6. Green Bay Packers
The NFC Championship loss to the Falcons exposed the 2016 Packers. Fortunately for Green Bay, the 2017 team figures to be much different than the one that couldn’t hang with Atlanta.
The Packers made the NFC Championship Game with a depleted defense and a makeshift rushing attack. What happens when the defense is healthy? What about the running backs? If nothing else, Ty Montgomery should be a much better running back with more experience and a training camp under his belt at the position.
It’s also been suggested that Green Bay will be more active in free agency, which you can read about here.
That all figures to make the team better.
Most importantly, we can’t count the Packers out because of one position that will not be different — quarterback. Any team with Aaron Rodgers is in with a chance.
It hasn’t always been easy (see 2016), but Green Bay has qualified for the postseason in each of the last eight seasons. No team has a longer active streak, and only New England has an active streak that’s as long.
Nobody can win a Super Bowl without making the playoffs and the Packers are a safe bet to do that. But they’re also a safe bet to make some noise once there.