ESPN's previews for each team in the division are now available. Kevin Siefert posted links and a few bits of info here:

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_ ... -nfc-north



... and then there's this:

2012 NFL preview: Packers go 16-0?



AccuScore uses digital profiles of players and coaches to run 10,000 simulated seasons at a time. In 2010, AccuScore gave the Vikings a 91 percent chance of making the playoffs if Favre was their quarterback.

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All I can say is the Packer hype seems a bit over-the-top to me. I know they won 15 games last season and won the Super Bowl the year before but they were also "one and done" in the playoffs last season. I doubt they'll even match last season's W/L record much less go 16-0.

I just realized that 4 of the last 5 NFC representatives in the Super Bowl finished the regular season with 10 wins or less:

2011: Giants 9-7
2010: Packers 10-6
2009: Saints 13-3
2008: Cardinals 9-7
2007: Giants 10-6

So, if Accuscore is right and GB goes 16-0, maybe they're doomed in the postseason!

The best the Packers can go is 14-2. Atfter the Vikes beat them both times!

This was my response to a thread of similar nature on a Packer board.

"Doubt it. You know how many time they have guessed the Super Bowl winner the last 4 years? Out of the 12, 4 of them picked the Packers to win the year they did.

Last year, 1 person picked the Giants to be a wild card but not win the NFC title game. 6 picked the Patriots to win it.

2009, one took the Saints as a WC, going nowhere, 2 took the Colts as a WC going nowhere.

2008, 10 of the 12 picked the Steelers to be in the playoffs, none of them picked them for the Super Bowl. 2 picked AZ to be in the playoffs.

So for the past 4 years, they have picked the winner of the Super Bowl 8.3% of the time, and that was only the 4 that picked the Packers. And they have correctly picked one of the participants 20.8% of the time. (The Packers and the Pats) Not good odds. Being picked by the ESPN crew to win the Super Bowl is almost a kiss of death. In 2 of the 4 years they didn't even get one of the teams in the Super Bowl correct."

You know what the Packers have? On offense they have Rodgers, Nelson and Jennings. They have picked up Benson at RB but they have an O-line that does not seem able to run block. IF any of the first 3 go down they become a one trick pony. They live by the long ball, the key to beating them is a good pass rush and making Rodgers throw before he wants to.

I know, that's what I've been trying to say to the Viking fans to cheer them up in our rebuilding stages. The 80's and 90's are LONG gone and some of the folks on this board still think like that. The days of dominating the league, clinching the #1 seed and going to the SB are history. It is literally the luckiest team in the playoffs who ends up winning it all. the SB champions are rarely the best team all year anymore. As for my original point, the Vikings don't need to rebuild to be the best team in the NFL, any team that could be in the playoffs be they 7-9 or 10-6 is more than capable of winning the SB.

I think that's one of the reasons why the NFL is more popular than ever, the fact that teams can be right back in it so quickly, and also the feeling that any team can win the Super Bowl. As opposed to leagues like the NBA for instance where 5-7 teams have won every championship for the past 30 years.

On offense they still have the best receiving corps in the NFL, which they've had since 2007. Greg Jennings is the best big play receiver in the league, Jordy Nelson is fast becoming top tier, Jermichael Finley is crazy talented, Cobb is an up and comer, plus Starks and Cedric Benson is as solid as it gets. And the o-line has been solid to very good for several years now. The defense is filled with stars, and Cobb is a lethal returner.

The secret to their offense is it's an incredibly effective system created by McCarthy. If everyone does their job its best in the NFL. As evidenced by the simple insertion of Matt Flynn for equal if not greater success. The receivers are YAC masters by design and they are always open. The system is conservative and relies on throwing to guys that are open. Their separation and YAC turns almost every play into a big one. The key to beating them is to provide a degree of coverage on their receivers. By design Rodgers rarely throws to receivers who are covered and when your offense is so loaded someone is usually open. But if a team like the Chiefs, Giants, or Niners are able to get in tne way enough Rodgers throws it in the dirt, takes a sack, or throws it out of bounds. The system is designed to not take risks or force balls (aka make plays), so this is how you beat them. The Packers will be winner as long as they have a mega-talented group.

Yesh ... the Packers are in denial big time.

Packers' Jarrett Bush says 49ers 'really didn't beat us'
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100000 ... line_stack

You know, I've never understood how that made a team feel better. "We didn't get beat as much as it was that we stunk so bad ANY team could have beaten us." OK - Whatever floats your boat. Beat yourself another 5-6 times this year and you can watch the playoffs on TV...

Did any of those "defensive stars" play this past week? Because I saw what many Packer fans consider to be "game manager QB" pick them apart. These stars can't seem to stop the run and in the last few games they can't stop the pass either. Right now I like the Vikings chances against them. Take away the long ball, pressure on Rodgers and good tackling after the WR's catch the ball seems to be the way to stop the Packers. Not worried about the Packers run game. When your QB is the leading rusher and his name is not Vick you have a running problem.

I realize it's only one game into the season, but I wonder how much their offense will be effected with Joe Philbin gone.

Also, I thought Dom Capers was claimed to be some sort of a "defensive genius" not too long ago?

The packers have to be able to run the ball better and stop people more if they want to win another ring...

if your a one trick pony in the playoffs someone else's pony will beat yours

More on the Packers long ball problems.




http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_ ... losiveness

This team has gone a seeming eternity without a quality back. Ahman Green was the last person who was a legit number 1. Do you really want to be terrible agains the run in a division with Peterson/Gerhardt and Forte/Bush?