No Pressure...

The Monkey and I contend that The Football Gods will smite the 2008 Green Bay Packers for their hubris, inflexibility, and short-sightedness. The idea that the Packers will be able to orchestrate a playoff push without a single quarterback on their roster with an NFL start gracing their resume is ludicrous. The Packers are the youngest team in the NFL and that youth and inexperience will prove to be a detriment as this upcoming season unfolds.

Head Coach Mike McCarthy is mostly unproven, compiling an 8-8 record in his rookie season with a future Hall of Fame quarterback at the helm. It is no coincidence that the Packers’ phenomenal run last year coincided with former QB Brett Favre’s third-best statistical season ever. The Packers’ success last year was tied directly to Favre’s success. In other words, without Brett under center, the Packers will likely perform at level somewhat below their 2006 campaign, as it is a football fact that a football team cannot succeed without a solid quarterback leading the way (the Trent Dilfer-led Baltimore Ravens being the notable exception). With a completely unproven fourth-year “rookie” running the show, Coach McCarthy will have to start all over.

I couldn’t help but chuckle the other night watching a few minutes of the Thursday ESPN telecast of the Cardinals-Saints preseason game. Loudmouth know-it-all former QB and self-professed gamefilm guru Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser engaged in a little verbal sparring over how the Packers will fare without Brett Favre, and listening to Jaworski’s arguments in favor of Aaron Rodgers revealed the borderline insanity that no doubt fueled the Packers organization’s decision-making process (and other who supported their move) over the last few weeks. Jaworski had to add such a litany of qualifiers in order to extol the virtues of his little man-crush Rodgers and Kornheiser took him to task on it.

Kornheiser maintained, as I do, that the focus should be to win now, not in the future, and Favre gave the Packers the best chance for that possibility. Jaworski ridiculously dismissed the “win now” argument, gushing in favor of the completely insane notion that the Packers were instead in the midst of “building a dynasty” on the shoulder pads of Mr. Aaron Rodgers. “Dynasty?” Kornheiser guffawed, to which Jaws went on to add caveat after caveat, like if this kid turns out to be good, and if he doesn’t get injured, and if the rest of the team performs, and if McCarthy’s gameplans turn out to be effective, blah, blah, blah.

Breaking Down The Packers’ 2008 Schedule

Thanks to “Jet” Favre, the Packers owned one of the best records in football in 2007, earning them a tougher schedule in 2008.

Fortunately they get to play the Lions and Bears twice every year, and I think they will probably split those four games. The Minnesota Vikings were extremely tough last year, depsite lackluster play at the QB position. I think the Vikes will likely sweep their games with the Packers this season.

The Cowboys, Colts, and Seahawks (playing at home) will all definitely beat the Packers this season, and the Bucs maybe, depending on what happens at the QB position. Down the stretch they also face tough games against the Panthers and at the Titans, Saints, and Jaguars. The Texans, whom the Pack contends with in Week 14, made some huge improvements last season and are no longer guaranteed W’s on anybody’s schedule.

Bottom line, this is no schedule for a young blood to be learning the ropes of the NFL. Aaron Rodgers will be tested frequently and early. If he thought it were a bad thing to have to play second fiddle one more year to Brett Favre now he will be under the microscope more than any other QB in the league, except perhaps the guy wearing number “4″ down in New Jersey.