What a successful season looks like for the Packers

When a team plays in a city known as "Titletown," they should be in the Super Bowl conversation every single year. 

The Green Bay Packers are in the middle of the Super Bowl conversation heading into 2022. The team has won 41 total games over the last three seasons under head coach Matt LaFleur. Future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers has won back-to-back MVP awards. The Packers have finished as a top 10 unit on offense and defense in each of the last two years. They have won the NFC North each of the last three years and have made two NFC Championship Game appearances. Of course, Green Bay is looking to make it to February for the first time in over a decade. That is exactly what a successful season would be for that team in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

After agreeing to a new three-year deal with Rodgers, Green Bay appears to be the NFC North favorites for the forseeable future. However, the team will be without All-Pro Davante Adams (Las Vegas Raiders) and speedster Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Kansas City Chiefs), who are both now in the AFC West. They did add three new rookie receivers, including second-round pick Christian Watson. They also brought in veteran Sammy Watkins on a one-year deal. With Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb back for another year, the offense will have a nice balance of experience and youth with their pass catchers. The offense also has an elite tandem of running backs in Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones and thunderous running back A.J. Dillon (both eclipsed 1,100 total yards last season). 

Defensively, the team added talented Georgia defenders in linebacker Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt in the first round of April's draft. All-Pro linebacker De'Vondre Campbell, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark, and the talented edge-rush duo of Rashan Gary and Preston Smith appear to be very dangerous (both recorded more than nine sacks last season). It appears the team has the best cornerback trio in the game in All-Pro Jaire Alexander, standout Rasul Douglas (led team with five interceptions last season) and Eric Stokes (led all rookies last season with 13 passes defensed). The elite safety duo of Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage is also a threat for any opposing quarterback, too.

The Packers quite possibly have the most balanced team that they have had in over a decade despite losing a franchise legend in Davante Adams and All-Pro edge rusher Za'Darius Smith. There is a strong, winning culture on Lombardi Avenue. LaFleur has this team in a good place, especially after bringing in veteran special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia to help fix the issues in that phase (nearly four decades of coaching experience). The only thing this franchise hasn't done under LaFleur's leadership is win a Super Bowl. In these next few years, which could be the last we see of Rodgers playing in the NFL, they need to win a Super Bowl. That is the only acceptable definition of success for the Packers in 2022. With an aging Tom Brady in Tampa and history of repeating as champions not on the side of the Los Angeles Rams, the Packers have a great opportunity to bring the Vince Lombardi Trophy back home.