Green Bay Packers 2010 Season Preview

Football Betting Lines

08/05/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Green Bay Packers had their chips down before folding in the wild card round of the playoffs last year. Now, it's time for one of the projected top teams in the NFC to ante up.

Not since Brett Favre's prime have the Packers been this heavily-expected to make a run at the Super Bowl, but current head coach Mike McCarthy knows not to show his hand even with stud quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the controls of a high-powered offense. It's tough not to feel optimistic for Green Bay's chances of bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to its roots this season, which was also the mindset during an 11-5 season in 2009. That quest, however, ended in overtime against the Arizona Cardinals in a playoff matchup in the desert.

Rodgers, pegged to be one of the top QBs in the NFC again this season, was at the center of that season-ending defeat when he was stripped of the football in overtime before Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby scooped it up and rumbled into the end zone, dashing Green Bay's hopes of reaching the next round of the playoffs for the second time in three years. What probably lingers most in Rodgers' mind is how Cardinals cornerback Michael Adams got away with a facemask penalty when he jammed Rodgers right in the kisser.

The Packers have vaulted the Cardinals in the NFC hierarchy, however, as Arizona is entering the new campaign with a fresh face under center. Green Bay doesn't have such an issue, as an offense led by Rodgers for a third straight year is expected to finish near the top in scoring once again, after ending third in the NFL with 28.8 points per game a season ago. It was also sixth in the league in total yards (379.1) and seventh in passing (261.2), but McCarthy understands it will take additional work to translate into success.

"There is nothing new this year," McCarthy said after practice a few weeks ago. "We're not putting in a new defense. We don't have a new quarterback. We don't have a new special teams coach. We have an opportunity to build off of some continuity and some success in the past.

"We have a clear understanding of how we want to play. We have a tough schedule like everybody in the league does, but I just clearly think this is a mature football team that is ready to take the next step."

Joe Philbin took a step forward in his third season as offensive coordinator and had the luxury of witnessing two wideouts eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark, helping the Packers to an 11-5 season one year after going 6-10. Greg Jennings led the bunch with 1,113 yards on 68 catches, finishing with four TDs, while veteran Donald Driver showed no signs of slowing down by grabbing a team-best 70 passes for 1,061 yards and a Packers-high six touchdown receptions.

If the defense, minded by journeyman Dom Capers, can play against the pass just a tad better this season, then perhaps this will be Green Bay's year to make a historic run. Capers instilled his 3-4 defense and his job was a lot easier with linebackers Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk stuffing defenders behind a solid three-man front. Under Capers, the Packers were first in the NFL against the rush (83.3), first with 30 interceptions, including nine by Charles Woodson, second in yards per games (284.4) and fifth in pass defense (201.1). The secondary was exposed in the shootout against the Cardinals, however, as since-retired quarterback Kurt Warner scorched Green Bay for five TD passes and no INTs.

Will Green Bay be able to lock down the pass? Can Rodgers keep making strides in this productive offense? Are the Packers going to survive without departed defensive end/linebacker Aaron Kampman? Those inquiries, among many others, will begin to be answered September 12, when Green Bay kicks off the new season on the road in Philadelphia.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2010 edition of the Green Bay Packers, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2009 RECORD: 11-5 (2nd, NFC North)

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2009, lost to Arizona, 51-45 (OT), in NFC Wild Card

COACH (RECORD): Mike McCarthy (38-26 in four seasons with Packers, 38-26 overall)

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Joe Philbin

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dom Capers

OFFENSIVE STAR: Aaron Rodgers, QB (4434 passing yards, 30 TD, 7 INT)

DEFENSIVE STAR: Charles Woodson, CB (74 tackles, 9 INT, 2 sacks)

OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 14th rushing, 7th passing, 3rd scoring

DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 1st rushing, 5th passing, 7th scoring

KEY ADDITIONS: T Bryan Bulaga (1st Round, Iowa), DL Mike Neal (2nd Round, Purdue), S Morgan Burnett (3rd Round, Georgia Tech)

