MVN: Most Valuable Network

On ESPN's NFL Live Monday, June 29, 2009, both analysts (Cris Carter and James Hasty) said Green Bay was the non-playoff team from 2008 most likely to make the playoffs in 2009. There are few times a 6-10 team can enter the next season as a team that is widely considered a contender to not only make the playoffs, but win their division.

But the Packers outplayed their division rivals head-to-head, going no worse than 1-1 against any team and outscoring all three. They also have the history of dominating their division, winning seven of the last 14 titles.

Plus, with the NFL's parity, it is not unheard of, either. Last season was the first in the short history of the NFC South that the last-place team did not win the division the next year (other than the first season of the division, with no incumbent last-place team).

However, all three other teams in the NFC North have improved in the off-season. Therefore, the Packers need some things to fall in place to make the playoffs; here are the top five keys to the Packers returning to the post-season:

1. Can the Packers' young offensive line hold together?

There are several players the Packers are looking to step up and either take over a starting position or elevate their game to the level it needs to be. Among those who were not on the field last season are T.J. Lang and Breno Giacomini, and others who may be in the mix for starting are Tony Moll, Allen Barbre, Jason Spitz, Josh Sitton, and Daryn Colledge. Incumbents Scott Wells and Chad Clifton struggled with injuries and may lose their spots if they are not healthy this season.

2. How quickly can the Packers defense adjust to the new 3-4 system?

The Packers will have three players with new responsibilities, the most drastic being Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Kampman moving to outside linebacker (where he has not played since college). But either DE Jeremy Thompson or 4-3 outside linebackers Brady Poppinga or Clay Matthews III (a rookie) will play the other spot, and Johnny Jolly or Justin Harrell will be moving from the inside to play end.

3. Will Pat and Kevin Williams have their suspensions reduced by a favourable Minnesota court?

Both players were able to play at the end of last season as a Minnesota court conveniently ruled their suspensions should be delayed for an investigation. This was almost unprecedented, and could be repeated as the final decision is once again in the hands of a court within the team's fan base. If the four games are reduced, the two will be available when the Packers come to town.

4. Will Brett Favre be healthy and if he is, how quickly will he acquire chemistry with his new teammates?

Favre has struggled mightily at the end of the past four seasons, throwing just 15 TDs and 39 picks in the 17 games from Thanksgiving on. But Favre is a definite upgrade over Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels. If he clicks as quickly in Minnesota as he did in New York last season, the Vikings can win in week four even without the Williams Tackle Tandem.

5. How much of a difference will Jay Cutler make for the Chicago Bears?

Cutler will not likely have a Brandon Marshall-quality receiver to throw to for the Bears, who have no receivers on their roster who could even crack the Packers top-four. This could mean Cutler struggles to perform at a much higher level than Kyle Orton did in 2008, but if the Bears can get significantly more out of the quarterback position than they did last year (a 9-7 season), they are probably in the playoffs, making the Packers that much less likely to earn a birth.

The foul stench that emanated from Lambeau Field in 2008 cannot be fully blamed on the players and coaches, nor can it be placed entirely on injuries. It requires an analysis from the top--the seeds of failure are often sown in the spring leading up the season. Hence, I finish my examination of the Packers 2008 season and immediate future by looking at management: General Manager Ted Thompson and Chief Executive Officer Mark Murphy (filling the role an owner would fill in every other organization, not owned by the community). Mark Murphy (became team CEO in December of 2007) Murphy has the responsibility of pushing Thompson in the right direction. In his first full season in charge of the team, he failed to do that. Typically, you want to give a guy--even if you did not hire him--the latitude to make decisions he believes in. And coming off having been... Read more

Using my status as a community leader on Bleacher Report, I was able to obtain a source who had access to a government wiretap left on Brett Favre's Packer-issued cell phone that he had used to speak with the Vikings last summer. (This is the one that the Packers later denied having issued him. It seems that they realized that, having not reported it as compensation to the star quarterback, it was a violation of the league's salary cap requirements and subjected them to a loss of Ted Thompson's coveted draft picks.)According to the source, the tap was originally put on Favre's phone under the auspices of the Patriot Act because the Bush Administration determined that Favre's retirement was unpatriotic given the amount of news and excitement having him in the league generated. President Obama okayed the continued surveillance because he is more obsessed with sports than getting his stimulus... Read more

Now for the seventh and final positional analysis of the Green Bay Packers: Defensive Backs. I began this series on player personnel grades for 2008 and outlook for 2009 before the draft and free agency, so here I will examine only those players on the roster in 2008.CB Charles Woodson, 6'1", 202 lbs., 11 years experience: seven interceptions (169 return yards, two touchdowns), 20 passes defensed, one fumble forced, one fumble recovered, three sacks (14 yards), 79 tackles (66 solo)If you are a wide receiver, you do not want to see this man crouching in front of you. Woodson is one of the five elite cornerbacks in the NFL, and if he is on your side of the field, there is a good chance the ball will not get to you.All of the above Pro Bowl statistics were accomplished playing through a broken toe, an injury that severely limits the... Read more

