Green Bay Packers 2010 Season Preview, Predictions Picks & Odds
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Green Bay Packers 2009 NFL Record: 11-5 Home: 6-2 Away: 5-3
Green Bay Packers 2010 Preview
When Packers coach Mike McCarthy arrived at the annual NFL meetings in Orlando, Fla., last spring, one of the first people he bumped into was Steve Sabol. Sabol, the president ofNFL Films, was working on a featurette on the play that ended the Packers’ season: In overtime of their wild card game against Arizona, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked on a blitz. The ball came loose and ricocheted off Rodgers’ foot and into the arms of linebacker Karlos Dansby, who took it into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown in the Cardinals’ 51-45 victory. As Dansby was crossing the goal line, NFL Films’ cameras caught the normally even-keeled McCarthy on the Packers’ sideline, dropping to his knees in shock and disappointment. But if the Packers turn out to be as good as they look on paper heading into 2010, McCarthy might be spared another heartbreaking ending come playoff time. While they’ll face stiff competition within the NFC North (from defending division champion Minnesota) and in the conference (New Orleans, Dallas and surely others), the Packers have the makings of a team that could wind up in Super Bowl XLV.
2010 Green Bay Packers Quarterbacks
Rodgers was terrific in his second season as a starter, completing 64.7 percent of his passes for 4,434 yards, 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions for a passer rating of 103.2. After earning his first Pro Bowl berth in his second season as a starter, Rodgers has already become one of the league’s elite quarterbacks. If he stays healthy, there’s no reason he shouldn’t remain there. But staying healthy is no given when you’re being sacked a league-high 50 times, though not all of those can be pinned on his blockers. Rodgers needs to get better at throwing the ball away to avoid sacks. Of course, there’s a fine line there for Rodgers, who also ran for 316 yards and five touchdowns and bought time frequently with his feet. Matt Flynn, a 2008 seventh-round pick, is a more-than-capable backup.
2010 Green Bay Packers Running Backs
Underappreciated running back Ryan Grant had an outstanding season, especially when you consider that he plays in a pass-first offense run by an air-centric playcaller in McCarthy. He had 282 carries for 1,253 yards (4.4-yard average) and 11 touchdowns – not bad for a guy many Packers fans complain about incessantly. Plus, in those 282 carries, Grant did not lose a fumble. There is reason to wonder how the Packers would fare if the durable Grant suffered a significant injury. Backup Brandon Jackson, a 2007 second-round pick, has flashed on occasion and developed into a solid third down back, but whether he could carry the load in Grant’s stead remains an unknown. Fullback John Kuhn had three touchdowns (one rushing, two receiving) in 15 touches last season.
2010 Green Bay Packers Receivers
Rodgers’ life is good given the weapons he has in his arsenal. After a slow start, wide receiver Greg Jennings rebounded to finish with 68 receptions for four touchdowns and a team-high 1,113 yards. The ageless Donald Driver, who turned 35 in February, continued his productive run into his mid-30s with another strong year (1,061 yards and team highs with 70 catches and six touchdowns). James Jones and Jordy Nelson also give Rodgers good targets, but the biggest improvement to the receiving corps last season was the emergence of tight end Jermichael Finley in his second season. After essentially redshirting as a rookie, he exploded for 55 catches for 676 yards and five touchdowns in only 13 games and brought a vertical tight end dimension to the offense not seen in these parts since Keith Jackson joined the club in the mid 1990s.
2010 Green Bay Packers Offensive Line
The line play was a nightmare the first few weeks of the season as Rodgers took a beating, but the unit jelled during the second half behind center Scott Wells, right guard Josh Sitton, tackle T.J. Lang and old veteran Mark Tauscher, the right tackle who re-signed with the team in March and essentially saved the season with his veteran savvy and knowhow. Tauscher and left tackle Chad Clifton both missed games with injuries, but the line improved as they managed to stay in the lineup over the last half of the season. Both tackles were re-signed in the offseason, and the Packers used the No. 23 overall pick in the draft on Iowa’s Bryan Bulaga, who will back up Clifton and could be forced into action if the 34-year-old’s body falters. Jason Spitz, coming off back surgery, will compete with Daryn Colledge for the latter’s left guard spot. The line is anything but a certainty, but there is hope that it will be more consistent and productive across the board than it was a year ago.