KEY DEPARTURES: RB DeShawn Wynn (not tendered), DE Mike Montgomery (to Vikings), DE Johnny Jolly (out for season/suspended), OLB Aaron Kampman (to Jaguars), OLB Jeremy Thompson (retired), S Matt Giordano (to Falcons), P Jeremy Kapinos (not tendered)

QB: Rodgers (4,434 yards, 30 TD, 7 INTs) was a big part of Green Bay's 7-1 second half last season, and has certainly helped the cheeseheads forget about Favre since taking over in 2008. He's not a Hall-of-Fame-caliber quarterback yet, but back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons is a good start. Rodgers owns 58 touchdown passes in his last two seasons, and completed 64.7 percent of his passes with seven interceptions for a rating of 103.2. He earned his first berth in the Pro Bowl thanks to that efficient season. On a down note, Rodgers, who has started 16 games in back-to-back years, was sacked a league-high 50 times and that's not befitting a quarterback of elite status. He'll have to get into the habit of throwing the ball away. Rodgers also ended second on the team with 316 rushing yards and five TDs. Backup Matt Flynn (58 yards, INT) saw action in 15 games a year ago and will be the first on duty if Rodgers should go down. Green Bay also inked former Texas Tech gunslinger Graham Harrell in May as the third QB.

RB: Ryan Grant (1,253 yards, 11 TDs) ran for more than 100 yards just three times last season, but went over the 1,000-yard mark for a second consecutive campaign. Grant had 282 carries in 2009 after toting the football a career- high 312 times the year before. The former Notre Dame standout is currently riding a career-long streak of 291 carries without a fumble, and comes to work with a rugged approach to the game. Grant is a mix of power and speed, and showed no signs of a hamstring problem that hampered him in 2008. There's no doubt Grant will be the man running the ball in 2010 with Brandon Jackson (111 yards, 2 TDs) and Quinn Johnson backing him. Green Bay drafted a few running backs in April, most notably James Starks from Buffalo. The Packers were 14th in rushing last season, compiling 117.8 ypg.

WR/TE: Jennings and Driver provide Rodgers with deep threats and great hands, and will be relied on again to keep the Green Bay offense potent. Driver is first on the team's all-time list for receptions with 647 and is second in team annals with 9,050 receiving yards (James Lofton, 9,656). Driver, who recorded his seventh 1,000-yard season and sixth straight in 2009, will enter the new campaign holding a streak of 127 games with at least one catch. Jennings had five games with at least 100 yards receiving last year, and leads the NFL with 21 receptions of 40 or more yards through the previous three years. The Packers are also excited about the emergence of tight end Jermichael Finley (676 yards, 5 TDs), who has proven he can be a go-to guy in clutch situations. Finley is perhaps the most reliable tight end in team history since Mark Chmura, while James Jones (440 yards, 5 TDs) and Jordy Nelson (320 yards, 2 TDs) are solid targets for Rodgers as well.

OL: What can you say about an offensive line that allowed 50 sacks the previous year? Not much, but the Packers still feel confident with veteran tackles Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton in the fold. Tauscher bounced back slowly from knee surgery and Clifton's body isn't getting any younger, forcing the front office to choose tackle Bryan Bulaga out of Iowa in the first round. It was a merry-go-round of changes on the offensive line in '09, and center Scott Wells, guard Josh Sitton and tackle T.J. Lang were forced to take on more of leadership roles. Jason Spitz and Daryn Colledge will battle for one of the guard spots. McCarthy is hoping a year under the belts of these lineman will mean an even more productive season for the offense. Avoiding sacks will help as well.

