Why the Packers will be back in the NFC North hunt in 2019
Why the Green Bay Packers will get back in the NFC North hunt this year.
The past two seasons have been rough for Green Bay Packers fans. As hard as is it has been to watch the team dealing with injuries, and watching the disconnect between coaches and players, as well as having to read countless articles talking about how bad of shape the team was in, it was even harder to watch the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears win the division in 2017 and 2018.
Both teams did it this with amazing defenses. Well, 2019 is the year the Packers join that party. In year two of Mike Pettine’s defense with the key additions of Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Adrian Amos and first-round picks Rashan Gary and Darnell Savage, expect the defense to lead the way this season.
If the Packers can get second-year jumps from their first three picks last year — Jaire Alexander, Josh Jackson and Oren Burks — this defense has top 5-10 potential all day long.
Another reason to be optimistic about the Packers’ chances this season goes by the name Aaron Charles Rodgers. If Rodgers can stay healthy, there is no reason to think, in this new offense, that he can’t thrive and show us all he’s still the MVP type player he was in the past. He can say that Bleacher Report article isn’t extra motivation all he wants, but we all know he will be hellbent on showing everybody he can excel and flourish with Matt LaFleur.
An improved offensive line and hopefully second-year jumps from the three drafted wide receivers should help Rodgers in his quest as well. The Bears’ swarming defense isn’t going away. The Vikings and their plethora of offensive playmakers aren’t going to fade off into the sunset.
Even the Lions, who swept the Packers last year, aren’t going to just lay down. But I have full confidence that the 2019 Green Bay Packers will be back in the hunt this year. All the potential is there for this team to finally have a defense to back up the offense. A highly motivated future Hall of Fame quarterback with a new creative head coach. All of this will be just what the Packers need to get back on top on the highly competitive NFC North.