Hardest Opponent for Us:

[FrankRizzo]

Which of these teams would you put your money on if you HAD to bet on one of THEM to beat us?
Don't bang your chest saying nobody can beat us. At least not in this thread, please. The fact is all of these teams could beat us if we play poorly and/or don't get turnovers.

In this thread, I am trying to survey Packer Nation to see who they view as the biggest threat to defeat us. In the playoffs. I'm not talking weeks 15-17.

Only weeks 19-21 matter to me.

Thanks.... I'm very curious to see how this splits here.... please vote honestly, so think of it as a free $100 bet on one of the other teams to beat us, who you throw your money on?

 

[Bogart]

I'm still going with the Saints, regardless what everyone thinks.


They have one major advantage over us, and that is running the ball. If there is anything that really makes me nervous about this team, it's how we can't run the ball that well. Last week was the first time in a good long while we had a great day running it.

You can believe all the "It's a quarterback's league" but that is no difference. Last year, we ran the ball so well at the end of the season, and i don't care if you have the best QB, the running game HELPED US BIG TIME....I do not want us to become one dimensional and depend on Rodgers every single game in the post season. We have got to run the ball better. I said it last year that the way the Saints struggled to run would come back and haunt them, and it sure did in the playoffs. Since they've been running the ball better, they are a much better team now.

 

[FrankRizzo]

Let me rephrase this again.... don't choose based on your prediction. In that case, picking the one AFC team is hard because you have 3 (plus Houston) who have a good chance to get there.... but these NFC teams definitely stand in our way.

One way to answer it is which team would you buy a loss for to get them out of our path?
Or which team do you not want to play!

 

[Poppa San]

The only team I truly fear a 5-5 split if we play 10 times is the Steelers. Barring injuries, they are one of the few teams that can stop the offense while outplaying our defense. Everyone else has a major deficiency in one facet of the game or another. I also worry the Saints can outshoot us but not as much as the Steelers defense can slow us enough for their offense to keep up.

 

[Southpaw]

Patriots

 

[longtimefan]

You said we barely beat Steelers with Collins...

We did miss Woodson and Shields and Driver for the 2nd half t

 

[Bensalama21]

You said we barely beat Steelers with Collins...

We did miss Woodson and Shields and Driver for the 2nd half t

So true... Also, you could say we didn't have Burnett or Cobb. Anyways, I voted for the Saints.

 

[ivo610]

as the Rock says, JUST BRING IT

 

[Jules]

Whoever the Packers play in preseason next year.



I'm not voting. Quite frankly, none of them scare me enough. Sounds cocky but I don't care. If the Packers show up to play they won't be beaten.

 

[DevilDon]

(banging chest) Nobody can beat us. However if $100 would keep one of these teams out of competition it's easy for me. The Saints can keep up and forget about the running game. They just are flat out as good as us offensively.
The Packers can bring the running game if they need to. They just haven't needed to.
The Steelers? lol.

 

[Jules]

I caved in and voted. I wanted to be different and shake up the poll so I voted for the Falcons. Why? No idea but it seemed like a cool choice.

 

[Lunchboxer]

Saints if it was in doors.

But if the saints come to Green bay for NFC Championship game and its really cold and snowing I dont think they will do well.

 

[weeds]

Saints here too.

(Aside) Know what though? The Lions scare me. Know why? The Packers handed them their final loss in their "defeated" season of 0-16. How much would THAT organization LOVE to give us the big green ****** on the flip side of that record?

 

[FrankRizzo]

If we play well, like a 'B' game overall, I think only the Saints, Steelers, and Patriots can beat us.

Again, we barely beat the Saints this year, the Giants this year, and the Steelers in February. All those games went down to the wire, and all of them we had the turnover advantage.

We're something like 4-20 under McCarthy in games in which we are -1 or worse in the turnover department. We've been amazing in the turnover category, but I don't think Brees gave us any the first week. I just remember Nick Collins popping a fumble loose from Colston. Otherwise, they'd have gotten 7 on that drive probably.

Plus, there is 'luck' involved in every game, every sport. Not to rain on the chest-thumpers parade, but there are plenty of teams who can beat us if we don't play great. Remember the dropped passes that have hurt us before? When it's cold, we see more of those.

The running game will be more important in the 2 playoff games on the frozen tundra.

 

[Green_Bay_Packers]

Im going with the New England Patriots in the Superbowl

 

[Greenbayphil]

Our hardest opponent is the Green Bay Packers.
The only thing stopping us going to the SB is ourselves and we are in full control atm.

