20% Chance of Reaching the NFC Championship Game next year?

[HarveyWallbangers]

From the JSO:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=710737


Repeat performance

The Green Bay Packers reached the NFC Championship Game this season, where they lost to the Giants.

What's the possibility they will return to that game in the 2008 season?

Since 1933, there have been 75 NFL Championship or NFC Championship games played.

On 33 occasions a team that played in the game one year returned to play in it again at least the following year.

Some teams returned for a third consecutive year; for instance, the Packers between 1995-'97 and 1965-'67. Two teams made four straight visits, the Philadelphia Eagles from 2001-'04 and the Dallas Cowboys from 1992-'95 and 1970-'73.

The Cleveland Browns played in the championship six consecutive seasons, 1950-'55.

[BF4MVP]

I would put money on them reaching it again. They're not losing anyone significant* except for Corey Williams and I think we have some players who can step in for him.

*Provided Brett Favre comes back

[Tony Oday]

I think we make it regardless of the QB...I love Favre and think he is in the top three of any QB ever to play the game however the throws you need to be able to make in this system require a disciplined analytical passer that Favre proved he can be most of the time this year.

[CaliforniaCheez]

Injuries to the team is a variable no one can predict.

The Packers blew a great big golden opportunity this season.

[oregonpackfan]

I agree that one factor the Packers made it as far as they did was the lack of serious injuries to key players.

That said, I think the Packers have a good chance of making it to the Championship game next year. They are one of the youngest teams in the NFL and have excellent opportunities to improve with the experience they obtained this last year.

McCarthy and his coaches will be in their third year. They have grown in their cohesiveness and understanding of the game as well as the abilities of their players.

They have the potential to make it back to the NFC Championship game, IMO.

[LL2]

I think the Pack have a really good chance of making it to the NFC championship game next year, if not the SB, they just need to add a couple more weapons. They are real close and have a yong team that will be competitive for the next few years.

[Merlin]

If Brett Favre retires the Packers have a slim chance to make it to the NFC Championship game. Unless of course he retires and the Packers bring in a veteran QB who has been there done that which isn't likely. Aaron Rodgers will need at least one full season starting to get rid of his inability to look off receivers, make more then a primary read and develop some pocket presence. Sure, he can scramble well but the reason he has to scramble is because of the former statements. Then there is the injury issue with him. Craig Nall is probably more game ready the Aaron Rodgers but I wouldn't expect him to ever be a starter for us because Rodgers was a number one pick and we seem to have pinned our future hopes on him. If Favre doesn't retire I see Nall being cut or battling it out for the #3 QB position with whoever else we bring into camp. Nall will never be given the chance to battle for #2 with Rodgers, no one has been given that chance since Rodgers was drafted and that isn't likely to happen now. Which is not a smart way to evaluate that position. Rodgers needs competition and he has never had any, he was just given the #2 as a rookie and only lost it when he was "injured".

We should be able to make the playoffs with Rodgers at the helm (9-7, 10-6) because the rest of our team is going to be very good, but like any other first year starting QB, that first playoff game, that first big game start, is usually a rough one.

Barring the injury bug, we should be competitive in 2008. McCarthy brought in a new strength and conditioning staff and I think that ultimately will decide how next season will go. The 2008 draft will be an interesting one. We are now in the position to draft players that we can bring up in the system to step in for veterans as they leave. Will that be how Thompson approaches it? Or will Thompson draft what he thinks are needs?

Lot's of question and plenty of time to speculate unfortunately.

[Carolina_Packer]

I remember when Sterling Sharpe had the career ending injury; he was Favre's go to guy. What were the Packers going to do? Well, not panic for starters. I realize it's easier to lose a big-time receiver vs. a big-time QB, but I'm glad we've had a guy waiting in the wings who is young and has picked up the system if not the confidence of being the full-time starter, but that is the old catch-22 of needing experience to have experience (ever gone for one of those jobs?)

For all we know, if Favre retires, and the O-line gets addressed as it needs to be, Grant (if he stays healthy of course) could emerge as the offense's best weapon. That would be Rodgers' best friend of course, because they could do some damage in the passing game if they can run. I know QB's aspire to be the starter in the league, but imagine wearing the weight of following Brett for a second. Not exactly like following Randy Wright, now is it? My biggest concern about Rodgers is not his mental game, but his physical make-up, and ability to keep from getting nicked up. I'm guessing this is also a concern of TT.

