NFL Playoffs 2012: 10 Reasons the Green Bay Packers Will Not Win the Super Bowl

The Green Bay Packers are currently the toast of the National Football League. With one of the best offenses in the league, there are few teams that can try to keep up with the Pack. Their coaching staff is also one of the best in the league for getting the most out of their talent. Their fanbase is also the most rabid in football.

With the Packers rolling into the NFL playoffs with a 15-1 record and home-field advantage, it would seem like a slam dunk that they would repeat as world champions...or is it?

While the Packers are a very good team, and maybe the best team in the NFL, they are not a team without flaws. As evidenced in 2007 when the New York Giants took out the undefeated New England Patriots, even the biggest Goliath can be taken out with a slingshot.

Here are some of the concerns that Packer fans should have about their team going into the postseason.

The Packers Secondary Has Suffered After Losing Nick Collins

When the Packers opened the 2011 season by giving up 419 yards to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, everyone thought, "No big deal...that was Drew Brees."

In Week 2, the Packers faced the Carolina Panthers and their rookie quarterback, Cam Newton. Surely, the "Psycho Defense" would get back on track against a guy making his second career start. Newton then passed for 432 yards that Sunday. Uh oh...

To make matters worse, the Packers getting torched by Cam Newton wasn't the worst thing to happen to them in Charlotte. Nick Collins, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, suffered a frightening neck injury that would end his season.

With Collins out of the picture, the Packer secondary has looked like a shell of its former self. The Packers rank dead last in the NFL in pass defense.

Despite Charles Woodson leading the NFL with seven interceptions, the rest of the Packer secondary will need to step up for the Packers.

The Packers Will Face Quarterbacks That Can Keep Up with Aaron Rodgers

With the Packer pass defense struggling, it can be assumed that there will be some shootouts during their run to the Super Bowl. That's bad news for the Packers considering that they will now face quarterbacks who can go toe-to-toe with Aaron Rodgers.

Drew Brees passed for 5,476 yards this season, which surpassed Dan Marino's single-season yardage record of 5,084 in 1984. That total included a 419-yard performance against the Pack in Week 1.

While many people expect a Packers-Saints rematch, there are other quarterbacks that could be able to light up the Packers.

Eli Manning threw for 347 yards in a 38-35 loss to the Packers in Week 12. Both Manning and Rodgers went blow for blow in that game until Rodgers led a quick miracle drive for the game-winning field goal.

Should the Packers get out of the NFC, they may have to face quarterbacks like Tom Brady. Brady obviously has a track record of lighting up bad defenses, but he also has the reputation of being a clutch playoff quarterback.

Surely, this list could be drooling over the possibility of facing the Packer defense.

The Packer Pass Rush Has Disappeared

When the Packers made their run to the Super Bowl last year, they had a tenacious defense that could get to the quarterback. With players like Clay Matthews and B.J. Raji, the Packers were so aggressive on defense that their scheme was known as the "Psycho Defense."

Fast forward a year later, and nobody has heard from Matthews, Raji or anybody else on the Packer defense for that matter.

Coming into the postseason, the Packers ranked 30th in the NFL in sacks. A big part of that is the failure by Ted Thompson to obtain a player that could rush opposite of Matthews in the offseason. The result has been Matthews facing more double-teams and registering a career-low sack total of just six.

With the Packers unable to get to the quarterback, it may be another reason why the Packers have had trouble stopping the pass.

The Packer Running Game Is Non-Existant

Another thing that has changed from the 2010 Packers has been the regression of the running game.

After James Starks ran for 315 yards in the postseason, the Packers thought they had a two-headed monster in the running game. With Ryan Grant returning from a Week 1 ankle injury, the Packers would have a running game that could compliment Aaron Rodgers.

Unfortunately, the Packer offense has looked more like Texas Tech than Green Bay. The running game has been a disappointment as James Starks ran for just 578 yards this season, Ryan Grant found himself buried in the depth chart and the Packers called less running plays overall.

The last point may be the key to this, but the Packers will need to be able to run the ball eventually.

Aaron Rodgers Could Face Less Than Ideal Passing Situations

So far, Aaron Rodgers hasn't experienced all of Lambeau Field's fury when it comes to postseason games.

Three years into his starting career, Rodgers has yet to play a home game in the playoffs. During this stretch, Rodgers has played in domed environments such as Arizona and Atlanta, and mild versions of Philadelphia and Chicago.

