NFL Playoff Picture: What Home-Field Advantage in NFC Means for Packers

The Green Bay Packers (14-1) are in the best position of any team in the NFC to book their trip to Indianapolis this January, despite having their obvious weaknesses.

This Packers team is better than last season's team, period.

With home-field advantage now locked up for Aaron Rodgers and company, the road to Super Bowl XLVI goes through Green Bay, where the Packers went 7-0 in 2011.

The Packers have been the class of the league for more than three months now, and that won't change in early 2012. Green Bay will roll through the NFC on its home turf and barge into Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 5. 

Although the 31st-ranked pass defense of Green Bay and its bend-but-don't-break defensive style opens up the debate of just how much better this year's team is, if at all, it doesn't settle it.

Not only are the Packers five wins better after 16 weeks this season then they were in 2010, but they've been near perfect this season where it counts, in the standings.

Top squads like the San Francisco 49ers (12-3) and New Orleans Saints (12-3) must now travel.

Offensively, the Packers have been mind-blowing at home in 2011, scoring more than 39 points per game on average.

The Saints have been better though, averaging more than 40 points per game at home this season. The twist is that New Orleans is nearly two touchdowns worse on the road this season.

The Saints average 27 points per game on the road, where they will be this postseason against the Packers. 

Before their Week 15 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead, 19-14, the Packers had not scored fewer than 24 points in a game.

It is this dominating and incredibly efficient offensive attack that was even too much for Drew Brees and the Saints to handle back on opening night at Lambeau Field, 42-34.

Green Bay is No. 1 in scoring offense this season, averaging more than 34 points per game, which is 10 points more than they averaged in 2010. The balance from last season is gone however.

Without balance the Packers seem vulnerable, but in reality their scoring defense this season has them outscoring opponents by even more than they did a year ago.

The Packers' average margin of victory in 2010 was 9.3 points per game, it's 13.1 this season, nearly two touchdowns.

Their road to Super Bowl XLV was made tough by their position in the standings, but the road back will be short, smooth and close to home.