2008 Green Bay Packers
Written August 10, 2008 by Jason Lowry
We are nearing the start of another exciting NFL season, and its time Jason Lowry gave you his 2008 Green Bay Packers season predictions. The Packers put together a pretty surprising season, as Brett Favre found the magic of old, and with the help of a great defense the Packers went on to finish the season at 13-3 safely atop the NFC North. The Packers fell just short of the Super Bowl with a tough loss to the Giants in the NFC Championship game. This season the Packers are now without Brett Favre, as he was traded to the Jets after a crazy string of events. The Packers really didn’t add much to help this year’s team, and that means they think Aaron Rodgers is ready to step in and lead this team to the playoffs right now. To get a good idea at just what the Packers will look like, lets take a look at who they will be sending out on the field this season.
Offense:
Its up to Rodgers to step in and take over, after spending numerous years on the bench studying and learning from one of the best to ever play the position. Just incase Rodgers struggles the Packers selected Brian Brohm in the draft. The Packers running game remained intact as they were able to work a deal out with running back Ryan Grant, who came in and put up nearly a 1,000 yards in 10 games as a starter. The receiving group remains the same with Donald Driver and Greg Jennings leading the way along side the emerging tight end Donald Lee. The offensive line is pretty solid led by veteran tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, on the inside guys like guards Daryn Colledge and Jason Splits could be really fighting to keep their job from a guy like Allen Barbre. This unit should still be good, but its going to be interesting to see if the receivers stay happy without Favre throwing them the ball.
Packers +900 odds to win NFC Championship at Sportsbook.com
Defense:
This unit combined with the high scoring power of the offense, was a good reason why this team was able to put together such a good season. On the defensive line guys like end Aaron Kampman and tackle Ryan Pickett continue to help this group rank among the top. The team is really hoping that Johnny Jolly can return to his form from last year before he got hurt late in the season. At linebacker the Packers look pretty set with the addition of Brandon Chillar to go along side the very talented duo of A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett. The secondary should be good again this year with corners Al Harris and Charles Woodson, playing alongside safeties Nick Collins and Atari Bigby. Woodson and Harris are still very good, but they are getting old and can’t play forever. Bigby really came on late last season, while Collins continued to disappoint.
Packers +2500 odds to win Super Bowl at Sportsbook.com
Special Teams:
The Packers look to be pretty solid in one of the most important parts of the game, as they look like they found the answer at kicker in Mason Crosby. Punter Jon Ryan needs to improve or he might lose his job. The return game was mostly handled by backup corner Will Backmon when healthy, but don’t be surprised if rookie receiver Jordy Nelson doesn’t get a shot.
Packers Over/Under 8.5 wins in 2008 at Sportsbook.com
Prediction: 2nd in NFC North
The Packers can finally move on without have to deal with all the attention surrounding Brett Favre. While some think this team is nothing without Favre, we believe that this team is going to still be very good and will likely give Minnesota everything it can handle in the North. We think that the Packers are going to finish right around 9-7, which should be good enough to make it into the post season once again.
If you want to get a bet in on any of the Packers odds to win this season, head over to Sportsbook.com and get an account started today. If you are looking for some more information on the upcoming season, be sure to check out these great Packer Predictions.