Green Bay Packers: Will Their Defense Deny Packers a Chance at Perfection?

With a perfect record and a 14-0 lead against the Minnesota Vikings Monday night after one quarter, the Green Bay Packers must be thinking about a perfect season. Of course, their goal will be returning to the Super Bowl, but what team wouldn't want to finish 19-0 with the Lombardi trophy in hand? During the Super Bowl era, only two teams have finished with perfect records- Miami and New England. The 1972 Dolphins went on to win the Super Bowl, while the 2007 Patriots were upset in the Super Bowl by the Giants. With their high-powered offense, led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Packers can score virtually at will in 2011. Their weakness has been their defense, more specifically their pass defense. The Packers defense ranks 30th in the NFL, while the pass defense ranks 31st. With some talent up front for the Packers, including nose tackle B.J. Raji, their run defense and pass rush is good enough to hold opponents when it counts. Their secondary, however, has been getting lit up in 2011. If the Packers are interested in perfection this year, a somewhat soft schedule the rest of the way should make it a real possibility. If they can't find a fix for the defense, however, a perfect season and a return trip to the Super Bowl might be out of the question.