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NFL Power Rankings: Which Teams Have Best Shot at Taking Down Packers?

Andrea Hangst
Oct 25, 2011

The defending Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers, are certainly making a case for a repeat postseason performance so far this year, with a 7-0 record and momentum on their side.

Clearly, they're the team with the biggest target on their backs, and if they want to reach the postseason with a flawless record, it's going to be an uphill battle. Their remaining schedule isn't easy and is littered with teams capable of knocking off the Packers on their path to perfection.

First up is the San Diego Chargers, who the Packers travel to face in Week 9 after their upcoming bye. The Chargers are clearly not the dominant team they were predicted to be at the start of the season. Thanks to a three-game surge by the Kansas City Chiefs, they may not be the top team in the AFC West either when the Packers come to town.

But that isn't to say the Chargers don't have the talent nor the skill to knock off the undefeated champs. They certainly have their issues to overcome; the team appears to have gone soft under the direction of also-soft head coach Norv Turner, and they will need to up their aggressiveness factor if they are to take down the high-octane Packers.

If the Chargers don't get the win in Week 9, a string of difficult opponents follows for the Packers, starting with the Detroit Lions in Week 12. The Thanksgiving Lions game is usually one fans have bemoaned in recent years, with Detroit being one of the worst teams in the league. But this year is different.

Despite dealing with back-to-back home losses, the Lions are still one of the more fearsome squads, and it's easy to say they will be bringing their best, hardest-hitting game to this contest. The Lions' home field advantage, a development new to the team, should prove to be a major obstacle for the Packers, throwing off their well-timed offensive game.

If the Lions can get the Green Bay offense off balance early, and counter with a dominant offensive performance of their own, they can beat the Packers. The power of the divisional rivalry, the clear advantage the Lions have at home and their clearly deep desire to knock off a team like the Packers should set up nicely for a Detroit win on Thanksgiving.

Should the Lions not win that game, the next-best chances for a Packers loss are their Week 13 contest at the New York Giants, their Week 14 home game against the Oakland Raiders (granted their issues on offense are ironed out by then) or their Week 17 game hosting the Lions to cap off the season.

Will Megatron's Record Be Broken? 🤖