While there's no doubt that it probably wouldn't matter with Rodgers, there's still the possibility that some colder weather could slow the Packer passing attack. With the Packers so reliant on the pass, this could be a huge problem if that's the case.

Mother Nature hasn't reared her head in what has been a mild winter for the Midwest. However, if it makes an appearance on a certain Sunday, things could turn ugly for the defending Super Bowl champions.

Greg Jennings May Not Be 100 Percent Healthy

Greg Jennings may be the one who "puts the team on his back doe," but that knee is making that a little difficult for him right now.

Jennings suffered a partial tear in his MCL against the Oakland Raiders in Week 14. He has been able to practice over the past week, but it doesn't sound like Jennings is completely convinced the knee is fine.

When asked about the knee last week, Jennings said that it was "as good as it's going to get." That's not exactly a ringing endorsement when it comes to an injury that knocks most players out for a more extended period of time.

While Jordy Nelson has done a fantastic job replacing Jennings in the passing game, there's no doubt that Jennings is the No. 1 receiver on that team. Remember, it was Jennings who had the biggest third-down catch in the Super Bowl last year and called for the sluggo on the go-ahead score as well.

If Jennings isn't what he can be, the Packers may have a problem.

The Packers Have a Different Mindset Than Last Season

When the Packers made their run to the Super Bowl last year, they were a team that had their backs against the wall for several weeks. The Packers adopted the "win or go home" mantra and became a resilient team that wound up winning the Super Bowl.

This year, the Packers have cruised through the regular season with a 15-1 record (more on this later). The debate has always been whether to rest your starters in this situation, but I don't think that this is the issue.

It's more about the mentality of the team. When the Packers were going for the undefeated season, they were intensely focused and taking on all comers. Since the Week 15 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Packers have looked sluggish and somewhat uninterested.

Yes, Matt Flynn lit the world on fire in the regular season finale against the Detroit Lions, but with the starters sitting out (including Aaron Rodgers) you have to wonder if the Packers will come out with the same intensity they showed last season.

The Packers Do Not Have a Reliable Check Down Option

When a defense is able to send pressure at will, it's good to have a reliable check down option. However, the Packers offense is missing just that.

Looking at the other playoff teams, they all have guys that if a play gets broken up, they can take the ball and do something with it. The New Orleans Saints have Darren Sproles. The Baltimore Ravens have Ray Rice. Even the New York Giants, the divisional opponent for the Packers, have Ahmad Bradshaw.

The Packer offensive line has been pretty banged up over the last couple of games of the season. Even with Chad Clifton returning (which has the possibility to be another Jennings situation), the Packers will be susceptible to allowing pressure to Aaron Rodgers.

The counter argument could be that Jermichael Finley should be Rodgers security blanket. Yet, with the exception of a three-touchdown game against the Chicago Bears, Finley has underwhelmed and doesn't have the game-breaking ability that Sproles has on a broken play.

If Rodgers finds a bunch of white jerseys in his face, it could spell trouble for the Packer offense.

Mason Crosby's Career Dropoff Towards the End of the Season

Mason Crosby may be one of the best kickers in the NFL. Crosby has hit about 80 percent of his field goals over his career, and he has the leg to hit one from 60 if needed. However, if the pressure cooker gets turned up, Crosby may not be able to hit.

Crosby is a career 82.6 percent field goal kicker on the road, which is pretty good. The only problem is that the Packers have home-field advantage at Lambeau Field. At "The Frozen Tundra," Crosby's percentage drops to 75.9.

Crosby's December and January percentage of 73 percent is also much lower than the rest of his attempts (81 percent between September and November).  However, the biggest concern is Crosby's ability to hit kicks in close games.

When the Packers have finished with a final margin of 15 points or more (win or lose), Crosby has made 84 percent of his field goals. As the games get closer, Crosby's percentage falls until he bottoms out at a 77 percent clip in games decided between one and seven points.

Hitting a little more than three out of four is what you would like to see from your kicker. However, in a playoff situation, that one could prove to be costly.

The Curse of 15-1

At first glance, it seems like going 15-1 or better in the regular season would be a good thing. When your team wins at least 15 games, it means that you've dominated the regular season and have earned home-field advantage in the playoffs. Sounds good, right?

In 1984 and 1985, the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears went 15-1 and each won the Super Bowl. However, since the '85 Bears, no team has gone 15-1 or better and won the Super Bowl

The '98 Minnesota Vikings lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game. The 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. Even the undefeated Patriots of 2007 fell to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

It's not a large sample size, but recent history suggest that the curse of 15-1 will bite the Packers.