behind the Packers having success this season comes down to the strength and improvement of the defense.  With Atari Bigby now back in the lineup, the Packers eliminate the liability they had on the back end of their defense and are able to unleash their entire playbook on opposing offenses. 

The exotic blitzes that were observed in the first game of the season in which Jay Cutler completed less than half his passes while throwing four picks can now be dialed up again.  The Packers had been playing somewhat conservatively on defense since Bigby’s injury, highlighted by the three and four-man rushes displayed during the Vikings game.  Pressure is hard to come by when two-third’s of your pass rush are being double-teamed while the opposing offense has five pass-catchers available to the quarterback. 

The Packer defense has a strong rotation both along the line and amongst their linebackers to keep their front seven fresh throughout the game, and defensive coordinator Dom Capers is starting to utilize Aaron Kampman as a down lineman where he truly belongs.  Where the team gets thin on defense is at the safety position, so that is why having Bigby back allows Capers to be more aggressive in his play calls from here on out.

Next up on the Packers’ schedule is another tune-up game, this time against the Cleveland Browns, before the epic showdown against the Vikings at Lambeau Field.  If Green Bay is to have any hope of winning that game, the blocking has to improve, the penalties have to be limited, and the defense has to carry the team.  Can it be done?  Of course it can.  This will be a game of good vs. evil, and good always prevails. 

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Green Bay Packers to Win it All: 2009 League MVP Aaron Rodgers at the Helm

To say the Green Bay Packers, a year after finishing 6-10, will win the Super Bowl this year is a bold prediction.  However, not even considering the team a true contender to win the big game would simply be foolish. 

For those who want to discount the Packers’ preseason success because it’s preseason, let it be noted that it’s still pro football, the objective is still to beat the other team, and there’s still competition for starting positions yet to be determined so players still have something to play for. 

And it’s one thing to just win the game, but for the starting units to completely crush the opposition like they have is really making a statement.

Beginning this discussion with the defense, hands down the best offseason pickup of any team was the Packers’ signing of Dom Capers as defensive coordinator.  He has completely turned this defense around and has the team excited about continuing their preseason dominance into the regular season. 

The defensive scheme last year ran by Bob Sanders was painfully bland and predictable.  That, coupled with a few injuries, left the defense seemingly on its heels in most games. 

But with Capers running the show, the defense, for lack of a better word, is on its toes attacking, intimidating, and setting the tone when the opposition’s offense steps onto the field.

Charles Woodson will be an All-Pro when everything is said and done.  Capers has been using him in a number of blitz packages and Woodson has been incredibly productive off those blitzes. 

In the Arizona game alone he came off the edge and sacked Kurt Warner twice, forcing a fumble on both sacks.  He also stripped Jerheme Urban of the ball early in the game after a short completion.

Woodson has top-notch football IQ and is a very talented defensive back.  He has practically patented this tomahawk chop he does when making a tackle from behind and often times will force a fumble doing so. 

Woodson also has great ball skills which he’s demonstrated throughout his career and with the new scheme heavily favoring zone coverage, Woodson will have increased vision to the quarterback.  No longer will he have to cover with his back to the ball. 

This will benefit Woodson immensely as he is a master of dissecting plays when he’s playing zone or off coverage.  His ability to diagnose what the quarterback is trying to do can be attributed to his superior instincts and intense film study.

Woodson and the rest of the Packers defense have transitioned seamlessly to the new scheme.  They are playing fast and with excitement.  What a difference a unit’s enthusiasm can make on their effectiveness and execution.

Aaron Rodgers and the offense came up short last year in some tight matchups, but for the most part that was only after the defense lost the lead by allowing a score late in those games. 

The offense overall ranked fifth in the league, highlighted by a 4,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard receivers, and a 1,200-yard rusher. 

They are looking to improve on that ranking with a healthy Ryan Grant and an experienced Rodgers entering his second year as the starter (oh and Brett Favre is out disrupting a different training camp this year).

Rodgers has been nearly perfect in the preseason, throwing for six touchdowns and no picks while racking up a 147.9 quarterback rating.  However, those stats, as impressive as they are, don’t even begin to tell the story of how effective Rodgers will be this season. 

Throughout OTA’s, mini camp, training camp, and the preseason games, Rodgers has been accurate and disciplined with his throws and decisions, respectively.  He throws quite possibly the best deep ball out of any quarterback in the league, hitting his receivers in stride and where only they can catch the ball. 

He is quick to get the ball out of his hands or tuck and run if nobody’s open, and it’s evident from his 34-yard scamper against Arizona that he’s got some wheels. 

