The Virginia Destroyers, in their first season of UFL football (actually, they’re the relocated Florida Tuskers), and with Schottenheimer as their head coach, they won the league’s championship game Friday, 17-3, over the Las Vegas Locomotives.

But what’s even better for Green Bay Packers fans is that defensive back Aaron Rouse played the biggest role in the win – remember how he rose to potential long-term starter and flamed out just as fast in Green Bay?

Rouse picked off three passes in the UFL Title Game and said after the game, “From day one, when people said this league wouldn’t happen and this team wouldn’t happen, and through Hurricane Irene when we were out there in trailers,” Rouse said.  “We stuck together. Nobody complained.  And here we are.”

Las Vegas had won the first two UFL titles.

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This means there is so much more turnover that has to be expected with the depth chart, but at least all of the players with the exception of Thompson were expected to work with the first team defense at some point.  Thompson rarely saw the field in his rookie season and now appears to be making a case to be taken seriously on defense and not just a special-teamer.

Linebackers coach Kevin Greene on Thompson:

“Jeremy Thompson brings a lot to the table. He’s very athletic, very athletic. He’s very fluid. His fluidity at outside backer is going to obviously be a plus.”

Greene was one of the best, so you know he has to like what he sees.  I like Thompson.  Wake guys are usually pretty intelligent, and Thompson really seems like he could be a plus to the defense in 2009 if he keeps his improved performance up.

We all remember Anthony Smith.  If you don’t now, you will in a few moments.  Remember that one dude that guaranteed Pittsburgh would beat the New England Patriots in Week 13 of the 2007 season when New England was on that insane run, but then got absolutely owned by Tom Brady and Randy Moss in a 34-13 Patriots victory?  Yeah, the Packers got that guy.  However, putting that all aside, his coaches have acknowledged that he was not a trouble maker and that the Steelers ran into cap issues and could not keep him.

After starting 14 games in his first two seasons after being drafted in the third round out of Syracuse.  Unfortunately in 2008, Smith got buried on the depth chart behind Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, and Tyrone Carter and had only 9 total tackles for the season.

Despite this lack of playing time and seemingly a decline in production, Smith can still be a good fit for a young defense learning the 3-4.  The scheme the Packers are using has similar terminology to the one used in Pittsburgh and already having three years of experience in the 3-4 makes Smith the odds-on winner for the starting safety spot opposite Pro Bowler Nick Collins.  Smith will be in competition with Atari Bigby and Aaron Rouse.  Bigby is coming off an injury while Rouse has tantalizing potential.

The Smith signing, no matter how late and insignificant it seems, could do wonders for the defense down the stretch in the 2009 season.

But what is going on with the Packers? Early season prognosticators would have had them at about 5-3 or 6-2 at this point in the year with a comfortable division lead, not at 4-4. They would not have expected the Packers to lose to the likes of the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Tennessee Titans. Aaron Rodgers was thought to be the preseason bust; not Ryan Grant. Rookies would not be calling out their quarterback (cough, Jermichael Finley, cough), and the team would be more united after trading Brett Favre to the New York Jets. But the Packers are struggling with these issues. They are forced to take “moral victories” as they did after the Titans loss.

The main problem for the Packers this year has been injuries. Last season, the only major injury I can think of off the top of my head was losing cornerback Charles Woodson for the game against the Dallas Cowboys with a broken toe, a game in which the Packers sorely missed him. The defensive line also had numerous injuries last year, but none to the same magnitude of the Woodson injury. This year, however, the injury tide has turned against the Packers. Woodson hurt his toe again. Al Harris ruptured his spleen. Nick Collins, Aaron Rouse, and Atari Bigby have all been banged up in the secondary. Grant, after reporting to training camp late, hurt his hamstring, an injury he still hasn’t fully recovered from as he has yet to hit his stride. Rodgers suffered a severe shoulder injury in the 30-21 loss to the Buccaneers, but has Favred-up and played through it. The offensive line has been beset by small nagging injuries, such as the ones to Scott Wells and Chad Clifton, causing a lack of unity which could also be affecting Grant’s abilities. Last season, these injuries weren’t a huge problem for the Packers. This year, they have been.

