The NFL lockout has dampened the usual offseason analysis of each team's comings and goings. But, lockout or not, the league will still be moving on at some point -- hopefully in time for the regular season to start on time Sept. 8. And during the labor impasse, USA TODAY will focus back on the field by breaking down the five biggest questions facing each team for the 2011 season.

Up today: The Green Bay Packers.

1. Will the champs avoid gorging themselves at the table of football kings and remain as hungry as pigskin paupers?

Teams that suffer Super Bowl hangovers are as common as overserved visitors staggering through the French Quarter. Look no further than the Super Bowl XLIV champion Saints. They failed to repeat when they lost their mojo -- among other factors -- while flaming out in the wild-card round last season despite being heavily favored to beat the sub-.500 Seahawks. Fact is, no NFC champion has successfully defended its crown since, well, those Brett Favre-led frozen-tundra wonders of 1997. "Definitely, there will be some challenges,'' current Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters in the offseason. What can steal the Packers' cheese? Injuries for one thing … even though Green Bay was decimated in that department last season yet still prevailed. Emotional letdowns, which can cause corresponding physical and mental breakdowns, are common afflictions of big winners. Naturally, opposing teams get geeked up playing the heavyweight champs, always on the prowl for a surprise knockout. And remember, the Packers were not the hunted for the majority of last season. As the NFL's second-youngest team, they were a wild-card entry who gained momentum in the playoffs after qualifying for them on the final weekend of the 2010 regular season. The lockout also rendered the Green Bay players -- almost none of them live in Wisconsin in the offseason -- among the few who didn't convene for their own workouts during the work stoppage. But the Packers have more than a few things going for them, including strong leadership from QB Aaron Rodgers and CB Charles Woodson. They also have their ace in the hole -- McCarthy. The native Pittsburgher has a high-revving football motor. He will not tolerate a fat-cat attitude. "I am a big believer that every level you hit brings new devils,'' he said. With that kind of resolve, a potential dynasty might be in the offing … if the Pack stays on a focused track.

2. Rodgers silenced his critics last season -- can he pull off an encore?

Absolutely -- but with this historical caveat: Only one starting quarterback has won back-to-back rings since the turn of the century: Tom Brady. Rodgers, the freshly minted Super Bowl XLV MVP, has matured into one of the league's finest signal-callers. That does not mean he has peaked. "I thought he did an exceptional job as a leader and in his growth -- and he's got more in front of him,'' McCarthy said. Yes, Rodgers keeps getting better, as evidenced by a career-best completion percentage last season (65.7%), although he threw more four more interceptions (11) in 2010 than he did in '09 (when he also threw 66 more passes). And what about those potentially draining/distracting off-field endeavors? Football is Rodgers' vocation; music his avocation. His band, The Make, recorded a video recently for Rodgers' record label, Suspended Sunshine Recordings. He also has been quite the busy bachelor. In May, he attended the Kentucky Derby with a Victoria's Secret model, one of a succession of hotties he has dated. Still, McCarthy says, "I think he is very grounded.'' If not for missing one game last season because of a concussion, Rodgers undoubtedly would have posted his third consecutive 4,000-yard passing campaign in his third year since supplanting Favre in 2008.

3. Can the Packers keep churning on offense if they decide to utilize a running back-by-committee attack?

In a word, yes. Ryan Grant's broken ankle last season caused him to miss all but one game. That forced McCarthy to mix and match Brandon Jackson, rookie sixth-round pick James Starks (who excelled in the playoffs) and tough-as-nails veteran John Kuhn. Of course, NFL backfields have become less reliant on a single featured performer. Grant, 28, should enter camp as the No. 1 back based on his experience, work habits and consistency, including a pair of 1,200-yard-plus rushing seasons and a 4.4-yard per-carry career average. Jackson, 25, is on the smaller side but is adept catching the football (25 receptions in 2010); he's also likely ticketed for free agency. Starks, 25, a big, elusive, long-strider, did not make his NFL debut until December. His most memorable effort came in the playoff against the Eagles when he set the franchise playoff record for rushing yards in a game by a rookie (123). Kuhn? The 28-year-old career backup already has two Super Bowl rings, the other from his days in Pittsburgh. The Packers also drafted Alex\ Green of Hawaii in the third round, and he could take Jackson's role. Whatever backfield combo McCarthy deploys, depth does not appear to be an issue even if dividing the workload could be.

4. Is monster TE Jermichael Finley again healthy and ready to haunt secondaries?

As they say in Wisconsin, you betcha. Finley, placed on IR last October with a torn meniscus, tweeted this spring that his surgically repaired knee "feels brand new.'' The too-fast, too-big tight end busted out of the gates in fabulous style in 2010, including two 100-yard-plus receiving efforts in the Packers' first three games. In '09, Finley's sophomore season, he started 10 games and played in 13, producing nice numbers: 55 catches for 676 yards and five TDs, including a score of 62 yards. Those numbers do not include his incredible playoff performance against the Cardinals, which included six catches for 159 yards, the second-highest yardage output for a tight end in playoff history. Finley, 24, should only get better and make the highly potent offense even more dangerous in the red zone.

5. Did the Packers substantially improve their squad in the draft?

Think of it this way: When doesn't GM Ted Thompson improve the team through his bird-dogging of talent, whether it is in the draft or by finding quality undrafted rookies? He has done a wonderful job of constructing a deep, talented roster, one loaded with starters Thompson has handpicked through the draft. His philosophy is simple: He likes versatility and value. On the final day of this year's draft, the shrewd wheeler-dealer made three trades, moving back twice and securing two extra sixth-round picks. The Packers remained disciplined in their approach, refusing to get caught up with their depth chart and remaining true to their draft board. What resulted was sort of an offensively lopsided procurement of talent. Among the most important acquisitions were their first three picks: T Derek Sherrod of Mississippi State, WR/KR Randall Cobb of Kentucky and Green. Keep an eye on fifth-round TE D.J. Williams, too. "We weren't the best offense in the league,'' McCarthy sniffed. "We feel we have more to offer.''

USAToday wrote: