2012 NFL Playoffs: Why the Green Bay Packers Will Not Repeat as Champions

They may be the best team by record, but are the Green Bay Packers truly the best team in the NFL?

Sure, they have Aaron Rodgers, a dominant receiving corps and veterans on defense. But the NFL, especially at playoff time, is about teams who get hot at the right time and ride the wave of momentum to the Lombardi Trophy.

The Packers proved this to be true last season when they snuck into the NFC playoffs as the sixth seed and wound up hoisting the trophy named for the man that made the team famous.

Do the Packers have enough chutzpah to run the table again, this time from the top seed in the conference, or are there other teams that could be better or catch that spark and crash the playoff party?

Here are some reasons why the Packers won't repeat as Super Bowl champions.

9. What Will They Do Against a Top Defense?

What will the Packers do if they are faced with going up against the 49ers' run defense or the Steelers' or Ravens' defensive units?

Pittsburgh, Houston, Baltimore and San Francisco finished in the top four in defense in the NFL. The Bengals finished in the top seven and the Falcons were a top 12 defense.

Could any of these teams contain the powerful, trigger-happy Packers offense?

8. Detroit's Offense May Be Just as Good

In watching the game on Sunday, we saw a mature Detroit team go toe-to-toe with Green Bay. While Matthew Stafford wasn't facing Aaron Rodgers, but was dueling with Matt Flynn, we saw a team that could be potent in the playoffs.

This game also proved that if the two division rivals were to meet again, the prospect of playing defense would be thrown out the window.

There was 1,000 yards passing between the two teams and 11 touchdown passes. The running games were abandoned as well.

7. There Is Always a Surprise Team

Green Bay was the surprise team last season, reaching the Super Bowl from the sixth seed in the playoffs.

Could a team like Atlanta or Detroit or Cincinnati be that team this season?

Atlanta prides itself on a growing passing attack and Michael Turner to run through the defensive line.

Detroit has awesome passing weapons and Matthew Stafford is working on becoming an elite passer.

All Cincinnati did was make the playoffs with a rookie behind center.

6. Don't Ever Bet Against Belichick

Could this be the year New England gets back to the Super Bowl?

Tom Brady threw for over 5,200 yards this season and was helped by all-world receiver Wes Welker (122 catches) and a pair of tight ends in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, who combined for 169 catches.

While the Patriots' defense had as many holes as Swiss cheese at times, they still finished 13-3 on the year and have home-field advantage in the playoffs.

And Belichick tends to coach his best ball in the postseason.

5. There Needs to Be a Better Running Game

James Starks, the hero of the team's playoff run last season, led the Packers with 578 yards this season. There were 37 other runners who were better at moving the ball forward.

It is true that the Packers relied on the passing game as its primary method of offense, but a strong running game is important in the postseason.

In order to repeat, Starks (or Ryan Grant) needs to become a more dependable runner, and one the Packers can ride throughout the postseason.

4. The Steelers Want Revenge

It could be a rematch of last year's game in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers look banged up on offense, with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger still dealing with injuries and their top runner, Rashard Mendenhall, going down with an injury, but don't count the Steelers out.

If they get to Indianapolis and face Green Bay, you can be sure that Mike Tomlin and his team will want to make amends for the loss in Dallas last year.

3. The League's Worst Defense

There were times when the defense played up to par this season. And then there were times when it looked like it could not stop anyone.

From the season's first game, a 42-34 win over New Orleans, it looked like this team would have issues stopping their opponents.

2. Drew Brees

As long as Brees is in the playoffs, New Orleans will pose the biggest threat to unseat the Packers in the playoffs.

As the third seed in the party, the Saints open up against Detroit in a possible shootout in the Super Dome.

Brees lit the passing record book on fire this season, becoming the first passer to top Dan Marino's 5,084 yards in a season in 27 years.

1. It Is so Very Hard to Repeat

If you look at the teams in the playoffs, the NFC  is clearly better than the AFC. And because the passing offenses in the NFC appear to be better, you can throw the record books out in terms of who has a distinct advantage.

You can take the Packers, Saints, Falcons and Lions right now and shuffle them up, pick one and you would have a legit chance to win and go to Indianapolis.

Repeating just doesn't happen that often. And because there is so much parity in this playoff race, the odds are against them.