Luckily for the Packers, though, the rest of the NFC North has stumbled. The Vikings, a sexy preseason pick for the Super Bowl (I’m looking at you, Dr. Z), have stumbled to the same 4-4 record as the Packers. Tarvaris Jackson was not the quarterback they (and I) thought he was at the beginning of the season and he has been benched for Gus Frerotte. Adrian Peterson has performed, but he hasn’t had the 295-yard game everyone has been looking for. On a good note for the Vikings, Bernard Berrian, acquired as a deep-threat in the offseason, has been coming on strong; look for a good matchup between Berrian and Harris on Sunday. The Vikings pass defense, thought to have been shored up with the acquisition of Madieu Williams in the offseason, has been an utter failure. Despite the great pass rush generated by the defensive line, they can’t defend the pass game.

The Bears have been a surprise this year.  Lovie Smith gave the job to Kyle Orton and Orton responded nicely, leading the Bears to a 5-3 record so far.  However, Orton suffered an ankle sprain, giving the keys to the offense to everyone’s favorite quarterback, Rex Grossman.  Orton is going to miss at least a week, possibly two, making everyone ask themselves, “Is Sexy Rexy going to rear his ugly head anytime soon?”  For the Packers, hopefully yes.  The Bears have been winning the close ones, hanging in tough and pulling it out at the end.  The Packers have had a little difficulty coming back late in close games, which they will need to do, as the meet the Bears twice in the last eight weeks of the season.  Remember, Chicago swept the Pack in 2007, costing the Packers homefield advantage in the playoffs (not that it mattered anyway).

The Lions.  Ah, the Detroit Lions.  Matt Millen is gone.  Rod Marinelli is still there (for now at least).  What isn’t there is a quarterback.  Jon Kitna‘s season ending injury gave the offense over to Dan Orlovsky.  Who was horrible.  Flat.  Out.  Horrible.  I don’t think I’d seen a worse quarterback in the NFL.  Besides him running out of the back of the end zone in the game against the Vikings, he just didn’t have it.  His throws were lame ducks.  And he couldn’t run a two-minute drill.  Orlovsky trying to drive the Lions downfield at the end of the team’s 25-17 loss to the Washington Redskins on October 26 was one of the most comical things I have ever seen.  It made me want to cry.  And now the Lions are supposedly going to start Daunte Culpepper on Sunday.  Daunte Culpepper.  Yes, that Daunte Culpepper.  It’s ridiculous.  The Detroit Lions have gone from lovable losers (to an extent) to an absolute joke.  It’s not even inept management anymore.  It’s just like God is screwing with the people of Detroit now.  It’s that bad.  They could actually go winless.  I wish they were playing the Cincinnati Bengals this year.  Now that would be a game to watch.

There is a lot of time for the NFC North to shake up, at least the top three spots.  The Packers have four divisional games left this year, and all will be critical to the postseason push.  The schedule doesn’t get any easier, either.  Besides two dates with the Bears, a date in Minneapolis, and the Lions in Lambeau to close out the year, the Packers have games at the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars, along with home dates versus the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans.  The Saints sit at 4-4 with a dangerous offense consisting of Drew Brees and Reggie Bush and whoever Brees will throw the ball to.  Harris and Woodson will both need to be at full strength for that match, as New Orleans will want to turn it into a track meet.  The Jaguars have disappointed this year at 3-5, but have a dangerous defense and are a superb two-minute drill run by Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers away from the .500 mark.  Jake Delhomme‘s Tommy John surgery has not had a negative impact on this season, as the Panthers sit atop the NFC South with a 6-2 record.  The Packers are 0-2 against the South so far this year, and will want to even that mark against New Orleans and Carolina.  Finally, the Texans, at 3-5, look like the easiest team remaining on the schedule, but with young playmakers Andre Johnson and Steve Slaton, anything can happen when Houston comes to town.  That being said, the Packers still hope to finish up strong.

Best case scenario for the Packers looks like them finishing 10-6.  The only way into the playoffs looks like through the division crown, as the NFC East teams are tearing up the league and making it difficult for any team to rip a wild-card berth away from that division.  Of course, a 12-4 or a 4-12 finish isn’t out of the question, but 10-6 looks like a happy medium.

Ever think we’d be saying that?

Well it happened Sunday, as Rodgers went 21-of-28 for 186 yards and one touchdown, while Manning went 21-of-42 for 229 yards and two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns by the Packers.  The Packers jumped out to a 17-7 on the Indianapolis Colts halftime lead and never looked back.

