Out of the returning players from the IR,  Jermichael Finley immediately jumps out as a game changer.  Finley is one of the most versatile weapons the Packers posses.  As the Lombardi Sweep has noted prior, Finley creates mismatches that can drive a defensive coordinator crazy.  With him back in the line up, it will also make it harder for the Bears, and other Cover-2 teams, to remain in their core defensive formation.  Which linebacker in the league would you trust to cover Finley over the middle without safety help?

At first glance, I think we can expect Super Bowl starters Daryn Colledge, Ryan Pickett, Brandon Jackson, Korey Hall to be playing elsewhere than Green Bay.  Ted Thompson has already released Donald Lee and Derrick Martin.  Also, it seems that James Jones, Nick Barnett, Atari Bigby and Mark Tauscher will not be joining the team next year.  James Jones and Daryn Colledge are victims of their own inconsistency. Brandon Jackson’s lack of ability outside of 3rd down blocking was severely exposed this season.  Nick Barnett seems to have lost favor with the Packers after another year on the IR and his vocal twitter account.  Atari Bigby looks like he will be squeezed out by younger safeties, equally talented safeties.  Mark Tauscher is another year older and unlikely to be signed after back- to-back season-ending injuries.  Unfortunately, it looks like Ryan Pickett will be a victim of the cap, and Lombardi Sweep will be sad to see him go.  Of course, this could all change in the 50 days between now and the start of the season.

Below is the Packers depth chart from the Super Bowl plus players returning from the injured reserve in bold and their draft picks in italics.

QB – Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, Graham Harrell

RB – Brandon Jackson, James Starks, Dimitri Nance,  Ryan Grant, Alex Green (3)

WR – Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Brett Swain, Randell Cobb (2)

OL – Chad Clifton, Daryn Colledge, Scott Wells, Josh Sitton, Dryan Bulaga, TJ Lang, Even Dietrich-Smith, Jason Spitz, Nick McDonald, Marshall Newhouse, Mark Tauscher, Derek Sherrod (1), Caleb Schaulderaff (6)

TE – Andrew Quarless, Tom Crabtree, Donald Lee, Jermichael Finley, Spencer Havner, DJ Williams (5), Ryan Taylor (7)

FB – Korey Hall, Quinn Johnson, John Kuhn

DE – Ryan Pickett, CJ Wilson, Cullen Jenkins, Jarius Wynn, Justin Harrell, Mike Neal, Ricky Elmore (6)

DT – BJ Raji, Howard Green, Lawrence Guy (7)

OLB – Clay Matthews, Frank Zombo, Erik Walden, Diyral Briggs, Brad Jones, Brady Poppinga, DJ Smith (6)

ILB – AJ Hawk, Desmond Bishop, Matt Wilhelm, Robert Francois, Nick Barnett, Brandon Chillar

CB – Charles Wodson, Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Pat Lee, Brandon Underwood, Josh Gordy, Josh Bell, Davon House (4)

SS – Charlie Peprah, Atari Bigby, Morgan Burnett, Derrick Martin, Anthony Smith

FS – Nick Collins, Jarrett Bush

LS – Brett Goode

P – Tim Masthey

K – Mason Crosby

Players signed to futures contracts – G Adrian Battles, T Chris Campbell, S Michael Greco, LB Cardia Jackson, S Anthony Levine, WR Antonio Robinson, DT Jay Ross, WR Chastin West and LB/DE Albert Young

Rodgers 1 yard line fumble

After the 12 weeks, the playoff run has finally begun. After a heartbreaking loss to the Falcons, the Packers are currently a game and a divisional win behind the Chicago Bears. Currently, the Bears hold the tie breaker for divisional wins, and head-to-head play. Of course, a Packers win over the Bears in Lambeau, would even out those tie breakers. The next tie breaker is the record between common opponents. Right now the Bears hold that tie breaker 6-1 over the Packers 6-2. Once again, the packers are in a position, where they put their backs against the wall with 5 games left. Even if the Packers lose the division, they are contender for  a wild card slot.  Whichever team does not win the NFC North will be in competition with the Eagles, Giants, Falcons, Saints, and the Buccaneers for the two wild card slots.   Two of those teams  will win their divisions, two will secure the wild card berths, and two will spend the playoffs at home.

The Packers remaining opponents are the 49ers, @ Lions, @ Patriots, Giants, Bears.

