Predict the final record competition - 2021 version

[milani]

Your predictions are a little on the lower side (compared to others) but I think your O and D rankings aren't far off. I'm hoping they can have a #10 D, which would probably be good for two more wins.

I don't see them losing the NFC North. If they do it would most likely be to the Bears. Anyway, thanks for a prediction that is a little closer to reality or at least a little off the mainstream here. I've predicted two more wins (12) and a deep playoff run. That's optimistic and reflects the "homer" in me. I think they'll win the NFC North title and, at a minimum, make it back to the NFCCG. Although with that said, I'm not sure I could emotionally handle a fifth straight loss in the NFCCG. My therapist would be working overtime for a while.......

Still think it will be difficult to win 12 with the list of opponents. The opposing crowds back. We did not do bad with injuries the last two years. Not sure we will be as fortunate this year. Bahktiari will already miss the first 8 games. And one of my comparisons is that the AFC South is not as tough as the AFC North. And the NFC South is not as tough as the NFC West. Throw in KC on the road with Mahommes and it is tough.

 

[Poppa San]

Still think it will be difficult to win 12 with the list of opponents. The opposing crowds back. We did not do bad with injuries the last two years. Not sure we will be as fortunate this year. Bahktiari will already miss the first 8 games. And one of my comparisons is that the AFC South is not as tough as the AFC North. And the NFC South is not as tough as the NFC West. Throw in KC on the road with Mahommes and it is tough.

Recall that last season both the NFC-W and AFC-N got to beat up on the NFC-E. AFC-N also played the west which outside of KC had no teams with winning records.

 

[Packermudgeon]

Packermudgeon - 11-6
TB1: Wild Card round
TB2: 12th
TB3: 18th

Defense regresses a bit and Z. Smith has lingering back issues.
Rodgers is fine early in the season, but a few losses and he starts the passive aggressive grumbling. Offense gets out of sync.

 

[PackAttack12]

Packermudgeon - 11-6
TB1: Wild Card round
TB2: 12th
TB3: 18th

Defense regresses a bit and Z. Smith has lingering back issues.
Rodgers is fine early in the season, but a few losses and he starts the passive aggressive grumbling. Offense gets out of sync.

I like that you explained why the offense is going to tail off, even though I disagree with it.

For those that are predicting a worse than top 5 offense, what's the rationale behind that? The Packers were #1 last year and have added to the arsenal.

Additionally, it would seem that some of you are HOPING that Rodgers creates issues.

 

[realitybytez]

Additionally, it would seem that some of you are HOPING that Rodgers creates issues.

sadly, i agree with you. we have a future hall of famer under center and there seems to be a large contingent of packer "fans" that wish he was gone already. and mostly because they don't like his personality.

fwiw, my wife used to work as a bartender and banquet server at a couple of the finest hospitality venues in the monterey bay area (before covid) and she has met aaron rodgers twice. she says he was a very pleasant person and seemed genuinely nice and actually humble. not at all what she expected based on how the media portrays him.

 

[PackAttack12]

sadly, i agree with you. we have a future hall of famer under center and there seems to be a large contingent of packer "fans" that wish he was gone already. and mostly because they don't like his personality.

Yep. It really sucks being the Super Bowl conversation every year.

 

[OldSchool101]

Are you guys seeing anyone in our division who can beat us twice? (Meaning a true threat). I don’t.

I see us finishing 5-1 to 6-0 Division record which puts us in the driver seat for a Division title and #4 seed (or better) I just don’t see this wildcard business happening unless our D has a complete collapse (bottom 12). I think a collapse is doubtful when we scan what is basically the same to slightly improved D roster.

I also don’t see us finishing below a 10-7 floor and I don’t see anyone else in our division winning 11 games.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Are you guys seeing anyone in our division who can beat us twice? (Meaning a true threat). I don’t.

I see us finishing 5-1 to 6-0 Division record which puts us in the driver seat for a Division title and #4 seed (or better) I just don’t see this wildcard business happening unless our D has a complete collapse (bottom 12). I think a collapse is doubtful when we scan what is basically the same to slightly improved D roster.

I also don’t see us finishing below a 10-7 floor and I don’t see anyone else in our division winning 11 games.

Agreed. The Vikings are regressing. The Lions, well are the Lions. The Bears might pose a threat. It's just hard to imagine the Bears winning any more than 10 games, and that would be generous.

So no, the Packers won't get in the playoffs as a wild card.

 

[milani]

Packermudgeon - 11-6
TB1: Wild Card round
TB2: 12th
TB3: 18th

Defense regresses a bit and Z. Smith has lingering back issues.
Rodgers is fine early in the season, but a few losses and he starts the passive aggressive grumbling. Offense gets out of sync.

Packermudgeon - 11-6
TB1: Wild Card round
TB2: 12th
TB3: 18th

Defense regresses a bit and Z. Smith has lingering back issues.
Rodgers is fine early in the season, but a few losses and he starts the passive aggressive grumbling. Offense gets out of sync.

Crystal ball is working for you.

