Adam Schein of Fox Sports, who is not liked by Brother Steve and who seems no more an “expert” on NFL matters as you and me, has gone on record picking the Pack to go to the Super Bowl this year. I figured it was a matter of time before we started hearing this sort of thing, but I was a bit surprised to hear it this early on. (Go here to watch the video – story #6.)
Schein points to the emergence of Finley, Rodgers’ fantasticness, Grant’s solidness, year #2 of Capers’ system – all valid. But when he makes his argument, he seems to place a special emphasis on his interview with Mike McCarthy in which McCarthy said the offseason program has been as good this past year as any. I know that’s important, but I’m not sure it is the anchor reason the Pack may be a Super Bowl contender.
Anyway, for some reason, I am not ready to make such far-reaching prognostications just yet. While I think the team will be good, I feel like I need to survey other teams and the camps/preseason etc before making such predictions.
packergeeks 
June 30, 2010 at 11:47 am |
We are on the same wavelength. My take:
http://www.jerseyal.com/GBP/2010/06/30/newsflash-green-bay-packers-annointed-as-super-bowl-champs/
June 30, 2010 at 3:24 pm |
Can this team be better then last year? Absolutely. Will Taucher and Clifton stay healthy? Can Bulaga and Lang be effective if they don’t stay healthy? If yes, this offense could be way above average and certainty good enough to win it all.
Can this defense in year two under Capers manage to win big games against good offenses with cagey veteran QB’s? That means finding an OLB other then Clay Matthews that can get after the QB. That means an upgrade at SS and the nickel/dime CBs. That means Woodson staying healthy and Harris coming back into form.
Special teams will also need to take a step up. Can Crosby put away a game or two with a clutch kick outside of 40 yards? Can we find a punter that doesn’t cost the Packers 50+ yards of field position a game? Can the kickoff coverage units not give up momentum changing long returns at the worst possible times?
I am honestly not sure how to answer those questions. I have some confidence the o-line will perform better and the offense will improve. I think the defense in year two could be better but I’m not sure they have added the talent needed to be good enough at SS, OLB, and nickel CB to win it all. The other pieces are in place on defense. I have very little confidence the ST’s play will improve. Same coaches and mostly the same players. Maybe we find a gem of a punter but I doubt it. ST’s could be the weak link of this team.
Tougher schedule also. If I had to guess I would put them at 10 wins which gets them into the dance. Injuries and how they are playing at the end of the year will determine how far they run in the playoffs.
June 30, 2010 at 5:08 pm |
Erik Kuselias on ESPN Radio this morning was asked (on the heels of LT saying the Jets will go to the Super Bowl in the next two years) to make his pick for the team he saw going to the Super Bowl in the next two seasons. His pick? The Pack. Pretty much for every single reason that Schein said.
Also saw someone on NFL Total Access last week say that he thought the Pack were the only team that could de-throne the Saints this year
Now while I love hearing national people give the team I love so much a lot of respect and recognition, I too think it is a bit too early to be making these predictions…I prefer my team to fly under the radar a bit. But they COULD be a very scary team to face this year
All that said I hope to God that all these talking heads are 100% right!
June 30, 2010 at 11:32 pm |
Ok bottom line, this is where we stand. We easily could be the best team in the NFL. But we also COULD be a team who struggles all year and has trouble pulling together a few wins.
A 16 game season coupled with more off season activity leaves us with little certainty of what will happen. You can’t predict how training camp will go and the next 2 months of this off season. Injuries, freak accidents are a part of life and there is no reason to think it won’t happen to Green Bay. We really hope everything goes good and we don’t run into any problems.. but normally in life, your thrown one after the other.
We will have set backs. Players not producing, and parts of the team not pulling their weight. Players will get hurt. Will they be key players. Probably. Our roster is basically key players. An injury hurts us one way or another, because everyone on our team is basically used in a certain way. Even if just as depth, depth is the difference between a good team, and a great team.
Our team has so many positives, that we have the potential and could go all the way. We know this. Plenty of teams are in a position where if all the things go their way, they too can go all the way. There is no doubt it’s possible for us to succeed in any way imaginable… But we need to realize, we can fail on so many levels. Whether it’s injury related or not, we need to be realistic and understand that even the best, can look the worst.
What I don’t like is how everyone is pretty much saying it’s a guaranteed, the Pack are going all the way. They just need to take into consideration that a 16 game season, with still 2 months before the first game, means there is plenty of time for things to happen. And to predict that far in advance is pointless, because unless your lucky, you have no idea what will happen.
And even the best can lose. 07 Pats were a magnificent team who still lost the Superbowl. So even if we pulled an undefeated season off, there is no guarantee that we’ll pull through the big game as well.
I think the season will be very positive. And we will go far. Can’t say how far, but I think it’s fair to say we are looking at another playoff run. But the season will have it’s rough patches. I think there will be plenty of great games, even those of which we lose. We have a very talented team, but we play a lot of talented teams as well, and winning them all is a pipe dream. We should be able to pull a few tough victories in, but we’ll be on the other end, a few other occasions as well.
And then once the playoffs hit, its fair game. No idea what could happen. Each playoff game is a one game, do or die. If Pack show up, things probably look good. But all it takes is for that one game, the Pack fall a part, and out come the golf clubs.
Anyways, let’s do it Pack. We got an exciting year in front of us, now lets make it good!
July 1, 2010 at 7:46 pm |
Adam Schien likes hearing himself talk and probably wants to stir up controversey.
It could happen but don’t think they are ready just yet. They may go further in the playoffs though.