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2010 Green Bay Packers Defense
The key last season was 340-pound Ryan Pickett, who had always played defensive tackle in 4-3 defenses but wound up leading the Packers to the NELs No. I-ranked run defense as a 3-4 nosetackle. But Pickett wasn’t the only player who turned out to be well suited to the scheme. End Johnny Jolly was a one-man wrecking crew at times, and end Cullen Jenkins had success, too, after bellyaching about the limitations he faced in the 3-4. The group should be even better in 2010 with B.J. Raji, the No.9 overall pick in the 2009 draft, at full strength and the addition of rookie secondround pick Mike Neal of Purdue.
Green Bay’s defensive prowess was due in large part to the play of the linebackers, particularly outside linebacker Clay Matthews, who earned a trip to the Pro Bowl with a fabulous rookie season. When GM Ted Thompson traded a second- and two thirdround picks to move up into the first round to take Matthews at No. 26 in 2009, it turned out to be a stroke of genius – albeit completely out of character for Thompson, who is more accustomed to trading back, not up. Matthews’ team-high 10 sacks set a rookie team record. The other outside spot was less productive; Aaron Kampman was a disappointment even before he suffered a season-ending torn ACL and was replaced by rookie seventh-round pick Brad Jones. There was little drop-off with Jones, who figures to start with Kampman now in Jacksonville, but it’s unclear if he’s the long-term answer. On the inside, Nick Barnett got stronger as the year wore on as his torn ACL from 2008 continued to improve. Fellow inside linebacker A.J. Hawk, the No.5 overall pick in 2005, still has more than a few detractors, but his play last season was steady and at times terrific. Brandon Chillar is solid in reserve.
Cornerback Charles Woodson, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is experiencing a career renaissance that could eventually land him in Canton. Woodson was magnificent in 2009, tying for the league high with nine interceptions, including three that he returned for touchdowns. He was the keystone for a defense that led the NFL in interceptions (30), takeaways (40) and turnover margin (plus-24). What’s more, Woodson elevated his game when cornerback AI Harris, a two-time Pro Bowler, was lost for the season to a torn ACL. The Packers are counting on a healthy return from Harris, whose absence was felt most acutely when former nickelback Tramon Williams got scorched by the Cardinals in the playoffs. The Packers didn’t draft a single cornerback, so they will pray that Harris, Pat Lee and Will Blackmon can return to form and that Brandon Underwood will grow up in a hurry after an inconsistent rookie year. The Packers traded up to draft Georgia Tech safety Morgan Burnett, who will challenge veteran Atari Bigby for the starting strong safety job alongside free safety Nick Collins, a two-time Pro Bowl pick.
Green Bay Packers 2010 Season Prediction
The pieces are there – or at least the Packers’ brass is convinced that they are. The Packers were, as usual, a nonfactor in free agency, and they drafted with an eye on the future, which means that Thompson did little to alter the roster from a year ago. But then this team made a strong run to the playoffs with an injury-riddled roster a year ago, and a healthy lineup could be even better. Barring another rash of injuries, this team should contend for a berth in Super Bowl XLV.
We predict that the Green Bay Packers will finish 1st in the NFC North, with a record of 12-4.
Green Bay Packers Betting
NFC North Odds: +130 NFC Conference Odds: 7-1 Super Bowl Odds: 14-1
Green Bay Packers Five-Year Win Betting Trends
2005: 4 2006: 8 2007: 13 2008: 6 2009: 11
Bet on the Green Bay Packers
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