 

[Emerald1066]

Can't believe no-one's mentioned The Broncos!! Hello.... Tebow!!!! )))

 

[PackCrazed4]

The Saints scare me, but not as much as the Giants. Yes, they'll both be out for revenge, and of course the Saints are, an overall, greater talent on the field, but it's just the history of the Giants that rattles me a bit. They play us down to the wire and are a cold-weather team unlike the Saints. I know it's silly to think weather is such a decisive factor, but man, I was at that January NFC Champ game in '08. I could barely move, and that wasn't because I had 15 layers of clothes on (ha); it's was bitter. The Saints lost all their steam in the NFCCG against the Bears in '07, and and I think we can all agree they were significantly better team than the Bears that year. I'd attribute their collapse partially due to the averse conditions. Same goes for every other NFC team on the list, they're all either warm-weather or dome teams that don't stand a chance. And we'll talk Super Bowl when it comes. I honestly don't think we'll choke like the Patriots if we get to 18 wins, we have too much fire and dedication *knock on wood*. So coming to Lambeau in the dead of winter, Giants have my pick.

 

[TJV]

I’m not voting just because FrankRizzo is being so **** about how to answer.

IMO a team either has to win a shootout or win the turnover battle to beat the Packers. Any of the teams the Packers will face in the playoffs could beat them. But I think it will take a complete game and the Packers’ cooperation to do so. We all know the Packers’ D is giving up a ton of yards and they are just average in surrendering points. But with 27, they have 50% more interceptions than the Lions, Pats, and 49ers who are tied for second with 18. I’m concerned that TOs aren’t a “given”; even so at some point you have to say something good is happening on D regarding forcing INTs. So I agree with those who say the team the Packers most have to “fear” is themselves.

 

[FrankRizzo]

Whoever the Packers play in preseason next year.

I'm not voting. Quite frankly, none of them scare me enough. Sounds cocky but I don't care. If the Packers show up to play they won't be beaten.

Like I said in the original post, only weeks 19-21 matter!

That being said, all I really wanted was to repeat and win the Super Bowl. The 19-0 record would have been awesome though, but not necessary to achieve greatness.

I didn't put KC in this poll because we won't face them in the playoffs, weeks 19-21. Fortunately.
But they did show how to beat us: don't throw interceptions is the easiest way to beat us.
Run the ball. They did that, late especially.

And put pressure on Rodgers.... which will also get him to sense pressure when there isn't any, like he did on the 2nd to last drive when they rushed just 3 guys, and the OL had a HUGE pocket for him. But he sensed Hali on the left, and so he flushed himself up forward to the left of the NT who was being doubled.
That allowed Hali the easy angle at him for the tackle/sack at the line of scrimmage.

Now that we've seen this, which of these teams has the best chance?
I know the Saints can beat us. It will depend on who plays better, who the refs bet on and decide to call offensive pass interference on for just breathing on the CB, and who has turnovers.

 

[Jules]

I am gonna go with the Chiefs.

 

[Bogart]

The Saints scare me, but not as much as the Giants. Yes, they'll both be out for revenge, and of course the Saints are, an overall, greater talent on the field, but it's just the history of the Giants that rattles me a bit. They play us down to the wire and are a cold-weather team unlike the Saints. I know it's silly to think weather is such a decisive factor, but man, I was at that January NFC Champ game in '08. I could barely move, and that wasn't because I had 15 layers of clothes on (ha); it's was bitter. The Saints lost all their steam in the NFCCG against the Bears in '07, and and I think we can all agree they were significantly better team than the Bears that year. I'd attribute their collapse partially due to the averse conditions. Same goes for every other NFC team on the list, they're all either warm-weather or dome teams that don't stand a chance. And we'll talk Super Bowl when it comes. I honestly don't think we'll choke like the Patriots if we get to 18 wins, we have too much fire and dedication *knock on wood*. So coming to Lambeau in the dead of winter, Giants have my pick.

The Giants are out of it, nothing to worry about now!

 

[Bensalama21]

I would have voted Chiefs if they were on this list...

 

[FrankRizzo]

The Giants are out of it, nothing to worry about now!

They're only one game back of the Cowboys, and they play them week 17 in NY. All they have to do is beat them and finish with the same record, and they beat out Dallas as they will have swept them.
I can't wait for that game..... they always go down to the wire.

Dallas has Philly, and the Giants have the Jets next week. Perhaps Dallas can win, and the Giants lose, and it will give Dallas the division, but I doubt that occurs.