5 NFL teams who might be regression candidates for 2020 season
By John Buhler
Scouting Report. Green Bay Packers. player. 49. Pick Analysis. NFC. North. 3
Could the Green Bay Packers repeat as NFC North champions? Totally, as they have the best quarterback in the division over Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford. Plus, the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions can’t be trusted to field good teams annually. However, the only way the Packers are playing in the NFC Championship game next year is if they have home-field advantage.
Matt LaFleur is returning to Green Bay as a second-year head coach. Green Bay can win double-digit games next year, as they probably should, but no, they’re not going 13-3 again. The NFC in its entirety is too competitive for it to happen for Green Bay in back-to-back years. Playing a first-place schedule means they’re the hunted again and not the hunter like they’ve been recently.
Aaron Rodgers is good enough to help the Packers get to a Super Bowl, but he’s no longer capable of carrying this team on his own. That’s not a major detriment of his playing ability, as there are only two quarterbacks who can carry their teams on their back at this time: Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks. That’s it. Nobody else.
Green Bay must have a phenomenal defense and see marked improvement in the running game. Having Aaron Jones in the backfield is a boost for the Packers, but Green Bay was largely viewed as a soft team in the NFC a season ago. Assuming other great teams in the conference don’t fall apart physically down the stretch again, Green Bay won’t get back to the NFC Championship game.