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| Andrew Perna. 27th October, 2011 - 10:43 pm
 The Green Bay Packers are not just the defending Super Bowl champions; they are also the only remaining unbeaten team. At 7-0, they have the highest point differential (+89) in the NFL and have not lost since Dec. 19, 2010 at New England when Matt Flynn started at quarterback for the concussed Aaron Rodgers.
They have not lost a game in which Rodgers finished since November 28, 2010 when they dropped a 20-17 road decision at Atlanta. Green Bay is 18-1 in games where Rodgers finished if you include their four postseason games.
125.7
Any conversation about the success of the Packers begins and ends with Rodgers, who has been nothing short of incredible this season. Through seven games, he has a league-high 125.7 passer rating and no other player is within 20 points of him. To put that into context, Tom Brady ranks second with a rating of 104.8 and there are ten players within 20 points of his mark.
Rodgers ranks first in yards per attempt, completion percentage and touchdown passes and second in yards. He is on pace for the following in 2011: 5,424 yards, 46 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
That means he is on pace to shatter the single-season passing yardage mark (5.084) belonging to Dan Marion and could threaten the mark for touchdown passes (50) set by Tom Brady in 2007. He would also set a record for the highest passer rating in a single season, while padding his lead as the quarterback with the greatest career rating.
Rodgers still has nine games in which to struggle and some bad weather games at Lambeau to endure, but we are not just witnessing an MVP season, but also a season for the ages.
20.1
The Packers are not just an offensive juggernaut. They are allowing 20.1 points per game this season, good enough for tenth in the NFL. They were better last season, when they allowed just 15 points per game, behind only the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The point is, not only are they respectable, but they have the talent and roster to be even better than they have been. If you remove the 34 points they allowed to the New Orleans Saints in Week 1, their average drops to 17.8 – which would put them fourth among all 32 teams.
Dom Capers has his unit performing much better against the run than the pass, but they still have the most interceptions in the game (13) and 17 sacks (tied for eighth).
The yardage numbers are a bit alarming though, as teams have passed for 288.9 yards and rushed for 102.1 yards per game through seven games. Rodgers may be the best quarterback on the field every time he takes the field, but allowing nearly a 300-yard passing performance almost every game is troublesome.
Of the seven teams they have played thus far, only two rank among the top ten passing attacks (New Orleans and Carolina). Four of their remaining nine opponents (Detroit twice), have elite attacks, while a fifth (San Diego Chargers) ranks eleventh.
Capers cannot focus on limiting the pass though, with some heavyweight rushing attacks coming his way. The Packers will face the Raiders, Vikings and Chiefs in the second half of the season and they all rank among the top seven teams in rushing yards per game.
22
With the exceptional numbers of Rodgers, you would be right to expect big numbers from his wide receivers. Six players have been targeted at least 22 times through seven games, with five players hauling in at least 18 receptions.
They have enjoyed three different leading receivers so far. Greg Jennings, the top option on a loaded team, ranks fifth in the NFL with 677 yards. Jordy Nelson is just eight spots behind Jennings with 465 yards. The Packers are the only team with two receivers among the top 13.
Rodgers has thrown 20 touchdowns to seven different players. The offense has become the NFC version of the Patriots, with Brady famously spreading the ball around. Brady has thrown 16 touchdowns this season to just four different players.
Unfortunately for opposing defenses, wide receivers are not the only favorite targets of Rodgers. Jermichael Finley is healthy and back among the best pass-catching tight ends and running back James Starks is a threat as well.
99.9
If the Packers have one offensive flaw it is their rushing attack. Rodgers has been so amazing this season that they have not had to win a game with a grinding attack, but there will come a time when yards will need to be gained on the ground, especially at Lambeau Field in December and January.
They average just 99.9 rushing yards per game, ranked 23rd in the league. Mike McCarthy calls for a fair amount of runs, their 182 attempts rank eighth, but they do not gain much (3.8 per rush) when they do keep the ball on the ground.
A 57%/43% pass-run split is not exorbitant -- the Saints and Patriots run much less -- and it is right in line with their offensive ratio in 2010. Eerily enough, they averaged 3.8 yards per carry and 100.4 yards per game last season. Those numbers are nearly identical and all they did was win the Super Bowl.
Final 9
While they have looked like the best team in football all season long, the second half of the season will be no cakewalk for the Packers. Only one of their remaining nine opponents currently has a losing record (Minnesota) and they have to face the Chargers, Lions (twice), Giants and Bears.
Conversely, four of their first seven opponents have a winning percentage under .500.
Assuming they are able to handle a road game at San Diego, my prediction is that their first loss will come on Dec. 4 on the road against the Giants. They are too much for the Vikings and Buccaneers and the Lions are in a state of flux thanks to a pair of losses and an injury to Matthew Stafford. The Thanksgiving game we have been looking forward to between Green Bay and Detroit may not be as closely contested as we once hoped. |
