2008 NFL Season Preview: #12 Green Bay Packers

Division: NFC North
Last Year's Record: 13-3
Head Coach: Mike McCarthy

Key Losses:
Brett Favre's locker
Bubba Franks TE
Bill Schroeder WR (retired)
Koren Robinson WR

Key Additions:
Brian Brohm QB (rookie)
Matt Flynn QB (rookie)
Josh Sitton LG (rookie)
Jordy Nelson WR (rookie)

Breakdown of the Offense:
One would like to avoid the topic of Brett Favre's departure for many reasons. I, for one, just can not stand talking about it anymore. I find it utterly depressing on many levels, and one of those levels is that I still don't know how I feel about Favre leaving, and I think everyone can agree they never want to hear ESPN utter another syllable about the ordeal; but that's impossible, seeing as they're the kid in Monopoly who owns "Boardwalk," "Park Place," all the railroads, and everything in between "Go" and "Jail." If one watches sports, then there's no way not to land on something that belongs to ESPN, and when one discusses the Green Bay offense, there is no way to escape the issue of how Aaron Rodgers will fare as Favre's replacement.

The answer to this question has huge ramifications not just for Rodgers' own team but for the entire NFC. If Rodgers exceeds expectations, then Green Bay may still be a Super Bowl contender and one of only two teams outside the NFC East that matters, the other team being the Seattle Seahawks. If Rodgers is simply a serviceable starter, then the Packers definitely will compete for the NFC North title, and if Rodgers completely bombs, then this team could still finish anywhere from first to last in their division, which probably says more about the NFC North than it does about the Packers.

The way Favre left Green Bay may actually be a blessing in disguise for Aaron Rodgers. Prior to this year, even Green Bay fans made jokes at Rodgers' expense. My friend Dan, a huge Bears fan, and I used to crack jokes that the reason Rodgers was always hurt in the past was because Favre was a succubus, sucking the life force from out of Rodgers' nimble frame, and when he broke his foot in practice last season, after the Dallas game, the succubus jokes broke into new stratospheres. Aaron Rodgers was the epitome of all Brett Favre's backups, a representation of futility. As manly as Brett Favre always appeared on the field, his backups always appeared equally effeminate on the sidelines, holding clipboards with their pinkies out and girlishly cheering on Brett's successes.

Aaron Rodgers always seemed more Ichabod Crane than a former first round pick and the future cornerstone of the franchise. His destiny appeared to be eternally intertwined with the reading of playbooks, much like Ichabod Crane's life seemed beset on the path of a country schoolmaster. Before this offseason, the future appeared to hold little in the way of excitement for Aaron "Ichabod" Rodgers, that is until Brett Favre retired.

When Brett Favre retired, Aaron Rodgers was given an opportunity to seize the heart and hand of the town beauty, the starting spot at quarterback, embodied by the coquette Katrina Van Tassel. His future no longer seemed relegated to the dull black and white of a playbook's pages, but the bright lights of a starting job in the NFL. The only problem was the Green Bay fans weren't ready to say goodbye to Brett. In the minds of Packer fans everywhere, Katrina was too much woman for this story's Ichabod. How could the victim of a sideline succubus keep us at a level that can compete for a Super Bowl? He can't. He won't. It's impossible. These were the general sentiments of Packer nation, until Brett rode from Mississippi to Wisconsin on his storm of a stallion, like a phantom, like a ghost, like something from a bedtime story, like a Headless Horseman.

Then we all watched Aaron Rodgers, expecting him to cry and weep because the old succubus had returned, but in the words of Washington Irving, "though he bent, he never broke." Aaron Rodgers handled the Barnum and Bailey Circus that was this offseason's Favre fiasco with tremendous poise and grace. While Favre behaved like a man without a head, ruled solely by the whims of his heart, Aaron Rodgers practiced with the team everyday, kept his mouth shut, and became the kind of man that his teammates might potentially view as a leader.

How Rodgers has handled this situation so far has made him the one person to root for as Favre and the front office behaved equally in disgrace.

Donald Driver says of Rodgers' predicament, "Some people's footsteps are bigger than others. Aaron Rodgers can't walk in Brett's footsteps. He's got to blaze his own path." If Aaron Rodgers is fine being Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the offense can accept him being himself, then this team may adjust quicker than many expect to Favre's departure because there are still plenty of weapons.

The always under-valued Donald Driver will have to become a much more vocal leader than he already is early in the season if this talented receiving core is to be Rodgers' safety blanket. Greg Jennings managed 920 yards last season and 12 touchdowns despite nagging injuries. James Jones is in his third year and is an emerging starter in this league. Do not be surprised if this team still uses four and five wide receiver sets on the regular, which means Ruvell Martin, Shaun Bodiford, and rookie Jordy Nelson may all see significant playing time. These formations are what carried the team to its fast start last season. Donald Lee is also a decent weapon at tight end, having caught 6 touchdowns last year.

