Green Bay Packers: Is Anyone Willing to Take Green Bay Seriously?

You've already heard over and over again that Green Bay is coming off a Super Bowl win, with 15 guys on IR.

Though personally I think that fact is a little misleading, especially because Green Bay lost several starters such as Nick Barnett, Cullen Jenkins and Daryn Colledge, and it's not like every one of players was a starter anyway.

Still, on paper the Packers easily look like the best team, or the most talented team, in the NFL.

Aaron Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and his lone weakness is that he tends to underperform in the fourth quarter, although even that is debatable.

Their running game looks completely revamped from last season, going from Brandon Jackson to a trio in James Starks, Ryan Grant and rookie Alex Green.

Their offensive line is improving with second-year pro Bryan Bulaga developing as a premiere pass and run blocker, and T.J. Lang filling in the vacated spot at left guard.

Their receiving corps should be as good as ever even with Donald Driver aging, especially with rookie Randall Cobb showing so much promise in the little time he's played in the preseason.

The defense holds playmakers in Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews, Tramon Wiliams and Nick Collins. Sam Shields, B.J. Raji, Mike Neal, Morgan Burnett and Desmond Bishop all look like they could be up and coming stars soon.

Their special teams is still a work in progress, but kicker Mason Crosby does have a strong leg, Randall Cobb is looking to be the guy that rids Green Bay of their kick return woes, and Tim Masthay looks like he could potentially be this game's next big punter.

You'll hear often about how teams like the Patriots, the Falcons, the Saints and the Eagles are true contenders these days, and while they are true contenders, why is Green Bay always talked about as a team that has no better chance than these teams?

But my point is this. Green Bay shouldn't just be the favorite to win the Super Bowl; they ought to be heavy favorites. Experts ought to give credit where credit is due, and they're not doing it here.

Maybe it's because ESPN and the NFL Network want to sound unbiased and give every team a chance, I understand that.

But a recent poll that was released revealed that most fans believe that the Patriots will win the Super Bowl, which to me shows a clear lack of understanding just how good the Packers will be this year.

We're not going to send 15 people on IR again. We're getting more players from the draft like we do every year. And because Green Bay is such a young team, most of their players ought to be even better this year.

So I ask you, does it seem like the Pack isn't getting the credit it deserve? No one is saying that they're bound to fail this season; it's just that people don't seem to understand that the Packers are virtually loaded in every position, and therefore ought to be considered the heavy favorites to win the Super Bowl (again).