Packers roundtable: Will Green Bay run the table again?

Will the Green Bay Packers run the table? The Lombardi Ave staff weigh in with their thoughts.

Aaron Rodgers once told us to relax. Then he said the Packers could run the table. Both times he was right.

This year Rodgers’ actions could speak louder than his words. All signs are pointing to a Week 15 return for the two-time MVP, so long as the Packers can get past the winless Browns this week.

After escaping Lambeau Field with an overtime victory over the Bucs last week, Brett Hundley might need to lead his team to one more victory before the Packers get their superstar passer back on the field.

The Packers have made the playoffs in a season Rodgers missed time with a broken collarbone before. Can history repeat itself?

Will the Packers run the table?

Ralph Mancini: The Packers playoff hopes hang by a thread, as they not only need to win their four remaining games, but also require other postseason contenders to falter down the stretch in order to stake their claim on a wild-card spot.

Looking at the teams left on the schedule, I have no doubt in claiming that Green Bay can win against every one of their opponents, except for the Vikings.

That’s the game every fan should have circled on their respective calendars. It’ll be a pre-Christmas Saturday-night rivalry showdown and you can rest assured that the Purple People Eaters will relish nothing more than leaving their familiar foes on the outside looking in.

Aaron Rodgers can use the Panthers game as a tune-up in preparing for the Dec. 23 game, but he’s not the primary concern. It’s the rest of the team that should have Packer backers worried.

An inspired effort by Rodgers and the offense may help the Packers dictate the tempo of the game, but I just haven’t seen enough from the defense to confidently predict that the home team will be able to finish off Minnesota two weeks from now.

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However, there is still time for Dom Capers to make some adjustments to tighten up the run defense.

If the Packers’ defense can drop the hammer on the woeful Browns and their painfully inept rookie quarterback, that will go a long way in changing my mind.

If they can then follow that up by forcing Cam Newton to turn over the ball a few times and beat Carolina in Charlotte, that would make me extremely hopeful and enthusiastic heading into Week 16.

But as things currently stand, I can see our boys hitting a road block in late December.

Brad Miller: Will the Packers run the table? That is a loaded question. We know that it is possible given the events of last year and the imminent return of Aaron Rodgers to the starting lineup. So it could happen. But I don’t think it will.

First off, when and how effective Rodgers is a big question mark. Let’s say he does come back next week. Should we expect him to be at 100 percent? Is that reasonable? We know that he has the heart and the determination to play and be effective but will his body let him perform at the level he or we expect?

To win outright means that Brett Hundley has got to win at least another game for the Packers. The way his play has been I would not count on him to do that. He’s been so erratic that it has been a mystery on which Hundley shows up this week or the next.

Will it be the one that fought admirably against a tough Steelers team in Pittsburgh or the one who completed 13 passes for 88 yards against the Bucs at home?

I don’t believe that Hundley can effectively take the next step in his starting quarterback role this year or maybe ever. I like the guy but he isn’t figuring it out with all of those tools on offense for him.