Packers Cardinals

Packers Cardinals

Packers Cardinals

Green Bay Packers Tickets - Rodgers Brings High Hopes For 2010 And Beyond

With one of the worst offensive lines in the league, the Green Bay Packers still had one of the most potent offenses in 2009. Only the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints scored more points during the season than the Packers, with only the Saints having a better point differential. Though the Packers had a disappointing early exit from the playoffs, the future looks bright for the gold and green, which is why <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/green-bay-packers-tickets/">Green Bay Packers tickets</a> are sure to stay at a premium.

The main reason that the future looks so bright certainly is the success of Aaron Rodgers, who has come on as a premier quarterback in the NFL in just two years of starting. After sitting behind famed quarterback Brett Favre for three seasons, Rodgers emerged as one of the most efficient and deadly signal callers around, posting a 93.8 QB rating his first year as a starter and 103.2 his second. Few players could have followed in the footsteps of a legend that had the pull that Favre had in Green Bay, yet Rodgers has responded with unbelievable poise and has set the franchise up for success over the long haul.

But even with Rodgers, the Packers still have plenty of holes that need to be addressed. Despite boasting one of the league's premier defenders in Charles Woodson, the Packers got shredded by Kurt Warner and the Cardinals on the way to losing 51-45 in the first round of the playoffs. Without much of a pass rush, Warner was able to sit back and pick apart the secondary, having his way with the Packers' D the entire game.

The Packers did actually have one of the best overall defenses in terms of yard and points allowed in 2009, though some improvements still need to be made. Outside of Clay Mathews, the Packers lack a legitimate pass rusher and they didn't have a defensive lineman in the top 40 in sacks. Though they technically had the top rushing defense in the NFL a year ago, this is also a very misleading stat. Opposing teams often had to abandon the rush in attempt to keep up with the high-flying Packers offense. If the Packers wish to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders in 2010 or beyond, they will have to get stronger on their defensive front and prove capable of getting a pass rush against some of the top teams in the league.

Offensive line also was a problem for the Packers, and one that needs to be addressed immediately in the draft. Many scouts believed the Packers to have the worst line in the entire league in 2009, which credits the talent and overall abilities of Rodgers in remaining one of the league's very top passers. The NFL is a quarterback league, but for the Packers to keep their advantage moving forward, they will have to build on their offensive line to keep Aaron Rodgers healthy. With so few truly good quarterbacks in the league, the Packers need to protect Rodgers to have a shot at being a consistent Super Bowl contender.

Even with an inconsistent pass rush and atrocious offensive line, the Packers were still one pass away from beating the Cardinals and moving onto the second round of the playoffs in one of the most exciting playoff games in recent memory. In overtime, Rodgers just missed a deep ball to a wide open Greg Jennings that would have ended the game and sent them on to the next round. After hitting receivers all day long, whether covered or not, Rodgers just floated the ball out of Jennings' grasp, and a couple plays later the season was over when he fumbled the ball and it was returned for the game winning score. With a couple nice additions to the team in the draft, though, the Packers should again be playoff bound in 2010. One thing also seems to be fairly clear: the rest of the NFL shouldn't count on Rodgers missing again.

About the Author

David James wrote this article in association with <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/">StubHub</a>. If you are looking for <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/green-bay-packers-tickets/">Green Bay Packers tickets</a>, sports tickets, theatre tickets, concert tickets, or any other kinds of tickets, StubHub.com is one of the best places to find them.