An Impressive 7-0 Start!

It is a bye, which means it is time to reflect on the 7-0 Green Bay Packers. That is right, the Packers are undefeated, but how good is this team really? Are they the best team in the league? Can they shore up their pass defense? Will the receivers stay happy the rest of the year? Can this team make a return trip to the Super Bowl? These are all questions that will be answered the second half of the season, but for now let's review what we have seen so far.

In my opinion, the league is Green Bay and New England and then everyone else. Now, there are some good teams but I just think that the Packers and Patriots are on another level. Can they both be beat? Yes, but they are playing exceptionally well offensively.

Now, do I think there is room for improvement? Yes, and luckily for all Packer fans, Mike McCarthy and the players think there is room for improvement as well, which is bad news for the rest of the league. I fully believe that the only way the Packers lose a game this year is if they beat themselves or have internal problems. If some team can hold this prolific offense to 21 points and our defense keeps giving up big plays, then yes, the Packers can be beat. Don't get me wrong, I think Dom Capers will make some changes to this defense during the bye week to help shore up some of the problems in the secondary to not give up so many passing yards and limit big plays.

The Packers remaining schedule includes three games in 11 days - home vs the Vikings on Monday night, home vs Tampa Bay on Sunday and then a Thanksgiving Day game at Detriot. To me, this is the toughest part of their schedule, as they have San Diego after the bye and then the Giants after Detriot.

Can the Packers make a deep playoff run again this year? With they way this team has been constructed and playing, yes they can. They added a new dimension with the drafting of Randall Cobb, as he has one return for a touchdown and several others that could have easily gone the distance. The running game with Ryan Grant and James Starks has been sufficient and kept teams honest with the play-action passes. The offensive line has done a decent job of protecting the franchise Aaron Rodgers. Marshall Newhouse has done an OK job filling in with injuries and TJ Lang has come a long way and held down the left guard position. The wide receivers and tight ends continue to excel and there is no defense in the league that can cover Jermichael Finley, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson and James Jones. Rodgers is doing a fantastic job of distributing the football as you never know which one of these guys is going to beat you. It could be Finley with 3 TDs, Nelson or Jennings with big games. Like I said before, the only way this offense is slowed down is if they beat themselves.

Maybe I am a homer, but I believe this team will make a deep playoff run. I know that it is extremely difficult to go to the Super Bowl two years in a row and you need some luck along the way. One example is last year, as this team got hot at the right time and it took them all the way. After the first seven games, if this team stays healthy and keeps playing offense they way it has been and shores up some defensive holes, I really like its chances.