NFC Playoff Picture: Power Ranking Each Team's Chances of Beating Packers

The Green Bay Packers are the best team in the NFL but they are not unbeatable, and there are several teams in the NFC playoffs that will have a chance to upset the defending champs and ruin their Super Bowl dreams.

The Packers have the second worst ranked pass defense in the league this season, and have allowed almost 100 passing yards more per game this season than they did last year. Green Bay also doesn't run the ball too well either, ranking 27th in the NFL in rushing offense.

There are ways to beat the Packers in January, so let's look at which NFC playoff teams have the best shot at beating the Packers.

1) New Orleans Saints

The Saints have the No. 1 ranked passing offense in the NFL, and quarterback Drew Brees is a leading MVP candidate.

New Orleans isn't just a passing team though. Their rushing attack is ranked ninth in the NFL, averaging 127.9 yards per game on the ground.

These two teams met in the season opener at Lambeau Field where New Orleans lost 42-34 after a late comeback fell short.

You can bet that Brees and the Saints would love a rematch with the Packers for a chance to avenge their early season loss.

The Saints should be the team that the Packers fear the most in the NFC playoffs. New Orleans is a really confident team that has a roster full of Super Bowl champions who know how to win big games in January.

2) New York Giants

The New York Giants nearly beat the Green Bay Packers in Week 13 but lost 38-35 in one of the most exciting games of the 2011 season.

Quarterback Eli Manning played well against the Packers, throwing for 387 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Manning is an experienced quarterback who doesn't panic in the fourth quarter and has won a Super Bowl.

The defense let the Giants down in the Packers loss, but Osi Umenyiora is ready to return to the lineup in Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys and his presence will give the defense a huge lift.

The Giants have to beat the Cowboys in Week 17 to get into the playoffs, but they could beat the Packers with their No. 4 ranked pass offense and veteran defense.

3) San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers have the best run defense in football but that does not help them too much against the Packers who would rather throw the ball far more often than run.

However, the 49ers do run the ball very well, and that will help them keep Aaron Rodgers and the dangerous Packers passing attack off the field.

Running back Frank Gore is the key to any Packers-49ers battle because if San Francisco can force Green bay to play catch up then they increase the chances that Rodgers makes mistakes.

The 49ers are a good football team, and have the defense and clock-controlling running game needed to shut down the Packers.

The only concern for the 49ers is quarterback Alex Smith, who is just an average player that has never played in the postseason.

4) Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions have a talented offense that is capable of putting up a lot of points. They could definitely hang with the Packers in a shootout type of game.

Heading into Week 17 against the Packers (without Rodgers), the Lions were 10-5 and had a three-game winning streak.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford leads the league's fifth best passing attack, averaging 287.5 passing yards per game. He has the ability to shred the 31st ranked Packers passing defense, and his favorite target, wide receiver Calvin Johnson, has caught 15 touchdown passes this season.

Detroit's defense would be the deciding factor in this matchup, and although they've played well at times this year, their defense has allowed 25 points or more eight times.

5) Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons were the NFC's No. 1 seed last year but got destroyed by the Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs, so revenge would certainly motivate Atlanta if the two teams met again.

The Falcons were 10-5 heading into Week 17 but are just 1-4 against teams that have clinched a playoff berth, including a 25-14 Week 5 loss to the Packers at the Georgia Dome.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan has played well this season, but he has failed to raise his level of play in the postseason.

The lack of a consistently strong running game would hurt the Falcons, but if their defense played well, Ryan could keep the game close down the stretch.

6) Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys face the New York Giants on Sunday night, and the loser misses the playoffs while the winner gets in.

If the Cowboys manage to beat the Giants, they won't even make it to the Packers in the divisional round. Quarterback Tony Romo's career struggles in the playoffs have been well documented, and his injuries this season are a concern going forward.

With rookie running back DeMarco Murray out for the season with an injury, Dallas doesn't have a dependable running back to help out Romo on offense.

With an inconsistent defense and a quarterback who struggles in the playoffs, the Cowboys would have zero chance of beating the Packers in the playoffs.

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