The Bears remaining opponents are @ Lions, Patriots, @Vikings, Jets, @ Packers

The Rest of the NFC:

The NFC East

There is a red hot race ongoing between the Eagles and the Giants. Both seem to play inconsistent and share a 7-3 record. Currently the Eagles own the tie breaker with their head-to-head victory over the Giants. The Redskins are not out of it and will be discussed further if they win next week.

The Giants remaining schedule: Redskins, @ Vikings, Eagles, @ Packers, and @ Redskins.

The Eagles remaining schedule: Texans, @ Cowboys, @Giants, Vikings, Cowboys.

The NFC South

The NFC South is proving to be the toughest division in the NFC this year. The Falcons, Saints and the Buccaneers are all in the playoff picture. The Falcons just came off their statement win against the Packers and are on top of the NFC South. The Saints just got back several starters from injury and will not lose this division without a fight. The Buccaneers are the self-proclaimed best team in the NFC and seem intent on proving it.  With a bag divisional game between  the Buccaneers and Falcons next week, we could see this division race really tighten.

The Falcons remaining schedule: @ Buccaneers, @ Carolina, @ Seahawks, Saints, and Carolina.

The Saints remaining schedule: @ Bengals, Rams, @ Ravens, @ Falcons, and Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers remaining schedule: Falcons, @ Redskins, Lions, Seahawks, @ Saints.

The NFC West

Either the Rams or the Seahawks will win this division. This division has no effect on the rest of the NFC and will excluded from playoff discussion from this point forward.

The scariest thing about playing Minnesota is the potential for a third Aaron Rodgers sack fest.  Rodgers was sacked 14 times in their two matchups last year,  including a safety.  The consensus is that Rodgers was responsible for 6 of those sacks by holding the ball too long.   Shortly after the second game, the Packers galvanized.  The offensive line was bolstered with veteran tackles and a renewed determination, and Rodgers did a much better job of getting rid of the ball.

The Packers will need to put up points against the Vikings, and that burden rests mainly on Chad Clifton, Bryan Bulaga and Aaron Rodgers.  Chad Clifton has had two very good games in a row against the pass rush.  Besides his sack allowed in overtime to Brian Orakpo, he has not allowed any pressure on Aaron Rodgers.  This week he will face off against Jared Allen. While Allen is having a quiet season, he is an extremely dangerous pass rusher.  Bryan Bulaga, who will be playing for Mark Tausher, will face off against Ray Edwards.  Edwards is also a worrisome opponent, especially for a rookie left tackle filling in on the right side.    Aaron Rodgers has gone back to his habits of holding the ball too long and scrambling out of the pocket too early.  To score against this Vikings defense, the Packers will have to keep Aaron Rodgers’s jersey clean so that he can pick apart the weak Vikings secondary.  If Rodgers, Clifton and Bulaga play well and consistently, the Packers should put the points on the board that are needed for a win.

This preseason, I read an article which included part of Sean Payton’s speech prior to the NFC Championship game against the Saints.  The brilliant basis of which turned out to be true:

“When you get older in life, you tend to get very careful, and a little more fearful,” Payton said, according to players and staffers who were there. “You start thinking about your own mortality. If it rains outside you might not go to the store, especially at night. You figure you’ll just wait it out. You might have somewhere to go and you tell yourself I don’t want to go there. You don’t want to get in a wreck. If you keep hitting him (Brett Favre) he’ll make a mistake. If we keep putting pressure on him (Favre) he’ll start being careful, he’ll start doing anything he can to avoid getting hit and he’ll make a mistake. I promise you, if we hit him for four quarters, he’ll turn into that old man who’s scared of the rain.”

To sum up, we need to hit Favre early and often.  He is old, he will get scared and he will make mistakes.

I hope that Dom Capers reads this article and watched the NFC Championship game.  It would be very disappointing to see the Packers rush three or even four against Favre.  I firmly believe, the key to stopping the Vikings is hitting Favre.  If he has all day in the pocket, he will pick apart our injury-plagued defense.  If he is put on his back frequently, he will produce turnovers and give the Packers the opportunities needed to win this game.

Quote of the week: ‘Mike McCarthy “had to remind us twice in the locker room that we did get a win,” tailback John Kuhn said.’

And guess what team showed some decent interest again in 2008? Yes, the Packers (along with the Eagles and Cowboys). But again, despite getting Brett’s hopes up again, the Packers bowed out of the bidding (I had left the Packers at that point but heard the anger and frustration from Brett’s camp). Moss re-signed with the Patriots on March 3rd. Favre retired from the Packers on March 4th. Coincidence?