During the offseason, the Green Bay Packers lost one of their top players in wide receiver Davante Adams. His departure can lead to struggles on offense, especially with no other wideout compensating for his production.
But despite that considerable roster change, the Packers will still likely be a good wager to make the playoffs in 2022 for anyone interested in betting on the NFL, because Aaron Rodgers will find a way to make things work. While losing Adams may haunt them at times, they should still win enough games to clinch a postseason berth. It also helps that they have been dominating a weak NFC North.
Rodgers has been the heart and soul of the Packers’ offense since he took over from Favre in 2008. Aside from his Super Bowl title and Super Bowl MVP trophy, he has also won four Most Valuable Player awards. His haul includes consecutive MVPs in 2020 and 2021.
Aside from Rodgers, the Packers have a solid backfield tandem with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. Other key players on offense include Sammy Watkins, Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, Robert Tonyan, and left tackle David Bakhtiari.
Green Bay boasts Preston Smith, De’Vondre Campbell, Rashan Gary, and Jaire Alexander on defense. The Packers also have a reliable kicker in Mason Crosby.
The Packers have won 13 games in each of Matt LaFleur’s first three seasons in Green Bay. But they fall short during the playoffs, especially after losing consecutive NFC Championship Games in 2019 and 2020. Last season, the Packers had a first-round bye after finishing with the NFC’s best record. Unfortunately, they lost to the San Francisco 49ers at home.
However, the Packers have been one of the most consistent teams since 2010, when they won Super Bowl XLV. Since then, they have missed the playoffs only twice and have played in four NFC Championship Games. Green Bay has had seven playoff victories over the last decade.
The Green Bay Packers were established in 1919, making them the NFL’s third-oldest franchise. Aside from their current name, they were also identified as the Indian Packers and the Acme Packers during the early 1920s. They are the only non-profit, community-owned professional sports team in the United States.
While Packers games exude a small-town feel, they have been one of the best football teams in history, winning 11 NFL Championships and four Super Bowls. After winning the first two Super Bowls, it took three decades until they added another title to their collection. The trophy given to the winning Super Bowl team is named after legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi.
The Packers have been playing their home games at Lambeau Field since 1957. It is the oldest continually operating NFL stadium and can accommodate over 81,000 people. Given its age, the stadium has undergone six renovations from 2001 to 2015.
While Packers fans can get loud during the game, the sub-zero temperature in games during winter gives opponents a tough time at Lambeau Field. Hence, its extremely cold conditions earned it the name “Frozen Tundra.” Visiting teams must deal with the cold weather aside from keeping their head on the game.
The Packers’ biggest rivals are the teams within their division, particularly the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears. The Bears-Packers rivalry dates back to the league’s formative years but has been lopsided recently. But Rodgers rekindled the rivalry by saying he still “owns” the team. The Packers have the edge in this rivalry, 104-95-6.
Meanwhile, the Packers-Vikings rivalry intensified significantly when longtime quarterback Brett Favre traded the green and white for purple. While Green Bay won most of the games over the last few years, the Vikings defeated the Packers during their 2022 season-opener. The Packers lead the record, 64-57-3.