Packers make top 10 in Week 2 NFL Spin Zone power rankings

A statement victory in Week 1 sees the Green Bay Packers move up to No. 10 in the power rankings.

To win against the defending NFC North champions, the Packers would need to do a few things — play well enough on offense, stop the run, and win the field position battle.

They achieved all three. The offensive performance wasn’t easy to watch at times, but one magical touchdown drive proved to be the difference between the two teams. Green Bay’s new-look defense dominated, keeping Chicago out of the end zone for all four quarters.

JK Scott ensured the field position battle remained mostly in the Packers’ favor, averaging 47.6 yards per punt.

As a result, the Packers move up four positions in NFL Spin Zone’s Week 2 power rankings by Dan Parzych to 10th place, jumping ahead of the Bears. They’re right there among many of the NFL’s top contenders, and one position higher than the Los Angeles Chargers. Consider that an excellent start to 2019 for Matt LaFleur’s team.

The Packers’ defense led the team to a divisional victory on the road, something we haven’t seen in some time. And by winning this game, Green Bay matched its total number of victories away from Lambeau Field in the entire 2018 season. That says a lot about last year’s team.

Last season, the Packers couldn’t win the close games. Six of their nine losses were settled by a touchdown or less. It was nice to see them close out a low-scoring game last Thursday.

But championships aren’t won in Week 1. The Packers will need to build on their win in the season opener by overcoming another tough challenge this week with the Minnesota Vikings visiting Lambeau Field.

After one week, Green Bay looked like a contender and deservedly makes the top 10 of the NFL Spin Zone power rankings. But it can quickly change, and the team will need to match last week’s performance on Sunday afternoon against Minnesota.