Without a sliver of a doubt, Rodgers has mastered Mike McCarthy’s offensive system and not only that, but he is the unquestioned leader of the team.  Everyone on the team was pushing Rodgers to lead this squad and he has through his play on the field and his voice on and off the field. 

Rodgers will lead this team to a division title, his first (but not only) league MVP award, and a Super Bowl victory in this 2009 season.

It may seem like outlandish predictions, but this team is better than it was in 2007.  Names like Cullen Jenkins, Johnny Jolly, Jermichael Finley, and James Jones will surface around the league while better-known names like Rodgers, Woodson, and Greg Jennings will become very well-known names. 

This team has a very bright future and the future is six days away.

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NFC North: Who Wants It?

The NFC North has been regarded as a pretty mediocre division in years past, but this year, they might take the NFL by surprise.  Minnesota has created a stir with rumors of Adrian Peterson playing at 230 lbs and Brett Favre coming to town.  Chicago has made the team instantly better with the addition of Jay Cutler via the trade from Denver.

Green Bay changed it up a bit in the offseason with the hiring of Dom Capers as defensive coordinator; the defense will have a radical new look after Capers is done implementing his 3-4 scheme.  And yes, Detroit still resides in the division, but even they will steal a few games during the season, as long as Calvin Johnson stays healthy.

The Vikings boast the best running back in the league, hands down. He wants to play heavier this year, though, so that he can better absorb the hits he takes. The extra muscle will also help him dish out more punishment to would-be tacklers.

With Peterson’s violent running style already well-known across the league, seeing him coming at 230 lbs could cause defenders to hesitate. It is yet to be determined, however, if Peterson can carry that extra weight while still maintaining his game-breaking speed and quickness.

The Vikings also boast arguably the league’s best defensive line, highlighted by Kevin and Pat Williams, and Jared Allen. However, that talented threesome could be compromised with the suspensions of both Williams’ for four games, leaving Allen facing likely double teams during their absence.

But when the team has all three at its disposal, running the ball and maintaining a clean pocket for the quarterback to throw in becomes a serious challenge for most teams.

In addition to the players Minnesota still has from last season’s roster, they added a few rookies through the draft who could make immediate contributions. Percy Harvin decided to leave Florida early after helping his school capture two national championships in three years with his explosive speed and agility. 

He’ll add another dimension to the run game, pass game, and return game. The Vikings hope Phil Loadholt, the massive offensive tackle from Oklahoma, will answer their problems on the right side of the line.

The one issue in Minnesota that comes up every year is the quarterback situation. Yes, they traded for Sage Rosenfels in the offseason, but will he even push Tarvaris Jackson for a starting job?

Houston fans remember how he single-handedly lost the game against Indianapolis last year when the Texans were up double-digits on their division rival late in the fourth quarter.  There’s a reason he only saw the field when Matt Schaub was out with injury.

With Jackson yet to prove himself capable of handling the quarterback duties, does that leave a door open for Favre? It seems to be a simple question of whether his arm is healthy enough to throw for a full 16+ games this season.

Though head coach Brad Childress still believes in Jackson, his hand-picked quarterback, there’s no denying Favre would be the better option for the 2009 season.

The Chicago Bears on the other hand, once had the same issue at quarterback, but they finally solved that problem with the acquisition of Cutler.  Having recently been elected to the Pro Bowl, he brings instant credibility to the Bears’ offense. 

Though there isn’t a proven wide receiver on the roster, Cutler does have talented tight ends Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen, as well as second-year running back Matt Forte to throw the check down to.

Devin Hester will also provide game-changing plays on offense, but he has not shown he can consistently produce at the wide receiver position. On the bright side, Cutler will be reunited with his former receiver from Vanderbilt, Earl Bennett. 

However, it should be considered that Chicago gave up a fortune for a quarterback who holds a career winning percentage below .500.

The Bears’ special teams units have always excelled and should continue to do so this season. It remains to be seen whether Hester will be a part of the return game, but with Daniel Manning, he doesn’t need to be.

The kicking and punting game have always been solid with Robbie Gould and Brad Maynard, respectively. And somehow, Chicago always finds ways to win games as a direct result of turnovers, blocked field goals/punts, or touchdowns scored by their special teams units.

The once dominant Bears defense is actually the team’s weakest link now. Players have aged, struggled to stay healthy, and failed to play up to the levels they once did.

And while the Bears significantly upgraded their quarterback position and their offense with Cutler, they compromised the future of their team, of their defense potentially, by trading away their valuable first round draft choices. 

Chicago still has players like Brian Urlacher, Tommie Harris, and Charles Tillman who are capable of taking over a game. In recent years, though, they have not been able to consistently perform up to that level due to injuries.

The same can be said of Mike Brown, whom the Bears might not even bring back to camp this summer. Chicago might have to outscore their opponents on offense this year in order to win games. Times have definitely changed in the Windy City.

