NFL: Will Green Bay Packers Face San Diego Chargers in the Super Bowl?

What does it take to reach the Super Bowl?  Is it an individual who takes the team or is it the collective unit that helps hoist the elusive Lombardi trophy? 

Many can argue exactly what it takes to win.  There are hundreds of factors that contribute to the success of a team. 

Some of the most important include a solid quarterback, a solid defense and good skills players. 

Let us look at the San Diego Chargers and the Green Bay Packers.  Both teams have elite quarterbacks, solid defenses and skills players. 

However, does that mean these two teams will meet in the final game of the season?  Here are few reasons why each team could be watching the game from their couch or from the sidelines.  

Why the Packers Will Make It: Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers is having yet another championship caliber season.  Currently, he leads his team to the best overall record in the NFL and has yet to lose a game. 

He has thrown for 2,372 yards at an astounding 71.5 percent efficiency.  Not only has he been a monster throwing the ball for a plethora of yards, but he has torn up defenses throwing for 20 touchdowns to only three interceptions.  If there were ever an award for being Mr. Efficiency, Rodgers would take the cake.

The lowest quarterback rating that Rodgers has earned this entire season has not dropped below 111.  There are plenty of starting quarterbacks in the league that have not even reached that pinnacle as their highest rating of their career. 

Through seven games, Rodgers' average quarterback rating is just above 125.8. 

As good as the receivers are playing, Rodgers has the ability to find each one no matter where they are.  He can throw the ball in tight windows, he gets the ball out quickly and he is able to scramble out of the pocket—perhaps one of his least-noticed attributes.

No matter what the opposition will throw at Green Bay, the Packers will only get as far as Rodgers can take them.  

Why the Packers Will Make It: Experience

We are talking about the reigning world champions of the National Football League.  They have not lost any significant members, and most of the players are still young and hungry for another ring. 

One of the most difficult aspects in trying to win a Super Bowl is trying to understand the patience it takes to make it to that point, and the ability to capitalize on the opportunity once it arrives. 

There is no other experience better to prepare a team for the big game than to have been in one previously. Luckily for the Packers that is exactly the case.

During the Super Bowl, the crowd gets loud, the pressure is high and every small mistake is magnified tenfold. 

This puts a premium on a team’s ability to focus on the small things and play a clean game.

The Packers are a low turnover team, which is also why they are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl once again.   

Why the Packers Will Not Make It: Defense That Gives Up Too Many Yards

Although the Packers are the only undefeated team left in the NFL, it would be ignorant not to mention they have had a fairly easy schedule.  The reason that this is important is because the numbers rank them 30 of the possible 32 teams for total defense. 

They have given up a total of 2,737 yards, which equates to 391.1 yards per contest.  The only two teams that are behind them are Tampa Bay and the Manning-less Colts. 

Going back to their game against the St. Louis Rams, they allowed that offense to gain 424 yards against them. 

The only reason that they escaped that day with a win is because the Rams overall are a terrible team and in need of some serious shifts.

The Green Bay Packers defense is being spared for two big reasons.  First, defensive back Charles Woodson is leading the NFL in interceptions with five.  Woodson is playing lights-out and giving the prolific offense more touches and possessions. 

Second, that same prolific offense being led by Aaron Rodgers is ranked second in total offense only behind the New Orleans Saints.   They are averaging 423.3 yards per game on offense while scoring an average of 32.9 points a game.

Just because a team is undefeated, does not mean they are flawless.  It means they have been lucky enough to outscore the other team when the time has run out.  

Why the Packers Will Not Make It: Inconsistent Run Game

The run game for the Packers is pretty average. 

There is nothing special about it, yet there is also nothing too horrendous about it.  Green Bay’s rushing attack has the effectiveness similar to that of Denver and Miami's abilities on paper.

They are only averaging 99.9 yards a game with the rush while the league leader in Oakland has a total of 159.3 yards per game.  Overall they are ranked 18 out of 32 in overall rush yards per game and have only totaled 699 for the season so far.

Any Super Bowl championship team will tell you that being able to run and keep control of the clock is vital to a team’s success.  The team can have a prolific quarterback and a team of receivers, however, with no run game there is very little chance that team will find success. 

