You know, that last Green Bay Packers team to win a Super Bowl.
There are some similarities between this year’s Green Bay Packers and the 2010 Green Bay Packers.
Both teams did the following:
- Finished 10-6
- Were second in the NFC North
- Were 3-3 in their final six games
- Failed to produce a 1,000-yard rusher
And that’s about where the similarities end, with the exception of the players and coaches who were a part of both teams.
The 2010 Packers actually looked much better than their record. That team finished ninth in total offense and 10th in scoring offense, with 24.2 points per game. They finished fifth in total defense and second in scoring defense, giving up just 15 a game.
The 2010 Packers also won their last two regular season games, while this team dropped their last two.
As you’ve probably witnessed, the 2015 Packers don’t look as good as their record. They were 23rd in total offense and 15th in scoring offense (23 per game). The defense ranked 15th overall and 12th in scoring (20.2 per game).
As you can see, the 2010 unit was markedly better on both offense and defense.
Another big difference is the way Aaron Rodgers was playing.
On the surface, there’s not a huge difference between those two quarterbacks…
2010: 3,922 yards, 28 TDs, 11 INTs
2015: 3,821 yards, 31 TDs, 8 INTs
But if you get down into the real nitty gritty, you see the difference…
2010: 8.3 yards per attempt, 65.7 completion percentage, 101.2 QB rating
2015: 6.7 yards per attempt, 60.7 completion percentage, 92.7 QB rating
Rodgers was insanely accurate during that Super Bowl run. He hasn’t been accurate at all this year.
Plus, even though that 2010 team wasn’t stocked with playmakers — Greg Jennings (1,265) was the only receiver over 1,000 yards — that team had guys playing well at the right time.
You’ll remember that’s when James Starks burst on the scene.
Plus, the defense was creating turnovers on a weekly basis.
If these Packers are going to make a run, they’ll need guys who haven’t played particularly well all season to step up. They’re also going to need improved play from their defense, especially in the turnover department.
While those things are certainly possible, based on what we’ve seen for 16 weeks, we wouldn’t call them probable.