4: T.J. Lang played for a small college, but played big-time, in-state programs Michigan and Michigan State often enough to see what he could do. He was a starter as a left tackle, but spent time at right tackle, guard, and defensive tackle. as well.At 6'4", 316 pounds, he possesses the size to compete with the likes of Tony Moll and Alan Barbre for the right tackle spot should Mark Tauscher remain unsigned or come back to slowly from reconstructive knee surgery. He is considered a physical player with a good work ethic. In all likelihood, he will not see much action but will provide depth to four of the five line positions--all that can be expected for the 109th pick of the draft.5a: Quinn Johnson played for a big-time program (LSU) and earned a national championship. Fullback was another position of need for the Packers, and they got the... Read more

For years, we admired Brett Favre's childlike love of the game and enthusiasm on the field. It is no wonder he was recently photographed on a lawn chair next to Goofy... Now that he has been granted his request to be released by the New York Jets, speculation is flying that he will indeed attempt one more comeback, and pursue his well-documented wish from last season to play for the Minnesota Vikings.If he does, he is dead to me.Let me start out by saying that I would have taken Brett Favre over any other quarterback to build my team around. I was outright belittled for putting him on a plateau with the likes of Joe Montana.But if you don't have a good line in front of Joe, you better have a great backup QB like Steve Young (simply not feasible in the modern salary-cap era), because he will miss time.... Read more

For years, we admired Brett Favre's childlike love of the game and enthusiasm on the field. It is no wonder he was recently photographed on a lawn chair next to Goofy... Now that he has been granted his request to be released by the New York Jets, speculation is flying that he will indeed attempt one more comeback, and pursue his well-documented wish from last season to play for the Minnesota Vikings.If he does, he is dead to me.Let me start out by saying that I would have taken Brett Favre over any other quarterback to build my team around. I was outright belittled for putting him on a plateau with the likes of Joe Montana.But if you don't have a good line in front of Joe, you better have a great backup QB like Steve Young (simply not feasible in the modern salary-cap era), because he will miss time.... Read more

Ted Thompson's recent drafts have been a mixed bag.His draft this year was certainly all the more under the microscope this year. The Packers are coming off a 6-10 season that was made worse by the lack of production from Thompson's first-round pick in 2007. Defensive tackle Justin Harrell, who is now projected to play end in defensive coordinator Dom Capers' new 3-4 defense, has not played half a season in the two he has been on the payroll.So how did Teddy do? I will examine each draft pick, as well as any trade involved in the selection, starting with day one...1: B.J. Raji--With the ninth pick in the first round, the Packers were able to draft the second-highest rated defensive player in the draft by most experts. Raji was ranked the fifth-best player overall by SCouts, Inc., following the combine, and was the second highest-rated player left, behind Michael... Read more

I apologize for an injury-induced hiatus (an accident in the home sent a broken shard of glass into my wrist, severing three tendons--more evidence that I am the jinx for the injury problems of both the Packers and Sharks this season) on this series. However, I return to analyze the next unit, linebackers, grading both the 2008 season and immediate future at the position. As with the defensive line, I will be grading players for the unit they are listed in now, after the transition to a 3-4 defense, rather than where they played in 2008. Aaron Kampman, OLB (6'4", 265 lbs., eight years experience): 9.5 sacks, 62 tackles, 47 solo in 2008Kampman, who played OLB at Iowa, is the key to this unit. As a DE in a 4-3, he has excelled. He is top-three in the league in sacks since 2006, averaging over 12 sacks and 70 tackles... Read more

The first installment of this series on the defensive side of the ball, it is also the most difficult because it involves the most position changes. However, the packers.com now lists players by their new projected positions, so that is how I will list them whether grading their performance in 2008 or their future outlook with the team.NT Ryan Pickett, 6'2", 330 pounds, nine years experience, 48 tackles, 1.5 sacksPickett is the Packers entire hope for the 3-4 unless they can draft or trade for someone else, because he is the only defensive tackle big enough to handle the responsibilities with any real playing experience. That is a lot to rest on anyone's shoulders, even ones so wide.Pickett was solid in 2008, but not spectacular. He occupied blockers, but did not prevent teams from running up the middle the way Gilbert Brown used to. He is much more athletic than... Read more

The first installment of this series on the defensive side of the ball, it is also the most difficult because it involves the most position changes. However, the packers.com now lists players by their new projected positions, so that is how I will list them whether grading their performance in 2008 or their future outlook with the team.NT Ryan Pickett, 6'2", 330 pounds, nine years experience, 48 tackles, 1.5 sacksPickett is the Packers entire hope for the 3-4 unless they can draft or trade for someone else, because he is the only defensive tackle big enough to handle the responsibilities with any real playing experience. That is a lot to rest on anyone's shoulders, even ones so wide.Pickett was solid in 2008, but not spectacular. He occupied blockers, but did not prevent teams from running up the middle the way Gilbert Brown used to. He is much more athletic than... Read more