The real story of Sunday’s game is the re-emergence of Ryan Grant, who had been basically useless for the first part of the season.  Grant carried the ball 31 times, unheard of for this season, gained 105 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season.  Grant seems to be hitting his stride at the right time of the season, similar to the same time he hit it last year.  The Packers would doubly appreciate last year’s Ryan Grant to make an appearance.

Rodgers did a good job of managing the offense, completing passes to eight receivers.  Brandon Jackson was the leading receiver, catching six passes for 37 yards.  Jackson has emerged as a solid backup option after being useless like the rest of the Packers running game for the first few weeks of the season.  Donald Lee caught the touchdown pass from Rodgers early in the second quarter.

The defense is what shined for Green Bay on Sunday though.  The highlights were two interception returns for touchdowns, a 62-yarder by Nick Collins in the third quarter and a 99-yarder by Aaron Rouse in the fourth, that helped put the game out of reach.  Brandon Chillar led the defense with nine total tackles (seven solo) while cornerback Tramon Williams, subbing for the injured Al Harris, had seven solo and a forced fumble.

For the Colts, Dominic Rhodes had 70 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 20 carries, while Dallas Clark led the receivers with eight receptions for 81 yards.  Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne combined for only four catches and 35 yards, showing a defensive prowess in a depleted secondary.

This is a solid win for the Packers going into a bye week, with the Tennessee Titans awaiting them after the bye.

Packers rush defense vs. Falcons rush offense

This centers around the Falcons young running back Michael Turner. Turner has been nearly unstoppable in the first weeks of 2008, leading the league with 422 yards on the ground. In Week 1, Turner rushed for 220 yards on 22 carries, an astounding 10.0 yards per carry. The Packers defensive line and linebackers will need to be on their game for this, but it is hard to tell whether or not they actually will. Versatile lineman Cullen Jenkins is out for the year with a chest injury, while two other defensive linemen are listed on the injury report: Jason Hunter is listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury, while Ryan Pickett is probable with a knee injury. In the linebacking corps, A.J. Hawk is questionable with a groin injury. The pressure is on this group after the tandems of Marion Barber and Felix Jones from Dallas and Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn in Tampa absolutely shredded the Packers run defense. The Packers will now look to stop Turner and Jerious Norwood. Aaron Kampman and the rest of the defensive line will be keys to this game, while Nick Barnett and the linebackers will have to step it up to make plays and help out the defensive line.

Packers pass defense vs. Falcons pass offense

So far in his pro career, Falcons rookie quarterback Matt Ryan has surpassed expectations. He hasn’t appeared to be totally overwhelmed except for a few occasions and has been good with his decision making. Having Turner in the backfield helps him along in his development, but he has shown poise. The Packers will need to get to him in order to win this game. Kampman and Barnett will need to harass him all game and force him into bad decisions. Ryan does not have the best wide receivers in Roddy White and Michael Jenkins, although White has been developing into a decent wideout in recent games. The Packers secondary is depleted, with five players listed on the injury report. Al Harris is out, while Atari Bigby and Aaron Rouse are not expected to play. Charles Woodson and Nick Collins are probable. The pressure falls to backups Jarrett Bush and Charlie Peprah in this one, both of him will most likely be seeing their first major action of the season. Collins is emerging as a playmaker, while Woodson has been clutch this year, so they are players to watch for the big play in the Packers secondary.

Packers quarterbacks vs. Falcons defense

Aaron Rodgers is a game-time decision. If he can’t go, Matt Flynn gets his first career start, four games into his career. Packers coach Mike McCarthy is considering resting Rodgers so he will be ready for the games against Seattle and Indianapolis, but if the Packers fall to 2-3 here, it will be hard to dig out of the hole. Flynn showed some poise against the Bucs defense, but the Packers chances to win decrease greatly with Flynn at the helm.  Rodgers is tough by playing through this injury and wanting to play through it, but he may have to sit this one out so he can be ready for the tough slate of games coming up.  The Falcons have a decent defense, but the Packers offense may be too much for it.

The Verdict: Packers 24, Falcons 14

Despite having five defensive backs on the injury report, only one, corner Al Harris, is expected to miss Sunday’s game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Harris is out until God-knows-when because of a spleen injury.  Charles Woodson is listed on the injury report with his broken toe, which he played with and performed admirably on Sunday night.  Atari Bigby, who missed Sunday’s game, is not expected to play Sunday with a hamstring injury, but there is the slight chance he could play.  The starting safeties look like they will be Nick Collins, who suffered a lower back injury, and Aaron Rouse, who is also banged up.