Ryan Grant signed a four-year extension in the offseason after rushing for 956 yards on 188 carries, that's 5.1 yards a clip. He also racked up eight rushing touchdowns. These numbers all came pretty much in the second half of the season, a period in which he was one of the top rushers in the league. Despite Grant's success the second half of the season and against Seattle in the playoffs, questions remain about him as a starter in this league: was he a flash in the pan and will there be as much running room now that number four is no longer in town?

The primary reason for Grant's success on the ground was the offensive line, anchored by tackles Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton. Guards Junius Coston and Jason Spitz round out the group, along with center Scott Wells. This unit got better and better as the season went on last year.


Breakdown of the Defense:
Not since the days of Reggie White, Gilbert Brown, Santanna Dotson, and Leroy Butler could one even argue that the strength of the Green Bay Packers might be their defense. One can now make that claim again.

When most experts talk about the Packer defense, they start with the cornerback duo of Al Harris and Charles Woodson. They are one of the unit's greatest strengths, but they are also one of its greatest weaknesses. Their play is extremely physical and they gamble alot, making their contributions similar to that of a double-edged sword. Games against the Cowboys and Giants last season also showed that this secondary sometimes struggles with bigger receivers, like Plaxico Burress. Injuries are also a concern with this secondary. Charles Woodson missed the Dallas game last season, and both safeties, Atari Bigby and Nick Collins, played multiple games last season slowed by injuries, including the Dallas game.

The front four for this defense is extremely deep. Last year, the team featured a rotation of seven to eight players on a regular basis; it was like watching line shifts at times. Aaron Kampman has surpassed anyone's expectations and become a pass rushing stud. Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly do a solid job of clogging up the middle on sheer size alone, and the team can still turn to KGB off the bench as a pass rushing threat.

The linebacking core has the potential to one of the best in the league. Nick Barnett is relentless, leading the team not only in tackles, but in tackles for a loss. AJ Hawk finished last season with 101 tackles and announcers love talking about his athleticism and making comparisons with Brian Urlacher, but too often, Hawk disappears from games. If he develops into a consistent game changer, then this could be his breakout year, which seems a strange prediction to make about a guy many assume has already arrived. Brady Poppinga is the strongside linebacker. He's solid, but not spectacular. Barnett and Hawk tend to eat up most of the tackles. It's worth mentioning that Poppinga is the oldest of the three at age 28. Barnett and Hawk should be together for quite some time, which means they have time to improve their pass coverage, specifically they need to guard the tight end position better.

Breakdown of the Special Teams:
Charles Woodson returns punts, but in all honesty, he was better at it when he wore a blue and maize helmet, which could just be my way of voicing my fears that he's going to get seriously injured returning punts. He's much more valuable as a corner.

Mason Crosby is the kicker. He's got a great name for a kicker, like he's the son of Bing Crosby. If one is the son of the man who sang "White Christmas," then he'll probably wind up a kicker if he plays football.

Season Outlook:
Aaron Rodgers has a chance to rewrite the ending of Washington Irving's classic story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Rodgers has the chance to make the protagonist a hero if he can conquer the ghost of Brett Favre, which is strange, considering the ghost still plays. Rodgers just has to be mindful of the fact that to conquer Favre's ghost does not mean outplaying Favre, whether it's Favre as a Jet or Favre's legacy as a Packer. Conquering Favre's headless ghost only means that Rodgers needs to stay healthy and protect the ball. If these two things happen, then this team wins the NFC North with nine or ten wins; however, rewriting legendary tales is not easy, especially when the role you're playing (Ichabod Crane) is famous for being a coward...(see the clip).


Aaron, the job is yours, and from the father of American gothic, "he who keeps undisputed sway over the heart of a coquette is indeed a hero;" and a starting spot at quarterback in the NFL is indeed a coquette, just ask the 212 quarterbacks who have attempted to hold the job down since Favre started his consecutive games streak.


Wk 1 Minnesota
Wk 2 @ Detroit
Wk 3 Dallas
Wk 4 @ Tampa Bay
Wk 5 Atlanta
Wk 6 @ Seattle
Wk 7 Indianapolis
Wk 8 BYE
Wk 9 @ Tennessee
Wk 10 @ Minnesota
Wk 11 Chicago
Wk 12 @ New Orleans
Wk 13 Carolina
Wk 14 Houston
Wk 15 @ Jacksonville
Wk 16 @ Chicago
Wk 17 Detroit

Langston's Thoughts:
Even with a great young defense and a good core of receivers, it is still impossible to handicap this team in the wake of #4's [departure].