DL: Capers came in last year and unveiled his 3-4 defense to the Packers with strong results. Ryan Pickett (33 tackles) put his huge 350-pound frame in the middle to help Green Bay finish as the No. 1 team against the rush in 2009. Ends Johnny Jolly (40 tackles, sack, INT) and Cullen Jenkins (32 tackles, 4.5 sacks, INT) built a strong rapport with each other, but that duo will be broken up after the league suspended Jolly indefinitely without pay for violating the league's Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. His suspension takes effect immediately and will last through at least the entire 2010 season. Jolly will be eligible to apply for reinstatement after Super Bowl XLV. Pickett is expected to move from the middle to end now that Jolly is gone. Last year's first-round nose tackle, B.J. Raji (25 tackles, sack), is back for his second year and hopes his balky ankle is old news. Linemen Mike Neal and C.J. Wilson were drafted in April to bolster the interior line, while former first-rounder Justin Harrell is hoping to be healthy enough to contribute.

LB: Tackling was a major issue for the Packers last season, especially in the wild card game against Arizona. How else could the Cardinals score 51 points? Don't tell that to linebackers Barnett (106 tackles, 4 sacks) and Hawk (89 tackles, sack, 2 INTs), though. The duo wreaked havoc on opposing running backs and covered well in some areas in 2009 to ignite Capers' new 3-4 system. Rookie linebacker and sackmaster Clay Matthews (50 tackles, 10 sacks) will have a tough time duplicating what he did a year ago. Matthews, who earned a nod to the Pro Bowl, comes from a football family and thrived under Capers with his rush-cover ability. Second-year linebacker Brad Jones (33 tackles, 4 sacks) was thrust into the lineup when departed DE/LB Kampman went down with an ACL injury after nine games played. Brandon Chillar (41 tackles, 2 sacks), Desmond Bishop (29 tackles) and Brady Poppinga (23 tackles, sack) will also see time.

DB: It was the secondary that hurt Green Bay against the Cardinals, despite All-Pro Charles Woodson making headlines with his great play throughout the season. Woodson was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the oldest defensive back to achieve the honor. Woodson (74 tackles, 2 sacks, 9 INTs) is a hands-down difference maker on Capers' stop unit and can still run with the best of them in coverage. Woodson, whose nine picks were tied for the NFL lead, doesn't shy away from making a big hit like some other defensive backs in the league. When fellow cornerback Al Harris (34 tackles, sack, 2 INTs) went down after 10 games with a knee injury, Woodson stepped up his game to help the Packers finish first in interceptions (30), takeaways (40) and turnover margin (plus-24). Cornerback Tramon Williams (56 tackles, sack, 4 INTs) led the Packers with a career-best 22 passes defensed in 2009. Pat Lee, Will Blackmon and Brandon Underwood will be counted on to emerge with more experience under their collective belts. If safeties Nick Collins (53 tackles, sack, 6 INTs) and Atari Bigby (49 tackles, 4 INTs) can play tighter defense than last year, Green Bay's defensive backfield will be in great shape.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Mason Crosby has been a top selection among kickers in most fantasy football drafts, and for good reason. Crosby, who captured the league scoring title with 141 points in 2007, was 27-for-36 on field goal attempts and missed just one extra point (48-for-49). His 397 career points are the most in NFL history by a player in his first three seasons. Punter Jeremy Kapinos averaged 43.8 yards per punt in 2009, but was let go in favor of unknown hopefuls Tim Masthay and Chris Bryan. Nelson led the return game with a 25.4 average on kickoffs, while Williams stepped away from his usual defensive back role to finish with a team-best 10.4 yards per punt return. Blackmon was supposed to be the primary return man, but an ACL tear ended his season early. He could be back in that role.

PROGNOSIS: The Packers did little to alter their roster in the offseason through trade or the draft, leaving many to wonder if the confidence level is too high in Wisconsin. Green Bay must not forget that Minnesota will still be a force in the NFC North and Chicago is in year No. 2 with QB Jay Cutler. With Rodgers becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons as a starter, fans in the land of cheese have a right to feel hopeful. The favored Packers will get plenty of work in on Ray Nitschke Field in training camp before the regular season and dreams of a Super Bowl run commence once again.