Green Bay Packers Predictions: Aaron Rodgers, Depth Promise Another Super Run

The Green Bay Packers will kickoff the 2011 regular season tomorrow against the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field, where their 2011 Super Bowl Champions banner will be revealed. 

Last season, the Packers showed they had depth at every position when 16 players went down with season-ending injuries. This year, every one is healthy, and it makes you wonder if they are primed for another Super Bowl run. 

Let's take a look at the depth the Packers have built that may promise another Super Bowl run.

Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers and Matt Flynn

Aaron Rodgers has only missed one game in his career, which was last year against New England due to a concussion. His backup, Matt Flynn stepped in and almost led the Packers to a win against the Patriots. 

Flynn put up solid numbers, passing for 251 yards, and throwing for three touchdowns to one interception. He had a 100.2 quarterback rating, and completed 64.9 percent of his passes.

Pretty solid for a first career start in the NFL. 

Back to Rodgers. Rodgers passed for 3,922 yards, threw 28 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Had a 65.7 percent completion percentage, and a 101.2 quarterback rating.

His postseason was even better. He passed for 1,094 yards, had nine touchdowns to two interceptions. Had a 68.2 competition percentage, and a 109.8 quarterback rating.

Rodgers only had three fumbles last year.

Rodgers also has a great running ability, but he just has to quit leading with his head, which I think he has learned from getting two concussions last year. I noticed this preseason he has been running, and sliding feet first. Rodgers had 356 rushing yards and four touchdowns last year.

No. 12 has great mobility, statue, and confidence in the pocket. No doubt, unless injury, that Rodgers will be the Packers signal caller for years.   

Running Back: Three Headed Monster?

Ryan Grant is the starting running back for the Green Bay Packers, but certainly the running game is a three headed monster, or even four? 

Ryan Grant is coming off a season ending ankle injury. Grant had eight carries for 45 yards after only playing against Philadelphia.

Two years before, he ran for over 1,200 yards, and had 15 touchdowns. Grant isn't big, but when he gets in the open field, he takes off. 

Rookie James Starks only played in three regular season games, but provided a late season spark for the Packers. 

The running game was almost nonexistent during the regular season, except when Rodgers ran, Kuhn ran it into the end zone, and then when Starks came onto the scene. Dmitri Nance also contributed a little.  

The playoffs is where Starks shined. He rushed for 315 yards, averaged 3.9 yards a carry. He didn't score a touchdown, but didn't fumble either.

John Kuhn was a beast at the goal line and in short yardage, and the fans loved him. The fullback scored four touchdowns, and had 281 yards. Kuhn was also a target of Rodgers, catching two touchdowns for 97 yards.     

Then, counter in rookie Alex Green. A third-round pick out of Hawaii who might see minimal action here and there. Green had 18 touchdowns, averaging 8.2 yards a game, and even rushed for 327 yards a game last year in college. 

Wide Receivers: Too Many to Count

The Green Bay Packers may have the best receiving corp in the NFL. 

Does Aaron Rodgers even have a favorite receiver? Rodgers threw to ten different guys during the Super Bowl, and he didn't even have  Jermichael Finley.

Greg Jennings puts the team on his back. Jennings could of easily been Super Bowl MVP with his 64 yards and two touchdowns. 

Jordy Nelson could have too. Nelson had nine catches for 140 yards, and a touchdown. 

Donald Driver is getting old, but is still reliable. Driver needs just 42 yards to beat James Loften's Packers record for most receiving yards. 

James Jones is a deep threat, who caught five balls for 50 yards in the Super Bowl. The only negative on Jones, is his hands.

Then, count in Randall Cobb, a rookie out of Kentucky. Cobb is a speed freak. Cobb caught 55 balls for 424 yards and seven touchdowns last year in college.  

That is not even counting tight ends. Wow!

Jermichael Finley missed the majority of the season last year, but is ready for a big year. As far is Finley is concerned, “All I’ve shown in my career is an appetizer. It’s time for the main course.”

Andrew Quarless and Tom Crabtree, better blocking ends, did a great job filling in for Finley.

Rodgers also throws to his running backs too.

That is a ton of weapons. It sure will be fun watching defenders matchup against this team!  

The Linebackers: Ferocious Tacklers

Green Bay linebackers coach Kevin Green has done a great job developing his linebackers into hard hitting, quarterback sacking, tackling machines. 

It's all led by Clay Matthews, the ferocious sackmaster who likes to pack a punch (no pun intended). Matthews forced fumble on Rashard Mendenhall was the biggest play of his life, and a turning point in the Super Bowl win over Pittsburgh. 

Last year, Matthews had 13.5 sacks, 60 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and an interception for a touchdown. In the postseason, he had 16 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, and one forced fumble, and fumble recovery.

Matthews' supporting cast includes A.J. Hawk, Desmond Bishop, Frank Zombo, Erik Walden, Brad Jones, Robert Francois, D.J. Smith, Vic So'oto, and Jamari Lattimore.

Hawk had 111 tackles last year, and has over 80 tackles in each of his five NFL seasons. Three of which have been over 100.

Bishop and Walden burst on the scene when injuries to Nick Barnett, Brady Poppinga, Brad Jones, and Brandon Chillar went down. Bishop had a 103 tackles, along with three sacks, and Walden had a 12 tackles, and three sacks in the last game of the season for Green Bay.

Jones has been injured but will see time as a rotation linebacker.

Zombo played in 13 games, and provided a spark outside Matthews. He had five tackles, and had the teams lone sack in the Super Bowl. 

Francois played sparingly last year. Smith, Lattimore, and So'oto are all rookies that have great preseasons. 

Especially, So'oto. Here is his stat line: six tackles, 2.5 sacks, two tackles for a loss, one pass defense, three quarterback hurries, and one interception for a touchdown. 

The Secondary: Ball Hawking Defenders

Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams have developed into a dominant secondary in Green Bay.

Woodson, the defensive player of the year two years ago, played solid once again and avoided the injury bug until he got to the Super Bowl. Woodson had three tackles in the Super Bowl, but missed much of game. 

Woodson on the year had 92 total tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, which one went for a touchdown. He also had 13 pass defenses. Whether its covering the pass or rushing the passer, Woodson is always up to task. 

Williams is an up and coming cornerback, and made his mark in the postseason a year ago. Williams had 57 tackles, six interceptions, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and 20 pass defenses. Against Atlanta, he made Matt Ryan his worst nightmare picking off two interceptions, and returning one for a touchdown. 

Sam Shields excelled in his rookie season as well. Shields had 29 total tackles, two interceptions, and six pass defenses. His biggest play came in the NFC Championship game against Chicago where he had two interceptions, one of which iced the game for Packers. 

Pat Lee, and Jarrett Bush were solid off the bench. 

At safety, Nick Collins continues to play at a Pro Bowl level. Collins had a huge interception in the Super Bowl that put the Packers up 14-0 that shifted the momentum going into the second quarter. Collins had 70 total tackles, four interceptions, and 12 pass defenses a year ago. 

The Packers get Morgan Burnett back at strong safety where he started a year ago as a rookie but only played four games due to injury. Burnett had 14 tackles a year ago. 

Charlie Peprah played nicely in Burnett's place a year ago. 

Rookies M.D. Jennings and Davon House will look to contribute as well.