2014 Green Bay Packers: Season prediction – Part II

Jan 5, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb (18) during the 2013 NFC wild card playoff football game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field. San Francisco won 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Week 13: Green Bay Packers vs New England Patriots

This game should bring us a quarterback matchup that we haven’t truly seen: Aaron Rodgers vs. Tom Brady. In fact, this will be the first time ever as starters where they face each other; in 2006, Rodgers broke his foot during play in a Pats blowout, and in 2010 he sat out with a concussion while Matt Flynn almost stole one in Foxborough.

There are multiple similarities between the two. Both are great and lead strong, weapon-filled offenses. They have been named MVP in the regular season and the Super Bowl. And both are very used to carrying their offensive-laden teams year after year only to see the defense let them down yet again in the playoffs.

In the offseason, both teams added pieces and adjusted schemes to hopefully fix those issues, but it remains to be seen if those moves will pay off. In theory, players like Darrelle Revis (New England) and Julius Peppers (Green Bay), but they and their teams must prove to be improved when it matters.

For this game, I expact some of those hopeful defensive additions to pay off on both sides, seeing Revis and the secondary in New England help impact the Packers dynamic passing attack while Peppers helps Clay Matthews and the rest of the Packers defense attack the Patriots weakened offensive line to pressure Tom Brady and throw off their passing attack as well.

What I think will decide this one will end up being the running games. New England does have a talented assortment of players in Stevan Ridley/ Shane Vereen/James White/Brandon Bolden – all of whom bring unique arrays of talents to the game – but I think the Packers combination of Eddie Lacy/James Starks/DuJuan Harris is a superior grouping that is less hindered by their weaknesses (Ridley = fumbles issues, Vereen = injury-prone, White = inexperienced, Bolden = non-dynamic) and will be able to capitalize on their strengths to produce a more productive game than their counterparts.

Green Bay 27
New England 24