4 Packers who will take the blame if season ends without Super Bowl
By Todd Welter
The Green Bay Packers have Super Bowl aspirations as they always do.
Despite not having Davante Adams anymore, the Packers are still primed as Super Bowl contenders. One reason is they have the reigning MVP, Aaron Rodgers. The other reason is that unless Green Bay is wrecked by injuries, the Packers should win the NFC North again.
The Minnesota Vikings did not improve enough to take away the division. The Detroit Lions are forever rebuilding. The Chicago Bears finally faced reality and realized they needed a full-blown tear down of their roster if they hope to win the NFC North and never give it back.
There are also not a lot of other contenders in the rest of the NFC divisions. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers almost lost contender status when legendary quarterback Tom Brady briefly retired. His return makes the Bucs contenders again.
The Los Angeles Rams added wide receiver Allen Robinson to their already high-powered offense. They did not suffer a ton of free agent defections either, so they look poised to repeat as Super Bowl champs.
The San Francisco 49ers still have plenty of talent but there is some doubt that second-year quarterback Trey Lance can lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl in his first year as the starter. That is if he is named the starter as the 49ers still have Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster–although if he shows he has recovered from his offseason shoulder surgery, he may be traded.
The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles will vie for the NFC East Division title. Both teams still have unanswered questions on if they are legit Super Bowl contenders.
Making the playoffs has become the norm around Green Bay. The Packers just cannot seem to get over the hump and make their second trip to the Super Bowl in the Aaron Rodgers era.
The Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, 49ers, and the Buccaneers have gotten in the way. Those are the four teams that beat the Packers in their NFC Championship Games. The Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants along with the 49ers also knocked out Green Bay in the Divisional Round after the Packers won the Super Bowl in 2010.
Also contributing to the Green Bay Packers falling short of the Super Bowl are poor defensive or special team efforts in the playoffs.
Last season, the special teams and Rodgers bore the brunt of the criticism when the 49ers shockingly defeated Green Bay in the NFC Divisional round. Rodgers pretty much only threw to Adams and Aaron Jones. The special teams allowed a blocked field goal and a punt–which was returned for a touchdown.
If the Green Bay Packers do not make the Super Bowl look to these four figures who will take the majority of the blame.