Packers’ Road to Undefeated Is a Bumpy One

Added on Nov 22, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

With apologies to San Francisco, New Orleans, New England, Pittsburgh and any other team with playoff aspirations, the team to beat in the NFL is Green Bay. At 10-0, the defending champions are the sole unbeaten and with six games left on the schedule, an undefeated season is well within reach. However, their path to an unblemished record is filled with plenty of potholes.

Of their six remaining opponents, only Kansas City has a losing record. The combined won-loss totals for those six opponents is 37-23. They include a pair of games versus the 7-3 Lions, one against the 7-3 Bears and battles with two division leaders: the 6-4 Giants and 6-4 Raiders.

The Packers own the league’s most potent scoring offense, but their defense has been vulnerable to yielding big chunks of yardage, especially against the pass where they rank 31st. The Lions and Bears both boast top 10 offenses and the Giants and Raiders have the playmakers to keep pace in a shootout.

All this said, Green Bay will be favored in all six games and none of the defenses they face pose much of a threat. The key to beating the Packers is pressuring Aaron Rodgers and forcing him into making mistakes, something he rarely does.

Among full-time starters, the MVP candidate has tossed a league low four interceptions and has yet to lose a fumble. His ability to get the ball out quickly, deftly escape the pocket and not commit foolish turnovers is rivaled by few others at the position. Finding ways to rattle him and remove him from his comfort zone is easier said than done.

Helping the Packers cause is injuries to Jay Cutler and Matt Cassel. Cutler, who is out with a broken right hand, might not be ready to return for their Week 16 matchup, and Cassel is done for the season. Obviously, facing backups Caleb Hanie and Tyler Palko is much less daunting.

Of course all this undefeated talk could be moot if head coach Mike McCarthy decides to rest players at the end of the season. The Week 17 rematch with Detroit could be pivotal to the Lions playoff chances, but meaningless to Green Bay if they’ve already secured the number one seed. Same thing goes for the Week 16 game with Chicago.

Since undefeated seasons don’t come along very often, here’s hoping the Packers take a run at one. The first obstacle in their way comes on Thanksgiving against the dangerous Lions. Fasten your seatbelts.