Tramon Williams looks to see major action, starting in place of Harris on Sunday while backup corner Jarrett Bush could see time at safety and at the nickel corner spot.  Tampa Bay’s starting wide receivers are Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard, a tandem that doesn’t strike the same fear into the heart of a fan as Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton.  The secondary does gain a bit of a break, but expected them to be tested early as Bucs quarterback Brian Griese threw the ball 60+ times for over 400 yards against the Chicago Bears.

The Level-Headed Section:

Both teams, as stated before, are 2-0.  The Cowboys have achieved their record by dispatching the Cleveland Browns 28-10 on opening weekend before winning a 41-37 shootout over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.  The Packers have taken a slightly easier road to 2-0, defeating a highly touted Minnesota Vikings team on the Monday Night Football opener, 24-19, although the lead was not safe until a timely Tarvaris Jackson interception in the final minutes, and a 48-25 win over the Detroit Lions in which the Packers squandered a 24-9 lead in the second half before pulling away thanks to the defense.

The Cowboys are currently the class of the NFC according to many sources (I mostly agree), and they have played like it, despite the scare on Monday night.  The Packers were picked by most prognosticators to finish 8-8 or 9-7, due to the loss of longtime quarterback Brett Favre, traded to the New York Jets.  However, fourth-year man Aaron Rodgers has stepped up admirably in his first two starts as the Packers quarterback.  After a cautious Week 1, Mike McCarthy loosened the leash on Rodgers a bit, and Rodgers responded with three touchdown passes in the first half.  McCarthy left the pass in the second half, which allowed the Lions to get back into the game.  Rodgers is not stranger to playing against the Cowboys on the big stage either; last November, Rodgers relieved an injured Favre and led the Packers on a comeback before losing to the Cowboys, 37-27.

The two main keys for the Packers in this game is the secondary and the running game.  The secondary in the 2007 game was severely depleted with Charles Woodson out with a toe injury.  Woodson broke another toe in the Minnesota game, but saved the game against Detroit, playing through pain with two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.  It looked like the Packers passing defense would be back at full strength this week, but starting safety Atari Bigby is out with a hamstring injury, meaning that second-year man Aaron Rouse will probably get the start opposite Nick Collins.  Bigby had more of an impact in the running game, but his big-hitter presence in the backfield will be missed.  Also a cause for concern was Calvin Johnson‘s play last weekend.  The Lions star wide receiver took two nearly identical slant patterns for touchdowns last week.  You have to bet that Jason Garrett, Tony Romo, and Terrell Owens were looking at that one.  On the other side of the ball, the Packers need running back Ryan Grant to be at full strength to be successful.  He has been nursing a hamstring injury for some time, and was definitely hobbled by it on Sunday, rushing for only 20 yards on 15 carries.  Brandon Jackson looked at least fifty times better against the Lions than he did against the Vikings, chewing up over 60 yards on seven carries and scoring the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter.  Hopefully he will be able to perform at that level against a tough Cowboys defense.

The Cowboys are a tough defense.  Their secondary will provide a stiff test for the Packers wide receiving corps.  Terence Newman, Anthony Henry, Adam Jones, and safety Ken Hamlin will be busy with Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and James Jones, but something has to give.  It will depend on whether or not Rodgers can get the ball out quickly to the wide receivers.  In last year’s game, Favre held the ball too long, giving the Cowboys time to get the receivers covered and giving the Cowboys pass rush time to get extra hits on him as well.  If Rodgers stays composed, he can be successful.  If he doesn’t, well, he won’t be successful.  He already has one national TV appearance under his belt, so the pressure of that should not get to him.

In August, I picked the Cowboys to win this one, 38-24.  However, things change.  Like the score.  That being said, my level-headedness is picking the Cowboys, 38-34.