My suspicion is that ol' Brett will keep playing. And why not? He had a bad game the other day, but there were some things that put pressure on him to feel like he had to force things. He's the ultimate competitor, but he also doesn't care about taking chances if he knows he has to do it in order to make a play. That is what makes him great and what makes him frustrating sometimes. I still say there is enough talent on the team that if they faced the Giants again, they could find a way to beat them. I'm sure the coaches and players feel that way too.

[Merlin]

One thing this team does is learn from mistakes. Remember what happened in 1996, the year after we got blown out in the NFC Championship? (Hopefully my years are right). If I remember correctly, we started out the season blowing teams out. We had a few let downs that season and then went to the Super Bowl and won. It has been a lot of years since we started out the season as well as we did this season. If we can start out the 2008 season where we left off, it may look a lot like 1996.

[The Leaper]

The Packers should have a reasonable chance to make it back...but winning the NFC North will not be easy. The Bears and Vikings were putting things together in the second half of 2007. If either one finds a QB worth a damn this offseason, they will be very good teams in 2008.

Winning 10-11 games will probably be the general consensus heading into 2008. We've got a tough schedule, as we are facing the AFC South...which is the toughest division in football. The Colts and Jags should be AFC title contenders again...and the Titans and Texans aren't bad teams. We were fortunate this year that the AFC West was weak, which allowed us to grab a first round bye. I'm not sure that will happen again in 2008.

[Carolina_Packer]

One thing this team does is learn from mistakes. Remember what happened in 1996, the year after we got blown out in the NFC Championship? (Hopefully my years are right). If I remember correctly, we started out the season blowing teams out. We had a few let downs that season and then went to the Super Bowl and won. It has been a lot of years since we started out the season as well as we did this season. If we can start out the 2008 season where we left off, it may look a lot like 1996.

Yeah, and as I recall, in 1996, during their Super Bowl run they had a ton of injuries at receiver in the middle of the year, which is one of the reasons they lost back to back games, but then in the latter stages of the year they stepped on the gas. The 2007 team reminded me of the build-up in the 90's. If they can preserve Favre a little longer, who knows? I hope TT sees how close we are now and goes against character development-wise and is not afraid to pull the trigger on a difference making free agent. I'll leave it to him to decide who that is. It's one thing to be in rebuilding mode and acquire tons of picks to revitalize the roster, but another thing to shore up loose ends to build on your existing strengths. I think the team has a great foundation to build on and should be thinking they are close and have a go for it mentality and not miss out on someone who could put them over the top. They might argue that they already had the players, but I think if you improve the O-line at guard, get that settled and improve the defense's ability to collapse the pocket, and bring in a cornerback who could be feared as a nickle corner and be an heir apparent to Chuck and Al, that would be great. Another LB would be great too. They were dangerously thin and lucky to not have a serious injury to the starting three.

[denverYooper]

If our D steps it up next year, I think we make it. They were *pretty* good this year, 14-4 attests to that, and they have a lot of talent, but I think they often played much too conservatively at times when a big game was needed on that side of the ball.

Aw Hell, I'm probably just pining for the days we had back with the Rev.

[BF4MVP]

I think we make it regardless of the QB...I love Favre and think he is in the top three of any QB ever to play the game however the throws you need to be able to make in this system require a disciplined analytical passer that Favre proved he can be most of the time this year.
I think we can with Rodgers at the helm too..I like Rodgers a lot..I always have. And I think he's ready to step in and lead this team now..But I was merely denoting Brett as someone significant whom we would be losing if he retired..Not saying we couldn't win if he decided to hang em up.

[Freak Out]

I hope I'm wrong but I don't think we make it back next year. Those odds are good but I just don't see it happening. :(

Our defense should get better....but our starting corners are going to be on that peak where they could fall off either way. The offense should get better but the Bears with horrid QBs beat us twice and you have to think that Minny is going to get better as well. Who the hell knows with Detoilet.....

[HarveyWallbangers]

Bears with horrid QBs beat us twice

I'm not that concerned. The first game we gave away. The second game was a total fluke because of the weather. Like Favre said, you could play the game 10 different times in those conditions and you'd have 10 different results.

[fan4life]

What teams have dominated the NFC?

Philly got to the NFC Championship game 4 years in a row, winning once, but lost in the SB. Once McNabb returned to form, they got back on track. Westbrook is a player, and Johnson's defense always strong, but questions surround McNabb and Reid's futures, as well as the franchise's dedication to bringing in other playmakers on offense.