 

[weeds]

6-11 as karma is a

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and injury forces us to end the Rodgers era around bye week which is a season or two early.

Missed playoffs after a 6-7 week post bye swoon.
Offense starts top 5 and craters to about 17
Defense starts about 8 and eventually runs out of steam to finish 19.

**I'll probably change this after my meds get refilled.

I wanted to report this post as overtly negative. Then saw your "meds" qualifier...and said to myself "Self, Poppa may have just put new batteries in his crystal ball and is on to something here." Then looked at the doggie picture and thought - nahhh, it's the meds.

So... I figure we're looking at elimination in the Divisional round after a 12-5 season.

So the offensive juggernaut continues - ranking 1st in PPG.

The Achilles heel, as always, will be a wretched run defense and crappy linebacker play. I'll give them ...ohhhh... 20th in PPG. Once again Rodgers can't outrun his own defense.

The Divisional loss will be on the offense again.

 

[Poppa San]

Then looked at the doggie picture and thought - nahhh, it's the meds.

The doggie picture is because the board censor won't let me use the proper term for a female dog. It won't let me call anyone a ****** (democratic socialist) either. Archie Bunker's favorite epitaph is now verboten.

 

[OldSchool101]

Agreed. The Vikings are regressing. The Lions, well are the Lions. The Bears might pose a threat. It's just hard to imagine the Bears winning any more than 10 games, and that would be generous.

So no, the Packers won't get in the playoffs as a wild card.

Chicago starting Dalton is uninspiring. The Bears have a decent, opportunistic Defense, but not enough to overcompensate for the minimal weapons on Offense. They can’t afford to play mid season tryouts at QB, even though they do have decent depth there.

The Vikings got gashed in 2020 as one of the leagues worst Defenses. The Offense can put up points with Cousins, but is unspectacular and the team needs a balancing and alignment just to drive in a straight line.

I don’t see any threat from Detroit. They lost Stafford and he was one of the better high points on their team. They will have to claw to beat .500

 

[OldSchool101]

The doggie picture is because the board censor won't let me use the proper term for a female dog. It won't let me call anyone a ****** (democratic socialist) either. Archie Bunker's favorite epitaph is now verboten.

Loved All in the a Family! I Grew up with Archie on the big screen as a young kid.

 

[PackAttack12]

oooooh...11-6?

Need your tiebreaker projections.

 

[PackAttack12]

After a 5-4 start Bahk will come back and the Pack will run the table to finish 13-4.

Need your tie breaker projections.

 

[Poppa San]

Loved All in the a Family! I Grew up with Archie on the big screen as a young kid.

My parents absolutely refused to watch it. Back then there was typically just 1 TV in the house and the kids were the remote. We never got told to stop on Archie.

 

[Schultz]

1. Lose in NFC Championship game- History usually repeats itself.
2. Offense #6 - because I just read somebody say we can't be worse than top 5 because we added to the offense. Sorry, but the losses on the OL do not make up for the small addition at slot.
3. Defense #14 - because 13 is an unlucky number.

 

[Heyjoe4]

I wanted to report this post as overtly negative. Then saw your "meds" qualifier...and said to myself "Self, Poppa may have just put new batteries in his crystal ball and is on to something here." Then looked at the doggie picture and thought - nahhh, it's the meds.

So... I figure we're looking at elimination in the Divisional round after a 12-5 season.

So the offensive juggernaut continues - ranking 1st in PPG.

The Achilles heel, as always, will be a wretched run defense and crappy linebacker play. I'll give them ...ohhhh... 20th in PPG. Once again Rodgers can't outrun his own defense.

The Divisional loss will be on the offense again.

To your last point, it's true and strange.

The Packers put up great offensive numbers in the regular season, but can't answer the bell in the playoffs. The offense wasn't the main culprit in the TB loss, that would be Kevin King and lousy situational coaching. Then again, Rodgers had the team at the TB 8 yard line with a first and goal and failed to even advance the ball.

Bottom line is that the superstars shine brightest when the pressure is the heaviest. Brady played a pedestrian game, stat wise, but made the big plays when he had to. Giannis scored 50 points in the biggest game of his life. Rodgers has been the QB in four straight NFCCG losses. OK I'll put that Seattle debacle squarely on MM. But you get the point. Rodgers is a generational talent. maybe more than a generation. But ya got to score with the game on the line and first and goal from the 8.

 

[milani]

To your last point, it's true and strange.

The Packers put up great offensive numbers in the regular season, but can't answer the bell in the playoffs. The offense wasn't the main culprit in the TB loss, that would be Kevin King and lousy situational coaching. Then again, Rodgers had the team at the TB 8 yard line with a first and goal and failed to even advance the ball.

Bottom line is that the superstars shine brightest when the pressure is the heaviest. Brady played a pedestrian game, stat wise, but made the big plays when he had to. Giannis scored 50 points in the biggest game of his life. Rodgers has been the QB in four straight NFCCG losses. OK I'll put that Seattle debacle squarely on MM. But you get the point. Rodgers is a generational talent. maybe more than a generation. But ya got to score with the game on the line and first and goal from the 8.

