Green Bay Packers: Will Aaron Rodgers and Crew Return to the Super Bowl in 2012?

Every year before the NFL season begins, I predict each of the 256 games on the NFL schedule, and from those predictions I come up with the records each of the 32 teams would have if the season progressed as I predicted. Invariably some of my predictions are WAY off, but it’s usually not the ones people criticize me for in early September.

So where did my predictions land the Green Bay Packers?

Starting the season with two games at home and with two games on the road sandwiched in between? Not a problem, as the Packers will take care of the Bears and Panthers (easily) on the road after overcoming the Saints on opening night and then have their way with Denver in Wisconsin in Week 4.

Week 5 will be when the first loss hits the Packers record, the Falcons proving to be too much—especially with the game being played in Georgia.

The next loss comes when the Packers travel to San Diego for Week 9, and then another loss is not until the game with the Lions in Week 12.

It's not going to be a surprise to anyone that the Packers will be in the playoffs, but the real question surrounds how they will fare when they get there.

After getting a first-round bye, the Packers will end up facing the Eagles for the second straight post-season, and just like last year, Green Bay will have the answer to shutting down the birds.

Unfortunately for Cheesehead faithful, they won't have what it takes to stop Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game, and that's where their bid to return to the Super Bowl will be stymied.

To see more information on how the entire league shakes out, check out my summary article and share your thoughts on my pre-season predictions sure to go wrong.

As the season progresses into Week 2, GuysNation will pick up with our wildly popular weekly Dueling Predictions articles where a few football fans get together to give our perspective on each of the games for that given week.