Aaron Rodgers, Packers Looking Every Bit a Super Bowl Contender

Just a month after so many of us declared them dead, the Green Bay Packers are a victory away from entering the playoffs as a division champion and the NFL's hottest team. 

And with championship experience under their belt and the highest-rated passer in league history under center, there may not be anybody in the wide-open NFC capable of stopping a team that is healthier and more confident than it's been all season. 

That quarterback—Aaron Rodgers—was nearly perfect Saturday in a dominant Packers victory over their desperate division rival—the Minnesota Vikings. Rodgers completed all but 10 of his 38 passes for 347 yards and four touchdowns against the NFL's third-ranked defense, with Green Bay winning 38-25 at Lambeau Field.

And it would have been a lot more one-sided if not for two garbage-time Minnesota touchdowns. The reality is this game was never close, and it marked the third straight week in which Green Bay scored at least 30 points. 

A victory over the Detroit Lions next Sunday would hand the Packers the NFC North, sending them to the playoffs on a six-game winning streak. They beat Detroit earlier this season, and they're healthier and better now than they were then. 

So while it would be foolish for Rodgers and Co. to focus on anything beyond New Year's Day, those of us observing from press boxes and living rooms can see the path to Super Bowl LI in Houston. 

A depleted Packers team struggled so much in October and November that said path will force them to go on the road, but the good news is the NFC is juggernaut-free.

The first-place Dallas Cowboys will be relying on rookies at quarterback and running back in January and lack a consistent bite on defense, the NFC West-winning Seattle Seahawks are down superstar safety Earl Thomas and lost badly to Green Bay just two weeks ago, and the flawed Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still fighting it out in the NFC South. 

None of those teams are winning games the way the Packers are, due mainly to the fact none have a quarterback like Rodgers. 

Category	Packers	Opponents
Record	5-0	0-5
Points/game	30.8	17.6
Turnovers	1	14

In his last six games, the 33-year-old has 14 touchdown passes, zero interceptions and a 118.8 passer rating. Despite dealing with a calf injury, he's carrying an offense that often lacks balance and a team that remains far from healthy—even after getting key defensive cogs Clay Matthews, Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins and Nick Perry back. Veterans Eddie Lacy (ankle) and Sam Shields (concussion) are on injured reserve, and Randall Cobb (ankle) and James Starks (concussion) didn't play Saturday. 

Matthews, Perry and Randall made a large impact, with the defense holding the Vikes to only 13 points in the first 55 minutes. Green Bay gave up only 10 points in the first three quarters last week against the Bears and surrendered fewer than 14 in each of the three weeks that preceded that. 

In other words, a unit that earlier this year gave up more than 30 points in four straight games has become at least a bit of an asset. 

That's all Rodgers needs, especially with wide receiver convert Ty Montgomery emerging as a quality option at running back and top target Jordy Nelson finding a deep groove with 16 catches for 278 yards the last two weeks. 

Rodgers and Nelson were so good Saturday that Green Bay handily defeated a playoff contender despite those injuries and despite the fact Montgomery and fellow back Christine Michael had just 27 combined rushing yards on 13 attempts. 

Take that team and give them confidence—"We're planning on going to Detroit to win the division," head coach Mike McCarthy said after the game, per the Associated Press (via ESPN)—and you've got something that could be special. 

The Packers aren't perfect, and there's plenty of room for the excrement to hit the fan. They'll have to beat better opponents than Minnesota, and they'll need more from the running game.

Heck, they could lose in Detroit on January 1, and I'll have wasted 700 words today. But with Rodgers rolling, an experienced team like Green Bay might be the closest thing to perfect in an imperfect NFL season. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon