The Green Bay Packers In 2009: Defense Is Key

With the season's first meaningful kickoff only a week away, the Green Bay Packers are that close to officially being able to put last season in the rear view mirror. And who can blame them? The first two games gave every Packer fan such a sense of relief it only seemed logical it would come crashing down almost as quickly as it had started. It started with a huge statement win at home against Minnesota, topped off by a one-yard plunge by Aaron Rodgers to solidify the game, and the Packers' choice of him over Favre. It ended with the team losing seven of nine and falling woefully short of the playoffs that seemed almost automatic after Week Two. Yet, while football is a team game, the Packers' difficulties did not stem from troubles on both sides of the ball. The offense was fantastic all year, finishing ranked fifth in the NFL in points per game. The running game had it faults as Ryan Grant was unable to match his productivity of the second half of the 2007 season, but...