NFL Power Rankings: Packers Ranked 2nd or 3rd....

John C. Redfern

11/28/07

Before the NFC showdown between the Packers vs Dallas previewing the probable NFC title game, the Packers are generally ranked 2nd or 3rd with minipreviews of showdown:

2. Sportsline: They can clinch their division this week with a victory against the Cowboys . This has truly been a special season....[O]n an even field I would take Green Bay….[I]t's the NFC's Regular Season Super Bowl. The winner will likely have home-field advantage in the playoffs and probably the inside track to the real one.

2. Covers: Brett Favre set a Green Bay record by completing 20 straight passes against the Lions. I'd say that's a good warm-up for Thursday's test against Dallas' defense.

3. ESPN: [Yet,] Scouts Inc.'s Green ranks the Packers at No. 2 ahead of the Cowboys… : "Green Bay is the more complete football team right now….Green Bay can do a lot of things the Patriots do.  Spread out the Dallas D and force [safeties] Hamlin and Williams into coverage…neither one of those guys can cover anyone."

3. Sporting News: Of all the statistics you'll read about this week, Brett Favre's 0-8 record at Texas Stadium is one of the most irrelevant ones.

3. USA Today: Three-time MVP. Super Bowl champion. But Brett Favre has never been 10-1. Can he go 11-1?

3. Fox Sports: In front of a national audience on Thanksgiving….Favre was fabulous. So was running back Ryan Grant….With the win, Green Bay matched its best 11-game record since 1929. They take on the Cowboys Thursday night in a battle that could end up deciding the NFC's top seed.

3. Sports Illustrated: I'm really curious to see if they'll come out with the same run 'n shoot type of thing with which they deviled the Lions. I'm guessing they'll slam Grant into the Cowboy defense for openers and then voila! Here come the five wideouts spread across with Favre snapping off his passes to them in 1.5 seconds....[T]hen the Cowboys will start dropping their big, sleek pass rushers back into coverage ... look, it's the old Zone Blitz! ... fouling up the passing lanes, batting passes in the air. And then, here they come, faking the drop and rushing all at once, the maniac blitz, trying to bloody Favre's nose.

3. Sports Network: Amazing, but Favre is 0-8 in Dallas all-time. 

3. Real Football 365: As well as Green Bay has played this year, Brett Favre has never won a game in Dallas. That doesn't bode well for the Pack; then again, they've defied odds all year.

3. Baltimore Sun: Other than Brady, I'm not sure there's a quarterback out there who is in better sync with his receivers than Favre….[T]his receiving corps led by Driver and Jennings is showing it's more than capable of making big plays.  The Packers are playing at a…high level. 

4. Pro Football Weekly: Run defense starting to be a little concern.