NFL Playoff Predictions: 4 Reasons Green Bay Packers Won't Repeat as Champions

The Green Bay Packers are not going to repeat as Super Bowl Champions. They have had a spectacular regular season, but the air of invincibility they once carried has vanished. 

This is a team that has gaping hole—called defense—and it is going to cost them the glory of winning back-to-back Super Bowls.

This is not the only factor attributing to their demise. Read on to find out why the Packers will end this promising season as disappointed losers.

Defense Wins Championships

Green Bay entered Sunday's game with the Lions ranked 12th in points allowed, 26th in yards allowed per rush and 27th in yards allowed per pass attempt. 

That simply is not going to cut it. Last season, the Packers were first in points allowed per game. 

The one thing Green Bay does well on defense is create turnovers. They have collected the second most in the league. This is all well and good, but this can be a fickle stat as turnovers can come in bunches, and they are much harder to come by when playing only quality opponents in the playoffs. 

The Packers cannot consistently continue to give up this kind of yardage and expect to when three straight playoff games. 

Pass Protection

Green Bay is 22nd in the league in sacked percentage at 6.97. And as their offensive line has picked up some injuries, this number is rising. 

In the three games prior to Sunday's, the Packers had allowed their QB to be sacked on 8.57 percent of all pass plays. They allowed three more sacks on Sunday. 

This is going to give a defense an opportunity to pick up a few crucial stops in a game, and Green Bay's defense will not be able to slow down the opposition. 

Brutal Reality of the NFL

For the most part, the Packers have enjoyed a remarkable stretch of good health. This helped fuel them to their Super Bowl run last year, and it was a big part of the reason they were able to dominate a long stretch of the season this year. 

However, that run of health appears to be running out. WR Greg Jennings missed the final three games of the season, and while he is expected to be back, you have to wonder how long it will take him to get back to 100 percent. 

Also, the Packers offensive line has been beset with injuries. These guys will all have the bye week to help them recover, but injuries tend to happen in bunches. It is like a mysteriously contagious condition. This team is bound to suffer some more key injuries as the playoffs progress. 

Ain't Gonna Beat the Saints

The Packers beat the Saints in Week 1. However, Week 1 was a long time ago. The Saints are just hitting their peak, while the Packers have passed theirs. 

The Saints have won their last three games by a combined score of 132-53. 

Meanwhile, the Packers are 2-1 in their last three with a combined score of 104-81. This isn't just attributable to the Saints playing weak teams either. Two weeks ago they steamrolled the playoff-bound Falcons, 45-16.