Chicago rode their defense to the top of the NFC, but their success remains an enigma. Briggs can dominate, while Urlacher's ability waned this year; his best years may be behind him. Their offense is a mess; no QB, questionnable WRs and an iffy Cedric Benson at RB. Good young TE can't carry a mediocre offense by himself.

If, in fact, Eli Manning has turned the corner, the NY Giants may have broken into the ranks of the NFC elite. Young, franchise QB, good offense and pass rush that should stay good even when/ig Strahan retires. They play in the NFC East, though, a tough division. And, next year, they will have to shake off the curse that follows Super bowl teams.

Dallas - As long Romo and TO play nice, the rest of their talented team will help them be a contender. But what is going on with the coaching? Can Wade Phillips weather Jerry Jones' disappointment in two early playoff exits? He'll have Jones and Garrett looking over his shoulder, that's for sure. Parcells couldn't deal with it.

Tampa Bay - Garcia helped them win the division title this year. Can they ride him to an NFC Championship or a Super Bowl next year? I doubt it.

Minnesota will win more games than they lose if Adrian Peterson can stay healthy. Until they develop a QB, I don't see them getting too far (WC, maybe?) Based on his history at UW-Madison and in Philly, I don't see Childress as the guy to do it (develop a QB), either.

Green Bay's aging franchise QB ran the NFC's most productive offense in 2007. Has young playmakers at key positions, including the back-up QB position. Young, improving defense doesn't dominate, but does keep team in games. Should be able to win the NFC North and possibly a top seed. Needs to develop consistency in the running game and pass rush to have a real shot at the NFC title and eventual Superbowl appearance, though.

Seattle, under Holmgren, should win the NFC West again. Good QB and adequate offense, but without a running game, won't get past teams like Dallas, Chicago, NY and GB to compete for the NFC title. Tearing up their division and schedule on the way to winning homefield advantage thoughout the playoffs might give them a shot, but I doubt it. And they'd have to spend money on some free agents to do it.

The Washington Redskins have a good defense, but their progress towards NFC title contention rests on the shoulders of Jason Campbell. The jury's still out on that one.

New Orleans may rise again, on the strength of their offense. I could see them winning their division, but their defense will let them down before they get very far into the playoffs.

To sum it up, if Brett Favre returns and MM can complement his effective passing attack with a reliable running game, GB can certainly compete for the NFC title. We don't know what we've got with Rodgers, but it couldn't be worse than our brethren in the NFC Norris.

Based on what we know now (ie, before any off-season moves) GB, NY and Dallas are the only teams close to having all the pieces in place, including the coaching. Philly might, if McNabb and Reid stay, and they spend some money. With NY, Philly, WAS and DAL in the same division, can any one of them win more than 12 games next year? I could even script a scenario in which GB and Seattle end up as the 1 and 2 seeds.

How the top teams fill their holes in the off-season, as well as survive their schedules and injuries, will determine who ends up on top next year... but I like GBs chances.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Chicago rode their defense to the top of the NFC, but their success remains an enigma. Briggs can dominate, while Urlacher's ability waned this year; his best years may be behind him. Their offense is a mess; no QB, questionnable WRs and an iffy Cedric Benson at RB. Good young TE can't carry a mediocre offense by himself.

Briggs is likely gone (they have a good replacement for him in Jamar Williams), but I think Urlacher's struggles are overrated. The dude finished with a ton of tackles, 5 sacks, and 5 interceptions. Not many LBs do that. He struggled during the year when his back was killing him. Of course, those back injuries could continue or get worse.

[GrnBay007]

Chicago rode their defense to the top of the NFC, but their success remains an enigma. Briggs can dominate, while Urlacher's ability waned this year; his best years may be behind him. Their offense is a mess; no QB, questionnable WRs and an iffy Cedric Benson at RB. Good young TE can't carry a mediocre offense by himself.

Briggs is likely gone (they have a good replacement for him in Jamar Williams), but I think Urlacher's struggles are overrated. The dude finished with a ton of tackles, 5 sacks, and 5 interceptions. Not many LBs do that. He struggled during the year when his back was killing him. Of course, those back injuries could continue or get worse.


Bears free agent LB Lance Briggs, appearing as a guest with Andrew Siciliano on Fox Sports Radio, asked about Brian Urlacher's comments about the Bears not being able to afford two big money linebackers: "The Chicago Bears, aren't for putting up that large amount of money. Especially for two guys at the same position. From what I know the price is going to be up there." -- Fox Sports Radio

[woodbuck27]

Injuries to the team is a variable no one can predict.