James Starks and Ryan Grant have shown at times that they can be those consistent backs for Green Bay. 

In the game against the Minnesota Vikings, they did a great job and continuing to gain positive yards and keeping the clock moving.  Until they show that effort and effectiveness consistently, it will be hard to see this team in the Super Bowl again.  

Why the Chargers Will Make It: Phillip Rivers

No matter the stats that Philip Rivers is putting up, there is no doubt that he is an elite quarterback. 

He has the arm and skills to put his receivers in a position to score—not to mention the fact that he has one of the game's best tight ends in Antonio Gates at the other end of his throws.

His season is not looking as good as the previous three years on paper, however, teams are not planning for the Chargers and ignoring Rivers in the game plan. 

He has thrown for seven touchdowns with a depleted receiver core and helps maintain the team to an overall record of 4-2.  Rivers looks calm and collected. Behind a solid defense, the team should still be in the hunt for a playoff berth.  

If the offensive line can start to pick up their pace and give Rivers more time in the pocket, his stats should be able to skyrocket to his previous year's pace.

Why the Chargers Will Make It: The Defense

Luckily for the struggling offense, the game of football also includes defense. 

The San Diego Chargers' defense is ranked fourth overall allowing a net total of only 1,784 yards. To put that into perspective, the league leader on defense is the Baltimore Ravens, who only net 148 total yards less than the Chargers.

San Diego also has a better stat line against the pass plays of other offenses than the Ravens do.  The Chargers need to maintain this defensive intensity and keep Rivers upright on the offensive side of the ball.

If they can do that, they are going to be a tough to team to play against in the regular season and more importantly, the playoffs.  

Why the Chargers Will Not Make It: Philip Rivers

As mentioned earlier, Philip Rivers will be a huge factor in determining whether this team goes far or falters. 

In the previous three years, Rivers has managed to throw for over 4,000 yards and over 25 touchdowns.  At the current pace of 1,715 yards and seven passing touchdowns, it looks like he will not be able to reach that mark without some serious revamping to that offensive line and receiver core.

Rivers is playing one of the most important positions in all of sports.  He maintains the tempo and keeps his players in position to be as effective as they can. 

If the quarterback struggles, the rest of the team will likely struggle. (Such is the case people argue with the New York Jets.)

If Rivers maintains this poor stat line, the Chargers will be watching the playoffs from their television sets at home.

Why the Chargers Will Not Make It: Lack of Connection

For as good as the talent has been for the Chargers, something seems off about the connection between head coach Norv Turner and quarterback Philip Rivers. 

Looking back at his most recent game, what looked to be a routine two-minute drill turned into a discombobulated series of offensive play calls. 

For example, after melting precious seconds off the clock, the play resulted in a short pass with a tackle in bounds to keep the clock moving. 

After this happened, another long set up only led to a short throw and a tackle in bounds. 

Rivers looked confused and amateur-like in his execution of the two-minute offense.  They wasted too much time setting up the play, and the quarterback IQ seemed nonexistent.

This is just one of the examples that San Diego fans have been accustomed to all season long. 

Although their record is at a steady 4-2, it is vital for the coach and quarterback to have a better understanding of each other and the offense to succeed in this game.  The talent is there, now it is just a matter of finding a cohesive substance to bring it all together. 

If this team wants to succeed in the future, the Chargers will have to get their star quarterback back into the groove of things, and quick.

Will the Packers Make the Super Bowl?

Ultimately, the Packers will have a good shot at making the Super Bowl regardless of their weak defense and average run game.

The team has the league's best quarterback (so far), and is riding a hot streak that did not end from last season. 

Although the defense has its flaws, Don Capers is a defensive guru that will fix a problem when need be.  If the defense requires that it stops Tom Brady, it will figure it out. 

If not, it does not hurt to have Rodgers on your side.  

Will the Chargers Make the Super Bowl?

No. 

The Chargers are looking pretty weak this year and it has mostly to do with the poor performance of Philip Rivers. 

Maybe he turns it on late in the season and changes this outcome.  However, for the Chargers to make it to the Super Bowl, it requires them to beat some high caliber teams like the Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots and even the New York Jets, who they just recently lost to.

The AFC is looking extremely tough this year, and from what Rivers and the rest of the squad have shown, it is not looking pretty for them.