With a healthy Aaron Rodgers, and an improved defensive unit, the Green Bay Packers are eager to erase the memory of their disappointing exit last season. Get the low down on the 2014 edition of the pack and for more NFC previews dig into our previews of the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.
The Green Bay Packers won their fourth-straight NFC North division title last season, but failed to advance past the Wild Card round. With the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and to some extent, the Minnesota Vikings, making improvements, can the Packers win their division again and go all the way to their second Super Bowl title since 2010?
[sc:”Football Articles” ]Green Bay Packers Team Preview for the 2014/2015 NFL Season
Overview
2013 Regular Season Record: 8-7-1 SU/7-9 ATS
After starting with a 5-2 SU record, it looked like another NFC North division title was imminent for the Green Bay Packers.
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Packers, however, hit a major road obstacle when Aaron Rodgers (290-for-193, 2,536 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns) suffered a shoulder injury in Week 9 against the Chicago Bears. Without Rodgers, the Packers were missing their best player who had masterfully orchestrated the sixth best passing attack in the NFL (266.8 yards per game).
While Rodgers was out, rookie running back Eddie Lacy provided much of the fireworks for the Packers’ offense. It’s been a while since Green Bay were considered a ground threat, having ranked 22nd, 26th, and 24th in the previous three seasons, respectively. But with the arrival of the former Alabama Crimson Tide, the Packers’ backfield was reignited.
Lacy led the team with 1,178 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs, and along with James Starks (493 rushing yards), spearheaded the league’s seventh-best rushing attack (125 yards per game).
Where the Packers failed to excel was on defense. The front seven was incompetent. The secondary was a disaster. The Packers simply could not stop opposing offenses last season; Green Bay finished 24th in passing yards allowed per game (247.3) and 25th in opposing rushing yards (125).
Fixing their defense was the top priority of the Packers’ front office. They already have a balanced offense led by Rodgers and Lacy, and if they could add the right players to keep the Packers competitive while their offense is on the sidelines, then they should be able to deliver on their -155 odds to win the NFC North division with ease.
The Packers are also among the favorites to win the Super Bowl at +900.
Offseason Highlights
The Packers entered the free agency hell-bent on improving their decrepit defense. The biggest fish they hauled off the market was defensive end Julius Peppers, whom they signed for a three-year, $26 million deal.
The former Chicago Bear brings dynamism to the Packers’ defense, allowing Clay Matthews to move more freely as the opposing offenses’ attention should now be split between the two rugged pass rushers.
Cornerback Sam Shields got the biggest deal, as the Packers showed their loyalty to one of their secondary’s few bright players. Shields received a four-year, $39-million contract extension. He will have opportunities to show that he’s worth his contract this season; he’ll be matched against Detroit Lions’ Calvin Johnson and against the Chicago Bears’ tandem of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery.
In the draft, the Packers continued to mend their defense by selecting Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, with the highly-touted defender falling to them in the first round. The rookie will find himself playing a key role immediately given the troublesome secondary of the Packers. Clinton-Dix was part of the Crimson Tide unit that finished last season with the 11th-best passing defense last year.
Another quality draftee for the Packers was WR Davante Adams (53rd overall), who garnered the nation’s second-best clip of 1,718 receiving yards last season while playing for pass-heavy Fresno State. Adams should be a viable replacement for James Jones, who walked during free agency.
Key Betting Matchups of 2014 NFL Season
The Packers set their season in motion with a blockbuster game against the Seattle Seahawks on the road, where Green Bay would play three of their first four games. Before they reach their bye-week (Week 9), the Packers will have already played five road games, with the only games at Lambeau Field played against the New York Jets (Week 2), Minnesota Vikings (Week 5), and Carolina Panthers (Week 7).
September 4 – @ Seattle
The 2014 NFL season kicks off with a rematch of the highly controversial “Fail Mary” game in 2012, which had the entire Packers nation seething with anger. The Packers finally get their chance to avenge that defeat in front of the loud crowd at CenturyLink Field, who will be celebrating their Super Bowl victory on opening day. The Packers are 3-1 SU and ATS in their last four games against Seattle.
September 21– @ Detroit
The Packers meet their first division rival in Week 3 with a road game in Detroit. The Packers lost badly to Detroit, 40-10, in their last meeting. However, Aaron Rodgers did not play in that game due to injury.
Writer’s Prediction
The Packers return to being a double-digit win club with a healthy Aaron Rodgers. and win the NFC North. Create a betting account now, and cash in on a healthy Rodgers-led Packers team.
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