The Packers blew a great big golden opportunity this season.

I got this nasty E- Mail fr. my younger Sister as she knows I love the Packers and have been just there since before my teens. She was about 3 years old when I started to follow our team.

She thinks she's a Pats fan as so many are back in the Maritimes. It's the Boston Red Sox and Celtics and the NE Patriots for so many back there. My sister is no more than a Super Bowl social fan.I've never observed here watching a Pats game. Certainly not with any concentrated interest.

So in her E-Mail to me she puts the dig in ( that the Packers CHOKED again). Packer fans that really stung coming from her.

It felt more like a knife in the chest for me on Monday. Suffering a dreadful Packer meltdown hangover.

I'm a great believer in . . '' he who gets the last laugh ''; so till then I've learned to just play it cool. Not always, as some are so easy to surround with themselves. They get all stuck on their own bubble gum! Haha. :)

Normally I don't easily allow anyone I want to respect to get ' the ras ' on me. This thing with my Sis and smakin' me with the PACKERS CHCKED FELT OUT OF LINE. SHE HAS NO DAM IDEA WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT nor the difference between a Defesive Lineman and a Linebacker.

The fact is she's pretty smart too. DAM her to pieces on this one. Trouble is that kick in the nuts was accurately portrayed by her. The Packers in a manner of speaking did choke not winning this matchup at home.

Choked? YUP!!! Did so with emphasis in terms of a really poor offensive game plan.

WTF. I mean I still really can't understand how we got so ' no show ' offensively? Maybe I'll find out more here today. I'm still searching for some logical reason for us choking.

[woodbuck27]

I think the Pack have a really good chance of making it to the NFC championship game next year, if not the SB, they just need to add a couple more weapons. They are real close and have a yong team that will be competitive for the next few years.

I do as well.

We need an honest nose to the stone asessment of our team and to upgrade where most needed.

PACKERS FOREVER!

[Merlin]

I think we make it regardless of the QB...I love Favre and think he is in the top three of any QB ever to play the game however the throws you need to be able to make in this system require a disciplined analytical passer that Favre proved he can be most of the time this year.
I think we can with Rodgers at the helm too..I like Rodgers a lot..I always have. And I think he's ready to step in and lead this team now..But I was merely denoting Brett as someone significant whom we would be losing if he retired..Not saying we couldn't win if he decided to hang em up.

Rodgers plays like Vick accept he gets injured, is not as fast and has a whole lot of big issues to overcome (not like Vick doesn't have any). Without pocket presence, the ability to look off receivers, the ability to locate someone other than the first read, he will struggle in the West Coast offense. Will it last long term? Who knows, but he he is not fundamentally sound for this offense.

[Bretsky]

From the JSO:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=710737


Repeat performance

The Green Bay Packers reached the NFC Championship Game this season, where they lost to the Giants.

What's the possibility they will return to that game in the 2008 season?

Since 1933, there have been 75 NFL Championship or NFC Championship games played.

On 33 occasions a team that played in the game one year returned to play in it again at least the following year.

Some teams returned for a third consecutive year; for instance, the Packers between 1995-'97 and 1965-'67. Two teams made four straight visits, the Philadelphia Eagles from 2001-'04 and the Dallas Cowboys from 1992-'95 and 1970-'73.

The Cleveland Browns played in the championship six consecutive seasons, 1950-'55.


harder to get there than win it IMO; gotta seize the moment

[LL2]

I think we make it regardless of the QB...I love Favre and think he is in the top three of any QB ever to play the game however the throws you need to be able to make in this system require a disciplined analytical passer that Favre proved he can be most of the time this year.
I think we can with Rodgers at the helm too..I like Rodgers a lot..I always have. And I think he's ready to step in and lead this team now..But I was merely denoting Brett as someone significant whom we would be losing if he retired..Not saying we couldn't win if he decided to hang em up.

Rodgers plays like Vick accept he gets injured, is not as fast and has a whole lot of big issues to overcome (not like Vick doesn't have any). Without pocket presence, the ability to look off receivers, the ability to locate someone other than the first read, he will struggle in the West Coast offense. Will it last long term? Who knows, but he he is not fundamentally sound for this offense.

Rodgers plays like Vick? I'm no where close to being an expert at analyzing QB's, but he doesn't play like Vick. He's a smarter player than Vick. Vick relied on his legs, whereas Rodgers does not. Rodgers showed he can scramble if necessary as we saw in the Dallas game, but he's not in the Vick mold.