As one of a number of NFC teams that fought for the top seed in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers eventually secured the No. 2 seed and a bye, but are they actually overrated? At 13-3, they were tied for the second-best record in the NFL after Baltimore, but obviously, the win-loss record doesn’t come close to telling the entire story.
At PFF, we grade every player on every play of each game in the NFL season, but we also have several more complex metrics that help us capture a more complete picture of the NFL landscape. According to our ELO rankings, for example, which adjusts for strength of competition among other variables, the Packers are the fifth-best team in the NFL overall, with the fourth-best defense.
If you look at the overall team grade, the picture is even less appealing, as they slip to eighth overall. The good news for the Packers, though, is that only two of the teams ranked above them are either in the NFC or still alive in the postseason, and one of those teams (the Minnesota Vikings) is 0-2 against them this season. The Packers certainly belong in the postseason, but just how good are they compared to the best teams in the league?
SAM MONSON wrote: