Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Mike Morbeck
It hasn’t all gone to plan for Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packers so far in 2016 but the two-time Super Bowl champions may be set for a much-improved showing in the remainder of the regular campaign. At 4-4, Green Bay have been far from their best and their offensive woes have haunted their chances of glory all season.
The Packers fell to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9 but James Starks’ imminent return from injury will give Green Bay a much needed boost. Since game 1, the Packers offense has been hurt by numerous setbacks throughout the campaign but Starks should, in theory, be fresher for the postseason – providing McCarthy’s men raise their game and reach the playoffs for the tenth time in 11 years.
To be fair to Aaron Rodgers, he has upped his own performances in recent times but the Packers quarterback hasn’t been able to influence games as often as in previous years; although it would certainly be harsh to claim that Rodgers’ shortcomings are solely to blame for Green Bay’s disappointing slump. The lack of a coherent, organised running game has seriously hindered his play-making ability under center and Green Bay will be hoping that the situation will change when Starks returns. Even an unfit Eddie Lacy was better than this makeshift backfield.
On defense, Clay Matthews looks set to bounce back from a hamstring injury in the very near future; and his return to the side will give the Packers a lift ahead of a difficult run-in. Matthews is certainly one of the most versatile defensive stars in the NFL and his ability to line-up at either inside or outside line-backer gives Green Bay plenty of scope to wreak havoc on defense. This year, many believed that the Packers defense would finally take responsibility and make a significant improvement but it just hasn’t worked out that way.
However, Matthews’ return will re-install belief and confidence on the defensive side of the ball – and that can only mean good things for Green Bay’s Super Bowl aspirations. At the time of writing, the Packers are still behind the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North battle but punters can back McCarthy’s men at 14/1 in bet365’s NFL odds markets to produce a memorable comeback in the second half of the campaign and win the Super Bowl. As of November 7th, the showpiece event isn’t out of reach just yet.
If Starks can find his feet quickly, the Packers will be in contention at the end of the regular season. A positive running game is essential for offensive success; as good as Rodgers is, he cannot do it all on his own. And with defensive stud Matthews returning to the fray in the coming weeks, Green Bay are getting healthy at exactly the right time. With improved play-calling and a bit of luck, the Packers could be set for another prolonged run into the playoffs in January.