Well. You do. Plain and simple. Think back to the Ice Bowl. The Packers had an early 14-0 lead then we're shut down the rest of the way UNTIL the final drive. They had to go down there and they did figure out how to punch it in for the TD. That is when a team pulls all its resources together to win. Talent did not necessarily win the Ice Bowl. But leadership and teamwork did.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Well. You do. Plain and simple. Think back to the Ice Bowl. The Packers had an early 14-0 lead then we're shut down the rest of the way UNTIL the final drive. They had to go down there and they did figure out how to punch it in for the TD. That is when a team pulls all its resources together to win. Talent did not necessarily win the Ice Bowl. But leadership and teamwork did.

I remember that game. I did not remember the early 14-0 lead, although I'm sure most Packer fans were assured of victory. Well they were right, but it was a little more exciting than most of us thought.

And yeah, I'll take a cohesive team over an individual's talent any day. Look at Dan Marino. An incredibly gifted QB but without a team around him. Even Bart Starr needed Jerry Kramer on that cold, cold day at Lambeau.

 

[gopkrs]

I watched the game...on TV, but I remember the game pretty well because of all the times I have watched different re-runs of it. Dallas had the better team and most everyone expected them to win. And then outa nowhere this tremendous cold hits GB in the middle of the night and stays. I think that in that last drive, Starr got sacked. What an incredible drive. Donnie Anderson, Boyd Dowler, Chuck Mercein. Just amazing.

 

[Packermudgeon]

I like that you explained why the offense is going to tail off, even though I disagree with it.

For those that are predicting a worse than top 5 offense, what's the rationale behind that? The Packers were #1 last year and have added to the arsenal.

Additionally, it would seem that some of you are HOPING that Rodgers creates issues.

I can't imagine hoping that a Packers' player would cause issues that could hurt the team's season. But that's different than thinking that he could.

Reasons I think the offense could regress a bit...

1) Two rookie starters on the O line. I don't doubt they can be good players, but defenses will likely design plays to confuse
them since they have no Pro experience. So early in the season I envision some growing pains from them.

2) I have no doubt that Rodgers and Adams can start strong with or without playing in the preseason. Both are great players and true professionals. But the few starters that played didn't play with the guys they're going to line up with once the season starts. I could see them being out of sync early.

3) New DC and different system. It could take some time for this defense to come together, which could put additional pressure on the offense to make up for it. It seems like when Rodgers struggles in a game and the pressure builds, he gets frustrated and seems to lose a little confidence. Then the body language and facial expressions start, with potential grumbling not far behind.

4) Third year under LaFleur's offense. I wonder if defenses with two years of film will see some "tells" and better diagnose what plays are coming, and determine ways to defend them.

 

[Heyjoe4]

I can't imagine hoping that a Packers' player would cause issues that could hurt the team's season. But that's different than thinking that he could.

Reasons I think the offense could regress a bit...

1) Two rookie starters on the O line. I don't doubt they can be good players, but defenses will likely design plays to confuse
them since they have no Pro experience. So early in the season I envision some growing pains from them.

2) I have no doubt that Rodgers and Adams can start strong with or without playing in the preseason. Both are great players and true professionals. But the few starters that played didn't play with the guys they're going to line up with once the season starts. I could see them being out of sync early.

3) New DC and different system. It could take some time for this defense to come together, which could put additional pressure on the offense to make up for it. It seems like when Rodgers struggles in a game and the pressure builds, he gets frustrated and seems to lose a little confidence. Then the body language and facial expressions start, with potential grumbling not far behind.

4) Third year under LaFleur's offense. I wonder if defenses with two years of film will see some "tells" and better diagnose what plays are coming, and determine ways to defend them.

These are all valid points. I expect the first 4 or 5 games to be a little rocky because of the things you mention. They play two very winnable games early, at NO on the road and home against the Lions. The Niners are in there too on the road (again....) and that will be an interesting test.

Even so, this might be the best team GB fields for a few years, so we should enjoy the ride.

 

[OldSchool101]

My parents absolutely refused to watch it. Back then there was typically just 1 TV in the house and the kids were the remote. We never got told to stop on Archie.

My Dad used to let me stay up and watch Hawaii 5-0. But he would say “IF I hear so much as one peep from you? it’s OFF TO BED!” It was the only time in my life I didn’t say a word for an entire hour.
Loved that show and the music was incredibly inspiring to me (I’m now a musician on the side)

Fast forward to us on an internet thread near 50 years later guessing Season records. Sure seems miles away from slapping the vertical on the old Zenith console

 

[Heyjoe4]

My Dad used to let me stay up and watch Hawaii 5-0. But he would say “IF I hear so much as one peep from you? it’s OFF TO BED!” It was the only time in my life I didn’t say a word for an entire hour.
Loved that show and the music was incredibly inspiring to me (I’m now a musician on the side)

Fast forward to us on an internet thread near 50 years later guessing Season records. Sure seems miles away from slapping the vertical on the old Zenith console

Zenith. I mean were there any other brands of TV in the 60s? Memory lane. Well, my memory lane has a few potholes.......