The Green Bay Packers have been Super Bowl contenders nearly every season that Aaron Rodgers has been the starter in northeast Wisconsin.
That doesn’t figure to change in 2022. They are the favorites to win the NFC North yet again, which means they would be guaranteed at least one home playoff game in January.
Green Bay has the winningest coach in NFL history to start off his career in Matt LaFleur. A four-time MVP and arguably the greatest QB of all time, Aaron Rodgers, at the helm.
Arguably the best RB duo in the league in Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. Talented WR prospects joining an already-experienced corps.
A top-10 defense that continues to load up with young talent. And presumably a much-improved special teams unit in 2022 with new, experienced coordinator Rich Bisaccia leading that group.
The Packers are primed for a storybook season.
To get to Arizona in February, they must get past some familiar, out-of-division foes from the last few seasons.
The two largest threats to a Green Bay Super Bowl run are the defending champions in the Los Angeles Rams and the champs from two seasons ago in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Rams haven’t particularly been a thorn in the side of the Packers the last two seasons.
In their last two meetings, the Packers have dominated both, winning by a combined score of 68-44.
The Buccaneers have been more of a problem. The two teams did not meet last year but in 2020, Tampa beat the Packers twice, including at Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship Game.
With Tom Brady coming out of retirement and Matthew Stafford getting over his playoff struggles, those two teams, especially with their talented defenses, appear to be the biggest threats to Green Bay.
A team like the San Francisco 49ers could pose a problem for Green Bay as well. Both teams have split the last six meetings, including last season’s divisional round game in which San Francisco upset the Packers 13-10.
The 49ers and Buccaneers have given the Packers trouble due to their physicality along the trenches and offensive creativity.
It is important to note that in Green Bay’s last two playoff losses to the 49ers and Buccaneers, that were both at home, All-Pro LT David Bakhtiari was not available due to his ACL injury. Against San Francisco, Pro Bowl G Elgton Jenkins was also not available due to an ACL tear.
The belief has to be that if Matt LaFleur’s offense is fully healthy, especially along the line, they are best team in the NFC.
Of course, in the AFC, there are loads of super contenders.
Look no further than the AFC West. All four teams appear to be “going for it all”. The Buffalo Bills, who will meet the Packers in the upcoming regular season, could be considered the overall Super Bowl favorites of the league.
Look out for those Cincinnati Bengals too, who won the AFC last season. Fortunately, Green Bay doesn’t have to face that gauntlet each season in the NFC.
The Rams, despite their superstardom, haven’t been difficult for the Packers to handle recently. Also, there hasn’t been a repeat Super Bowl champ since the early days of the New England Patriots dynasty.
Tampa Bay, although they have been tough to beat with Brady, will be moving on without Bruce Arians and giving the head-coaching reins to former DC Todd Bowles.
San Francisco, a team trying to resolve things with WR Deebo Samuel, could enter a form of a rebuild season, especially if veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo is moved.
Even losing All-Pro WR Davante Adams will take some time getting used to for Green Bay. It is safe to say the NFC is wide open.
But the Packers have as good a shot as any team in the NFC to get to Arizona next February.
They have a winner in Matt LaFleur. They have their first-ballot Hall-of-Fame QB in Aaron Rodgers.
They drafted elite defensive talent early on in last week’s draft and also added three talented receivers to help round that WR corps into form. They have their top-10 defense. Their special teams unit, which was the worst in all of the NFL in 2021, should be much better.
This team has won 13 games in each of the last three seasons. Their 39 wins is the most a team has had in three seasons without winning the Super Bowl in NFL history.
The Packers have been knocking on the door for a while. The door is starting to creep open.