Green Bay Packers' 5 Biggest Obstacles To Repeat as Super Bowl Champs

The Green Bay Packers are a special team.  They are playing at an unbelievably high caliber while maintaining the league's best record at 8-0. 

Although they are undefeated, it is going to take more than a glorified regular season record and gaudy offensive numbers to win it all.

The Super Bowl takes more than just points; it takes drive, effort and defense. 

It is difficult to win the Super Bowl multiple times mainly because there are so many factors that can prevent it.  Sometimes these may be avoidable, but many times it is something that fate pressed on the team.  

Rush Defense

This is one of those situations where it is all in the players and coaches' hands. 

Green Bay’s overall rush defense is pretty good, but pretty good does not win another Super Bowl.

With a talented group in Clay Matthews, A.J. Hawk and B.J. Raji all taking up space on the front line, it is difficult for teams to run through that defense.

When it gets later in the year and in the postseason, many teams will find it vital to maintain time of possession.  To do this, much of their offense will be based on rushing. 

As long as the Packers can maintain this level of play up front, the team will be fine in this aspect.  

Pass Defense

Here is where it gets tricky. 

While the run defense is ranked eighth overall in the league, the pass defense is not nearly as close.

The Packers are ranked 31st in pass defense.  This is only behind the New England Patriots, who looked average at best in the secondary. 

Green Bay gives up roughly 299 yards per game passing and although they are undefeated, without Aaron Rodgers to match the points on the board we could be looking at a team that is 4-4.

If the defensive backfield stops wanting to improve, the elite teams in the postseason will tear them up.  Teams with offenses like the Patriots or the Lions will find ways to torch this secondary with the weapons they have.

Injuries

Going into the unforeseeable situations, the Packers will have to avoid injuries. 

The Packers cannot afford to lose any more players, especially on defense where they have had their struggles already. 

On offense, the biggest worry is that anything will happen to Aaron Rodgers.  If he goes down, then the team has no shot at winning the Super Bowl and playoff appearances will be in question.

If the Packers' run defense falters, than the overall defense will be one of the worst in the league.  It is the run defense that is the redeeming quality in this defense aside from a few specific secondary players such as Charles Woodson. 

As seen with the Indianapolis Colts when Peyton Manning was injured, the whole team went in a downward spiral.  Manning’s offense helped shadow some of the pressing defensive issues that were apparent on the Colts team. 

Just as Manning helped the Colts defense, Rodgers is helping cover up some of the holes in the Packers defense.

An injury to Rodgers is probably the most extreme situation that could happen.  

Running into Hot Teams

As the New England Patriots can tell you from their 2008 postseason, the most difficult team to play is the hot team.

In 2008, the Patriots were sporting an undefeated record going into the Super Bowl.  Whether it was nerves or performance no one can really be sure.  However, what is sure is that the Giants were playing good football and on a hot streak. 

If the Packers make it to the playoffs, they will most likely have to play teams such as the Giants, Lions, Saints, 49ers and Falcons.   These are all teams that are capable of getting on a hot streak and having the talent to maintain that level.

Most likely needing to go through these teams, the Packers will not have an easy road ahead of them. 

If any of these teams gets hot and plays the Packers in the postseason, it will be difficult to say with any certainty that the Packers will repeat as Super Bowl champs.

Confidence

This could be bad or good depending on how the veteran leaders and coaching staff handle the team. 

Not having lost a game this season and potentially not losing one for the rest of it could result in overconfidence for this Packers team that is looking to repeat as champs. 

For the long-term it might be better for the Packers to lost a game or two.  Going undefeated into the postseason could put tremendous pressure on this team to remain unbeaten. 

If they lose a few games, it could keep them motivated and focusing on the things they need to fix (like the defense).