OddsInsight
Free Pick Write-Up
The Pack is Back. No team enjoyed a stronger preseason than Green Bay. In
13 preseason possessions against the Browns,Bills, Cardinals and Titans, the
Packers� first-string put up nine touchdowns and one field with no
turnovers and only one punt. Green Bay�s No. 1 defense came up with
seven takeaways and forced three punts, while giving up one touchdown
and two field goals. Sure preseason is preseason. Detroit, after all, won all
its preseason games last year and then didn�t win a regular-season contest.
But it isn�t a leap of faith to suggest the Packers are vastly better than their
6-10 mark of a year ago when they lost seven games by four points or less.
Just two years ago the Packers were an overtime win away from reaching
the Super Bowl. Brett Favre would have stayed retired if he knew how good
Aaron Rodgers has become. Rodgers was nearly perfect in preseason with
a 147.9 quarterback rating. Favre�s highest preseason rating, by comparison,
was 93.5 in 1997.The Packers played their finest game of the season
when they annihilated Chicago at home last season, 37-3. Green Bay has
made a smooth transition going from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense. It helps having
a healthy linebacker Nick Barnett and lineman Cullen Jenkins. The Bears
haven�t seen a division foe use a 3-4 alignment since 1994. It�s not good
news for workhorse running back Matt Forte. TAKE GREEN BAY MINUS HERE
Free Pick Write-Up
The Pack is Back. No team enjoyed a stronger preseason than Green Bay. In
13 preseason possessions against the Browns,Bills, Cardinals and Titans, the
Packers� first-string put up nine touchdowns and one field with no
turnovers and only one punt. Green Bay�s No. 1 defense came up with
seven takeaways and forced three punts, while giving up one touchdown
and two field goals. Sure preseason is preseason. Detroit, after all, won all
its preseason games last year and then didn�t win a regular-season contest.
But it isn�t a leap of faith to suggest the Packers are vastly better than their
6-10 mark of a year ago when they lost seven games by four points or less.
Just two years ago the Packers were an overtime win away from reaching
the Super Bowl. Brett Favre would have stayed retired if he knew how good
Aaron Rodgers has become. Rodgers was nearly perfect in preseason with
a 147.9 quarterback rating. Favre�s highest preseason rating, by comparison,
was 93.5 in 1997.The Packers played their finest game of the season
when they annihilated Chicago at home last season, 37-3. Green Bay has
made a smooth transition going from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense. It helps having
a healthy linebacker Nick Barnett and lineman Cullen Jenkins. The Bears
haven�t seen a division foe use a 3-4 alignment since 1994. It�s not good
news for workhorse running back Matt Forte. TAKE GREEN BAY MINUS HERE
