Green Bay Packers: 10 Things We've Learned This NFL Postseason
The Green Bay Packers have the look of a champion.
Their convincing 27-point victory over the number one seeded Atlanta Falcons, on the road in the Divisional Round of the playoffs has many people jumping on the Packer Super Bowl bandwagon.
The snub of Aaron Rodgers to the Pro-Bowl appears that somewhere, someone knew what was going to happen, and that he would not be available to participate in the Hawaiian exhibition.
All Rodgers and the Packers need is one more road victory on January 23rd for the fifth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
The road to the 2010 playoffs did not come easy for Green Bay. Overcoming numerous injuries all season, the Packers put together a winning formula that still came down to the last game of the season.
The Packers needed a win against their top rival, the Chicago Bears, in order to secure the sixth and final seed for the post season.
Every coach, at every level, in every sport, will tell their players once you're in the playoffs it's a new season, everyone is 0-0, and anything can happen.
So far, the Wild-Card Packers have lived up to that mantra, knocking off two division title winners in their two playoff wins.
Here are 10 things we can take away from Green Bay's incredible run so far in the road to Super Bowl XLV.
No. 10: No Dome-Team Repeat as the Super Bowl Champion
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Since 2000, only three teams that played in a domed stadium have won the Super Bowl—the St. Louis Rams following the 1999 season, the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 and the New Orleans Saints last season.
The 2010 playoffs consisted of three dome teams—the top seed in the NFC, Atlanta Falcons, the reigning Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts.
Seattle and New York took care of the Saints and Colts in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
With Green Bay's convincing victory over the Falcons, it assures there will be no Dome Team Repeat this year.
No. 9: Protecting the Quarterback Is Key!
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In 2009, Aaron Rodgers led the NFL in only one passing statistic—he was sacked 50 times, an average of 3.1 times per game.
In 2010 the Packers have been able to protect Rodgers slightly better, reducing that total to 31—a 2.0 average in the 15 games Rodgers played.
This supports the adage that the battles are won in the trenches, and an upright quarterback is more effective than one on his back.
No. 8: The NFL Playoff Seeding Means Little in 2010
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Following the 2005 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers became the first team win the Super Bowl as the sixth seed.
In the Wild-Card Round of the 2010 playoffs an argument could have been made that all four games were played in the wrong stadium.
The team with either the better record or had won the head-to-head match up was forced to travel to their opponents site because the NFL playoff format that has been in place since the 2002 season.
Only the New Orleans Saints failed to back this up by losing in the first round the 7-9 Seahawks.
With road victories over the Eagles and Falcons the Packers are on the verge of becoming the first sixth seed in the NFC to make it to the Super Bowl.
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No. 7: Bird Hunting Season Is Over, Now It's Bear Season!
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With victories over the Eagles and Falcons, the Packers may be disappointed that bird-hunting season is officially over with the Chicago Bears victory over the Seahawks.
The NFC Championship game now belongs to the NFC North and the Packers are looking forward to the opening of Bear hunting season.
No. 6: Packer Nation Is Alive and Well!
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Can there be any debate who is America's team?
It was obvious from the Fox broadcast of the Green Bay-Atlanta game that Packers' fans are everywhere.
Whenever Green Bay fullback John Kuhn would touch the ball there was a very audible "Kuuuuuhn"—this in the home of the Falcons!
Kuhn gave Packer fans plenty to cheer about. Although he only had four touches against the Falcons, he ran for a touchdown and caught one of Aaron Rodgers' three touchdown passes.
No. 5: A Running Game Can Materialize Out of Nowhere
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James Starks had only 29 carries for 101 yards during the regular season—a 3.5 yard per carry average.
The sixth-round draft pick out of the University of Buffalo only appeared in three games due to a hamstring injury.
In two playoff appearances he has rushed for 193 yards on 48 attempts—good for 4.02 yards per carry.
The Packers have increased their rushing offense from 100.4 yards per game in the regular season to 117.0 in the post season—a 16.5 percent increase.
A trend that typically goes the other way in the playoffs as teams face better competition.
No. 4: Spread The Wealth—A Balanced Receiving Corp Prevails.
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The Falcons could boast the leading receiver in the NFL in Roddy White. His 115 catches during the regular season were 39 more than Packers' leading receiver Greg Jennings.
Perhaps the problem for Atlanta was too much reliance on White.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers did a better job of spreading the ball around. There were five Packer receivers among the top 100, while Atlanta only had four.
In the victory over Atlanta, Rodgers completed passes to seven different receivers, connecting on 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns.
No. 3: Numbers Mean Little
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In the words of Mark Twain, "there are lies, damn lies and statistics!"
Comparing the numbers for Green Bay there is every indication that last season was better.
In 2010 Green Bay finished with 10 victories compared to 11 in 2009.
At 3.8 yards per carry, their average was half a yard lower than last season.
Aaron Rodgers' threw for two fewer touchdowns and four more interceptions in 2010 and his 101.2 quarterback rating was two points lower than his 2009 rating.
On the defensive side of the ball the Packers had the number one rushing defense in 2009. They fell to 18th in 2010.
The only numbers that matter—2-0!
With two consecutive road wins all the other statistics mean nothing. With one more victory on the road they will mean even less.
No. 2: Tramon Williams Is the Real Deal
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While Aaron Rodgers is leading the Packers on the offensive side of the ball, no one is having a better post season on the defensive side than Tramon Williams.
While Charles Woodson, his counterpart on the other corner, was named to his seventh Pro Bowl, Williams led the team with six interceptions during the regular season, and has backed that up with three in the playoff—two of them in the end zone, crushing opposition scoring threats.
No: 1: This Is No Longer Brett Favre's Team
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In the two playoff victories, Aaron Rodgers has a 134.5 quarterback rating.
With six touchdowns and no interceptions, Rodgers has the Packers poised to make it to the Super Bowl, a feat that has not been done since Brett Favre led the team to a victory in back-to-back appearances in 1996 and 1997.
Not too bad for the six year veteran who has a 27-20 regular season record.
No One Wants To Play the Green Bay Packers
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With the convincing 48-21 trouncing of the Atlanta Falcons, the Packers are the team to beat in the NFC.
At this point neither Seattle or Chicago will want to face the red-hot Aaron Rodgers who in two play-off games has thrown six touchdowns without an interception.
With the emergence of James Stark and the running game, the Packers are hitting on all cylinders.
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