Homerism

Tony Romo.  Seriously.  Can this guy win a big game?  He almost blew it for the Cowboys on Monday night against the Eagles.  He’s basically screwed the Cowboys up in the playoffs the last two years.  National television isn’t totally kind to him.  The easiest way for the Packers to win is to make Romo make mistakes.  If Romo makes one more mistake than Rodgers does, the Packers have the win.  Romo will make that mistake too.  He’ll sail one too high on Owens.  He’ll hold the ball too long in the pocket and get swallowed up by Aaron Kampman.  Something will happen that will give the Packers a chance to win.  Being the opportunists they are, they will take advantage of that and turn it into a win.  Woodson is hungry after his two interceptions last week.  Al Harris is out to prove he is still a shut down corner after being humiliated last year by Owens and in the NFC Championship Game by Plaxico Burress.  The Packers are obviously really hungry this year.  They were supposed to cede the division crown to the Vikings.  They weren’t supposed to get anywhere with their quarterback.  They want to prove the doubters wrong.  The Packers will prevail.  34-27.

Is Jessica going to be at this game?

Also, what’s the over/under for how many times John Madden and Al Michaels mention Favre?  I’m saying 27 before halftime.  And I’m taking over 40 for the game.

Any takers?

Aaron Rodgers

Yes, we all knew this one was coming. Rodgers has the hopes and dreams of millions to deal with while leading the Packers offense. The offense (and team most likely) will go as Rodgers goes. If he’s doing well, the team will. If he doesn’t do well, then the team most likely won’t. The main key for him is to stay healthy and stay off of his back. Staying off his back leads to our next key for the season…

The Offensive Line

For Rodgers to be successful, he needs a successful or at least decent offensive line. The Packers offensive line is bookended by Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher who have been through just about everything in the green and gold. The middle three positions of the offensive line is where the concern pops up. Center Scott Wells is listed as questionable for Monday night’s opener against the Minnesota Vikings, which means that guard Jason Spitz will slide over to center, giving Darryn Colledge and Allen Barbre the starting nods, most likely.  The Packers offensive linemen will be the key to Rodgers’ success this season.  If they keep him upright, the Packers win ten games.  If they don’t, then that really sucks.

The Secondary

Al Harris is 33.  Charles Woodson is 31.  They’re obviously nearing the end of their line.  After them is a group of unproven or subpar defensive backs.  Jarrett Bush remains on the team because he can also play safety.  Tramon Williams came on strong at the end of last year, but he will have to back it up this year.  Will Blackmon is usually injured and Patrick Lee is green.  At safety, Atari Bigby has the strong safety spot locked up, but Nick Collins barely beat out the young, big, and athletic Aaron Rouse for that spot.  Expect to see a lot of Rouse this year in the secondary, as Mike McCarthy really likes him.  The Dallas Cowboys come to town Week 3.  The Indianapolis Colts come in Week 7.  Will the secondary be ready to stop these aerial assaults?

Week 3 appears to be one of the biggest games on the schedules for the Packers.  Last year the Packers went down the Irving, Texas (wait, I thought they played in Dallas?) to meet the Cowboys in a battle of 10-1 teams.  Many thought this game would be a preview of the NFC Championship Game later in the season.  Unfortunately not, as the Cowboys blew the divisional playoff game against the eventual Super Bowl-champion New York Giants.  The Cowboys started out fast and the Packers could not keep up, with the Cowboys taking the 37-27 victory and eventually control of the No. 1-seed in the NFC.  Not that it helped them, of course.  This game also gave Packer fans a taste of the future.  Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre suffered an elbow injury early in the game, paving the way for Aaron Rodgers to bring the Packers to within three points before the Pack Attack eventually succumbed.

This game showed that Rodgers could (hopefully) handle the pressure of being a starting quarterback in the NFL.  Other than that and some shifting on the Cowboys offensive line, both teams return with basically identical lineups.  This game will be exciting and it will be interesting to see how Rodgers responds in his second nationally-televised game in three weeks.  This will also be the first time John Madden broadcasts a Packers game that does not have Favre as the starter in 16 years.  I’m setting the over/under on Favre references at 20.  And I’m taking over.  Will Madden follow the ESPN approach and just bash, bash, and bash the Packers and Rodgers?  Or will he be rational?  I’m saying he’ll bash, but less than ESPN would.  Let’s get to the keys to this game:

Packers secondary vs. Cowboys wide receivers: In November, the Packers were torn apart by Tony Romo and the Cowboys air attack, as any or most Cowboys fans will be quick to tell you.  However, a large of group people are forgetting that Packers starter Charles Woodson missed this game with a toe injury, leaving Al Harris to fight Terrell Owens on his own.  This also led to botched coverages by Tramon Williams, Jarrett Bush, and whoever the hell else was back there on Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, and possibly Sam Hurd.  Putting Woodson back there changes the landscape of the secondary and makes it more difficult for Romo.  The safety trio of Atari Bigby, Aaron Rouse, and Nick Collins will also be counted on to bring the hammer down on the Cowboys wide receivers.  If Green Bay controls the secondary, they control most of the game.

