Zero2Cool
15 years ago
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When Packers fans look back on the 2008 season five years from now, they will see it as a success, despite their 6-10 record.

They will wonder how the decision to choose Aaron Rodgers over a declining Brett Favre was ever a decision at all, like Brady vs. Bledsoe or Aikman vs. Walsh.

They will look back and see the start of something special -- maybe not as special as the Favre era (certainly less hero worship) -- but a rare successful transfer of power from one elite quarterback to the next.

Make no mistake: 2008 Green Bay Packers were not your average 6-10 football team.

They outscored their opponents by 29 points, had a +7 turnover differential, and finished fifth in the league in scoring. In short, they were unlucky.

You can believe that Aaron Rodgers doesn't possess some bogus trait that makes quarterbacks solely responsible for winning close game in the ultimate team sport, or you can see Green Bay's seven losses in 2008 by five points or less for what it was: a fluke.

This power ranking is not based on Green Bay's boffo preseason.

G.M. Ted Thompson built his offense up the right way, with homegrown talent all over the offensive line, and at the skill positions. Some of the picks weren't popular at the time (Rodgers, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson), but they have given Green Bay enviable depth at every position except tackle. Even tight end is deep, with emerging receiver Jermichael Finley a sleeper to score a half dozen times.

This is an an offense that should be in the top ten in scoring for a long time, so they just need their defense to be average in order to contend for the division title.

The Packers hired defensive coordinator Dom Capers to install a flexible 3-4 defense. Capers is a big upgrade in terms of coaching talent and the move should pay off in the long run, but it requires the majority of the defenders to undertake new responsibilities.

Green Bay has the linebackers necessary to pull off the move, and their defensive line has potential if first-round pick B.J. Raji emerges alongside Cullen Jenkins, one of the most underrated players in football. The secondary is hoping Al Harris and Charles Woodson don't get old all at once.

If defense coalesces, it's hard to find a weakness in this roster. The NFC North looks better than it has in memory, but there is nothing stopping the Packers from winning it.

We trust their head coach and quarterback a lot more than their rivals in Minnesota. Brett Favre said previously that he wanted to join the Vikings in 2008 out of revenge, but perhaps Rodgers and Thompson will be the ones exacting revenge for all the drama Favre has put them through the last four years.

Key Player: Rodgers. He doesn't need to get better necessarily, but he does need to stay healthy despite a shaky situation at tackle.

Rookie to watch: Raji. He could split time between end and tackle, but he'll be a key to the run defense at either spot.

Best veteran acquisition: None. Just not Ted Thompson's style.

Key game: Week Eight, vs. Vikings. Do we really need to explain this one?


UserPostedImage
nyrpack
15 years ago
let them say what they want, a couple of nice victorys and they will be in the top 4-5 real quick !!
jimmy b.
Greg C.
15 years ago
Thanks for the article. I'm even more fired up for the season now.
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TheEngineer
15 years ago
That's a heck of a spiel.
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wamj2008
15 years ago
All of the FOX guys picked the Pack to be in the NFC Championship. 2 of them picked them to face NE in the Superbowl. Not that it means anything, but people are starting to take notice.
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Martha Careful (2h) : We only do the tea before whoopee, it relaxes me.
wpr (3h) : That's awesome Martha.
Mucky Tundra (3h) : How's the ayahuasca tea he makes, Martha?
Martha Careful (4h) : Turns out he like older women
Martha Careful (4h) : I wasn't supposed to say anything, but yes the word is out and we are happy 😂😂😂
Mucky Tundra (4h) : I might be late on this but Aaron Rodgers is now married
Mucky Tundra (5h) : Well he can always ask his brother for pointers
Zero2Cool (7h) : Bo Melton taking some reps at CB as well as WR
Zero2Cool (7h) : key transactions coming today at 3pm that will consume more cap in 2025
Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : Jaire played in just 34 of a possible 68 games since the start of the 2021 season
Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : reported, but not expected to practice
Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : Jenkins has REPORTED for mandatory camp
Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : I really thought he'd play for Packers.
buckeyepackfan (9-Jun) : Packers releasing Jaire Alexander.
Mucky Tundra (8-Jun) : (Context: he wants his defense to create turnovers)
Mucky Tundra (8-Jun) : Giants DC Shane Bowen tells players to “be a damn pirate."
dfosterf (6-Jun) : Semper fi !
Cheesey (6-Jun) : This is why I have so much respect for those that have gone through battles
Cheesey (6-Jun) : I can't even imagine what that would have been like
wpr (6-Jun) : "Come on, you sons of bitches. Do you want to live forever?"
wpr (6-Jun) : Facing a line of machine guns 2 time medal of Honor recipient, First Sergeant Dan Daly told his men,
wpr (6-Jun) : Another detachment went into the Belleau Wood.
wpr (6-Jun) : On the 6th the Marines took Hill 142 but suffered terrible losses.
wpr (6-Jun) : It’s time to remember dfoster’s Marine brothers in Belleau Wood. The battle went on from June 1-26. Nearly 10,000 casualties.
packerfanoutwest (6-Jun) : Nick Collins and Morgan Burnett have signed with the PACK
packerfanoutwest (6-Jun) : he won't be wearing #12, maybe he will wear number two
packerfanoutwest (6-Jun) : He will fail this season, should have retired
Mucky Tundra (5-Jun) : Thus the cycle of Hall of Fame Packer QBs going to the Jets and then the Vikings is broken
bboystyle (5-Jun) : Rodgers to steelers on 1 year contract
Zero2Cool (5-Jun) : It's the cycle of civilizations. Get lazier, lazier, softer, softer and vanish.
Martha Careful (5-Jun) : great point. every aspect of society, including art, culture and sports has degraded.
dfosterf (4-Jun) : Green Bay sweep meant something to society about stopping pure excellence. We have the tush push now
dfosterf (4-Jun) : We old Martha.
Martha Careful (4-Jun) : *front four
Martha Careful (4-Jun) : Re frout four, I wish we had some Green "People Eaters" or a fearsome foursome
dfosterf (4-Jun) : *directions*
dfosterf (4-Jun) : Just don't ask him for driving direct
dfosterf (4-Jun) : Jim Marshall was an all-time great DE for the Purple People Eaters. Didn't like him. That's a compliment. RIP
Zero2Cool (3-Jun) : ooppppss
Zero2Cool (3-Jun) : “Kenny Clark played all of last season hurt by the way and got surgery to fix it in January”
Mucky Tundra (3-Jun) : @ByRyanWood How much did the injury affect him last fall? “A lot.”
Mucky Tundra (3-Jun) : @ByRyanWood Kenny Clark said he had foot surgery in January. Injured his foot in opener against Eagles and played through it all year.
Zero2Cool (3-Jun) : Golden is wearing guardian cap again. I bet he plays with it on too.
Mucky Tundra (3-Jun) : All the stuff I'm reading from Lions fans are pointing at his toe; he more or less has permanent turf toe in one of his big toes
dfosterf (3-Jun) : Kenny played through it, and a shame he gets little credit for that, imo
dfosterf (3-Jun) : Big men. I hope it's not the undoing of Kenny Clark
dfosterf (3-Jun) : Probably his toe. Pretty much a great center. Toe injuries are brutal to bigen
Mucky Tundra (2-Jun) : Lions All-Pro C Frank Ragnow retires
wpr (30-May) : It's all good.
beast (30-May) : Yeah, and I enjoyed your comments and just attempted to add to it. Sorry if I did it incorrectly.
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