As for Detroit, it’s not reasonable to expect that the league’s first 0-16 team can compete for the division, but it is reasonable to believe they’ll be improved from last year. 

Two things they have going for them is Calvin Johnson and finally getting rid of Matt Millen as GM, though to his credit, he did select Johnson (he also drafted Charles Rogers and Mike Williams, among many other busts). 

Johnson is an absolute freak of nature. He can outrun, outreach, out jump, and outmuscle any corner in the league.  And unlike a former NFC North star-studded receiver with supreme athletic skills (Randy Moss), Johnson wants to be great, he wants to work for it, and he’s a team-first player.

Detroit also owned the first pick overall in the draft and used it on quarterback Matthew Stafford, the best player in the draft for the Lions according to the Lions. After all, it was the first pick made in the post-Millen era. 

Of course, the assumption is Stafford will be holding a clipboard all season long. This will allow him to learn the system before he faces the new level of competition that awaits him in the NFL. Hopefully by the time he does start, the Lions will have added more talent to the team, especially on the offensive line.

On defense, the Lions are making somewhat of a scheme change too, from former coach Rod Marinelli’s Tampa-Two philosophy to Jim Schwartz’s scheme, which will include getting bigger across the defensive line.

Of course, injecting some more talent onto that side of the ball wouldn’t hurt either.  Aside from Ernie Sims, who do Detroit have on defense? They primarily focused on offense through the draft, so unless the Lions pick up a few veteran free agents in the coming months, they’ll have trouble keeping opponents out of the end zone again this year.

Green Bay stands to have a more pressure-oriented defense, for better or for worse, with the installation of the 3-4 scheme. The results of this dramatic switch in defensive philosophy will depend on how quickly the players can adapt to playing with new responsibilities. 

The offseason will test their discipline and focus as they prepare to make the transition seamless, though historically speaking, the switch from an even front to an odd front is hard to successfully achieve in just one year. Of course, it won’t be difficult to top last year’s performance on defense.

The Packers did do well for themselves by drafting B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews in the first round, players who fit the 3-4 defense very well. Both players could possibly start at their respective positions (nose tackle for Raji and right outside linebacker for Matthews) once training camp has allowed them to showcase their talents.

Getting Cullen Jenkins back from injury will also aid the transition as he projects to play one of the defensive end positions.

Getting a healthy Ryan Grant to start the season will do wonders for Mike McCarthy’s offense. Not only will the run game improve with Grant running at full speed, but the play-action pass can be dialed up more frequently as a result.  

When the Packers have success running the ball, the play-action pass has worked very well for Aaron Rodgers and his receivers, namely Greg Jennings, and their success rate per attempt is unbelievably close to perfect.

The offense in general for the Packers was a bright spot last year and should in no way be blamed for their 6-10 finish. They generated the fifth most points scored in the NFL.  Although scoring was not an issue for the Packers, preventing the score was, hence the change to the 3-4 defense.

Special teams has had its issues, namely punting and the coverage units, but with Mason Crosby’s strong leg and Will Blackmon’s explosive plays as the return man, the Packers can be happy with some parts of their special teams.

The key to the Packers’ success against their division opponents will be aggressiveness on defense. There’s no better way to defend against the shaky play at quarterback in Minnesota and Detroit than to attack them with pressure and force hurried throws. Just as well, that same pressure can force unwarranted passes from the gunslinger in Chicago.  

Green Bay’s secondary will also be playing more zone coverage, allowing them to keep their eyes on the quarterback and be better prepared to intercept those throws made under duress.

Charles Woodson and Nick Collins are proven playmakers with the ball in their hands, so this scheme switch should provide them with more opportunities for big plays.

The rest of the division has failed to find an answer for the Packers’ spread offense, which they run to perfection. Green Bay has arguably the best wide receivers group in the league. They go five-deep and provide Rodgers with favorable matchups against a defense’s fourth or fifth cornerback.

Often when the Packers go to this formation against the Vikings, Minnesota is forced to keep Pat Williams on the bench because he is not very effective as a pass-rusher. Keeping him out of the equation proved very beneficial for the Pack last season.

Everything considered, the Packers stand the best chance of winning the division. They return a top-five offense in terms of scoring, and addressed their struggles on defense through the draft and with the schematic changes that will be implemented by Capers. 

The Packers lost seven games by four points or less last season, not including a game against Tampa Bay which they led late in the fourth.

In fact, if not for two missed field goals in the closing seconds of games against the Bears and Vikings, Green Bay would have swept all six divisional games last year.  Finally, one advantage the Packers have this offseason over last offseason is they know how to deal with a Favre unretirement.

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