(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Page 2 of 2)
Pat Lee, and Tramon Williams. Green Bay also features a pair of hard-hitting playmakers at safety in Nick Collins and Atari Bigby. They added Anthony Smith as a free agent from Pittsburgh, who is better known for his guarantee a few years back against the undefeated Patriots than his play on the field.Offensively, the same cast of characters Packer fans saw in 2008 will be back on the field in 2009. Aaron Rodgers will look to continue his excellent play in his second full season as starter and will have a great set of wide receivers to throw it to with Greg Jennings highlighting the crew. Rodgers and Jennings showed an excellent chemistry in 2008 as the duo connected 80 times for 1292 yards and 9 touchdowns. Veteran Donald Driver, fresh off a 1000 yard season as well, will play alongside Jennings with young playmaker James Jones and perhaps the next good receiver to down Packers green - Jordy Nelson. Donald Lee is also a major threat in the passing game as the Green Bay starting tight end.
Coach Mike McCarthy will once again deploy a running back by committee system with Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson splitting a majority of the carries.
2009 Schedule:
| Sun 9/13 | Chicago |
| Sun 9/20 | Cincinnati |
| Sun 9/27 | at St. Louis |
| Mon 10/5 | at Minnesota |
| bye | |
| Sun 10/18 | Detroit |
| Sun 10/25 | at Cleveland |
| Sun 11/1 | Minnesota |
| Sun 11/8 | at Tampa Bay |
| Sun 11/15 | Dallas |
| Sun 11/22 | San Francisco |
| Thu 11/26 | at Detroit |
| Mon 12/7 | Baltimore |
| Sun 12/13 | at Chicago |
| Sun 12/20 | at Pittsburgh |
| Sun 12/27 | Seattle |
| Sun 1/3 | at Arizona |
2009 Prediction:
Playing in the same division as Detroit and drawing the NFC West as their inter-conference matchup could pay major dividends for the Packers if Dom Capers is able to turn around the defense quickly.
Offensively, few teams in the NFC can really match up with the personnel the Packers will field in 2009. Aside from Arizona with Anquan Boldin playing, there is really not a wide receiving corps top to bottom as good as Green Bay's in this conference. This passing attack makes the Packers a very difficult team to match up against - when the defense does its job.
I am a believer that sometimes all a team needs is a change of viewpoint. Dom Capers track record speaks for itself, as more often than not he turns around defenses and does so quickly.
It should not go without saying just how close this Packer team was to having a much different season than they wound up having. What wound up being 6-10 very easily could have been 10-6 or 11-5 had the Packers been able to close out games.
There will likely be growing pains given the youth and inexperience at some of the Packers key positions on that side of the ball, but a really favorable schedule and a dynamic offense can, and in my opinion will take this team to a wild card berth.
Predicted Finish: 10-6, 2nd place NFC North - Wild Card
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hassellbeck - VSN Writer
www.virtualsportsnetwork.com
We're going to send you the most entertaining Green Bay Packers articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
0 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete