Anytime you possess a quarterback with Brett Favre's abilities, you have a chance to win. He is healthy this year, which makes him that much better, and he most likely will abuse the rest of the NFC Central Division again. He hasn't missed a game since 1992, so the backup quarterback is usually irrelevant in Green Bay. Doug Pederson is Favre's backup, and with just 17 starts in eight years in the NFL, Cheese Heads everywhere are praying Brett's streak doesn't come to an end.

If he can stay healthy, Ahman Green should emerge as one of the best backs in the league this year. He went on a tear last season, racking up 1,063 total yards and 10 touchdowns in the last eight games, and also proved that he could block and catch the ball. Dorsey Levens will see significant playing time also, but he suffered a broken hand on his first handoff of the preseason. He should be back in time for the season opener though.

Another player that will emerge this year is tight end Bubba Franks. He had a disappointing season as a rookie, but has looked fantastic since training camp opened. The wide receiving corps is questionable, but Favre will go a long way toward making these guys look good. Antonio Freeman is not as dangerous as he was a couple years ago, and the speedy Bill Schroeder is not real durable. The No. 3 spot still has not been settled.

On defense, the Packers moved LeRoy Butler from strong safety to free safety to make room for free agent Darren Sharper. Sharper is a solid tackler and led the league with nine interceptions last year. The secondary, led by these two, will be the strength of the defense.

The Packers are still looking for some help in the pass rush department, but don't look for rookie defensive end Jamal Reynolds to make a huge difference anytime soon. His run defense has been nonexistent, and his pass rushing has not been especially impressive.

Overview

Like I said before... Anytime you have a guy like Brett Favre running your offense, you have a shot at winning. Just keep the game close and let him perform his magic in the fourth quarter. On the other hand, if the unthinkable would happen and he were to go down for any length of time, the season will be a loss. The Packers must have Brett Favre in the lineup if they want to have any kind of shot at winning the division.

The defense is going to have to step up their play, and I think they will. I think this team is going to have a great year, and I think they could be a surprising team. I won't be at all surprised if this team pulls out the division championship!