Packers O-line vs. Cowboys front seven: Favre was absolutely wrecked last year in the pocket in this game.  Actually, there probably never was a pocket for most of it.  The four- and five-wide receiver sets that made the Packers so dangerous down the stretch worked to a disadvantage has Favre held on to the ball too long and allowed the Cowboys to bring an extra rusher, making him force some of his classic throws.  The Packers need their O-line to develop for this game.  Mike McCarthy does not want Rodgers on his back with Greg Ellis, DeMarcus Ware, and Zach Thomas on top of him for most of this one.  Veterans Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher will be counted on again to hold down the fort while the mess that is the interior line gets settled and hopefully gels for this game.  The Packers are also going to have to open up running lanes for Ryan Grant. Grant got in one good run last year against the Cowboys, but was stymied for the rest of the game.  They Packers got to get him going to take pressure off the passing game.

Cowboys secondary vs. Packers wide receivers and Aaron Rodgers: The Cowboys also revamped their secondary this offseason.  They locked up Terrence Newman and Ken Hamlin in the offseason, while Anthony Henry and Roy Williams (a glorified linebacker) return to the fold.  The additions are what makes this group key.  Mike Jenkins was a first-round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft while Adam Jones (aka Pacman), if reinstated, gives the Cowboys a dangerous secondary for Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, and James Jones to contend with.  This game will turn very physical, so the Packers will definitely need big wide receivers Ruvell Martin and rookie Jordy Nelson to step up and become factors.  Rodgers will need these guys to get open in order to be successful.

The Verdict: There’s so many more keys to this game than the ones mentioned.  The Cowboys really look like they are gearing up for a Super Bowl run this year and they seem to have the mindset for it, so the Cowboys get the nod, 38-24.

The Packers are now 2-1 after Week 3.

For this Week 2 matchup, the Packers, fresh off of an emotionally draining 24-21 win over the Minnesota Vikings, travel southeast to the grand city of Detroit to take on the Lions. In recent years, the Packers have somewhat dominated the Lions, but they have had some close games as well. This should be a close game, as the Lions are young and developing (except for the quarterback position) and are hungry. Jon Kitna does think the team can win 10 games.

Matchups To Watch

Packers defensive backs vs. Lions wide receivers: Offensive coordinator Mike Martz is gone, but that does not mean the Lions don’t have the potential to become the next greatest show on turf. Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Mike Furrey, and Shaun McDonald can put up big numbers with Kitna at the helm. Al Harris and Charles Woodson will have their hands full in this game, as will whoever wins the battle for the third-corner spot, most likely Tramon Williams. This game could be an early test to show if whoever won the job really deserves it. Atari Bigby and Nick Collins/Aaron Rouse will also have to show their cover jones.

Packers defensive line vs. Lions offensive line/running backs: A week after having their hands full against a fantastic offensive line and running game, the Packers get to see how they will do against a mediocre offensive line and running game. They could have the opportunity to feast on rookie Kevin Smith and product of the Denver Broncos system Tatum Bell and this could be a confidence booster, depending on how Week 1 against Minny goes.

Lions defensive backs vs. Packers wide receivers: The Lions have long been looking to revamp their secondary and now have three starting-caliber cornerbacks on their roster in Brian Kelly, Travis Fisher, and Leigh Bodden, acquired in the offseason from the Cleveland Browns as part of the Shaun Rogers trade. This gives the Lions three good corners to line up across from the Packers three good wide receivers, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, and James Jones. The Packers wideouts can destroy on a good day, as evidenced by Driver’s Thanksgiving Day performance in 2007. The Lions have obviously worked hard in the offseason to try to combat this.

The Verdict: I’m taking the Packers again, 28-14. The Lions should keep it close at the beginning, but in the end, they are not quite up to the level of the Packers. Another 7-9 season for you, Kitna.

Packers record after Week 2: 2-0.