This should be a great football game this Sunday.  Without the Packers, no one would have likely seen Michael Vick much this year.  In the season opener, Packers’ LB Clay Matthews drove Kevin Kolb’s face into the dirt forcing him to leave the game with a concussion.  The rest is history as Michael Vick is the likely runner up to Tom Brady as the NFL’s MVP this year.  The Packers won that game 27-20 in Philly.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Packers have the football:  The Eagles are going to blitz Aaron Rodgers a lot in this game so the O-Line is going to have to keep him clean if he’s going to have success throwing the ball.  The Eagles have an excellent pair of corners in Asante Samuel and Dimitri Patterson and they will likely be covering Greg Jennings and Donald Driver.  That won’t matter though as Aaron Rodgers backs down from no one.  The Eagles don’t have a lot of depth at corner meaning that James Jones & Jordy Nelson will likely make huge impacts in this game.  Brandon Jackson & John Kuhn will likely take some shots on the ground against a Eagles’ D that is allowing 110.4 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry.

When the Eagles have the ball:  This is Clay Matthews’ kind of game as he will be chasing Michael Vick all around the field.  The Packers must keep Michael Vick in the pocket which is where he’s least effective.  A.J. Hawk, Desmond Bishop and NT B.J. Raji need to control the middle of the field and stop Vick and Lesean McCoy from getting yards running there.  The front seven will likely have to deal with McCoy pretty much on their own because the secondary is going to have their hands full with Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, Jason Avant and Brent Celek.

PREDICTION:  PACKERS 28, EAGLES 20

The Packers control their own destiny as they will make it into the playoffs with a win over the Bears on Sunday.  If the Packers somehow lose this game (I highly doubt it) then they would need both the Giants and Bucs to lose to make the playoffs.  The Bears are locked in as the NFC North Champions and the #2 seed throughout the playoffs.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Packers have the ball:  The Packers are going to come out of the locker room firing the football all over the field.  I look for Aaron Rodgers to spread the field with 4 WR sets and then pick the Bears apart by moving the ball around to Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Donald Driver.  After the Packers get a commanding lead in this game then they will start handing the ball off to Brandon Jackson, John Kuhn and James Starks.

When the Bears have the ball:  The Bears aren’t going to risk injuries to their top players in this game.  That means Caleb Hanie will likely play a lot at QB for the Bears and the Packers should be able to make a lot of big plays against him.  Chester Taylor will likely get the bulk of the work in the running game and I’m sure the Packers’ front seven is shaking in their shoes!

PREDICTION:  PACKERS 30, BEARS 10

This should be an outstanding game as both teams desperately need a win to stay in the playoff hunt.  The Packers are 5-1 at home this year and they are getting Aaron Rodgers back this week.  The Giants are coming off the most devastating loss of the season for ANY team.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Packers have the ball:  The Packers are likely to get back to the passing game this week with Aaron Rodgers under center.  The Giants have 42 sacks already this year so they are going to be bringing the heat after Rodgers.  Rodgers will likely fight that by spreading the field and throwing short passes.  Brandon Jackson had a big game last week against the Patriots and the Packers will try to keep him rolling this weekend.

When the Giants have the ball:  The Packers are going to have to tighten up the chinstraps to deal with the Giants’ running game as they are averaging 144.9 yards rushing per game and 4.7 yards per carry.  Ahmad Bradshaw & Brandon Jacobs are a tough pair to deal with because  they have such different styles of running.  Something has to give with the pass rush in this game as the Packers have 40 sacks this year while Eli Manning has only been sacked 15 times this year.  Even if Manning has time to throw he’s going to have to deal with the Packers’ secondary and the Pack has 18 interceptions so far this year.  The Packers will likely double team Hakeem Nicks and dare Manning to try to beat them through the air with Mario Manningham & Kevin Boss.

PREDICTION:  PACKERS 28, GIANTS 23

The Packers not only lost the game (7-3) to the Lions last week, but they have also lost starting QB Aaron Rodgers to his second concussion of the year.  This came at the worst possible time for the Packers as they will take on the Patriots in Foxboro with Matt Flynn starting at QB.  The Patriots have the best record in the AFC and they are 2 games ahead of the Jets in the AFC East.  This is a “must win” game for both teams.  Tom Brady has won 26 consecutive regular season home games and he is 31-5 (86.1%) in December in his career.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Packers have the ball:  The Packers are likely going to shift gears offensively relying more on the running game than the pass.  Brandon Jackson, James Starks & John Kuhn will be taking on a Patriots’ D that is allowing 108.9 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry so they could have some success on the ground.  Matt Flynn will likely keep the passing game shorter than Aaron Rodgers generally does.  So he will be depending on his receivers to make plays after the catch.

When the Patriots have the ball:  This is the type of game that Tom Brady loves.  The Packers have 37 sacks this year so they will be coming after Brady.  Brady often makes teams play for blitzing him as he likes to keep the passing game short.  He also uses everyone he can so that the Packers won’t be able to double anyone.  The Patriots will also run the ball too with BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead against a Packers’ D that is allowing 117.3 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 38, PACKERS 17

The Packers have won 5 of their last 6 games as they are on a roll.  They are still 1 game behind the Bears in the NFC North so this is a “must win” game for them this weekend.  The Detroit Lions have lost five games in a row but they play hard at home as evidenced by the fact that they only lost 24-20 last week at home against the Bears.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Packers have the ball:  The Packers are going to come out throwing the ball, as usual in this game.  The Lions have 32 sacks this year so the Packers’ O-Line is going to be challenged.  If Rodgers has time to throw the ball, he’s going to torch the Lions’ secondary which is allowing 222.6 yards passing per game.  Rookie RB James Starks and Brandon Jackson will get some carries in this game against a Lions’ D that is allowing 127.4 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.

When the Lions have the ball:  The Lions would be smart to attack the Packers on the ground in this game.  But with Jahvid Best a tad gimpy and Maurice Morris the only other back the Lions trust they might not be too effective.  The Packers have 35 sacks this year and 16 interceptions so they hope the Lions resort to throwing the ball.  Drew Stanton will have to roll out to buy time in the pocket or it’s going to be a long day for the Lions.

PREDICTION:  PACKERS 30, LIONS 17

The Packers lost last Sunday, 20-17 to the Falcons in Atlanta but they have still won 4 of their last five games.  The Niners beat the Cardinals in Arizona (27-6) last Monday Night and they have won 3 of their last 4 games.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Packers have the ball:  The Packers are going to come out of their locker room passing the football.  Aaron Rodgers is likely going to have a huge game against a 49ers’ D that is allowing 218.5 yards passing per game.  The Niners only have 9 interceptions so far this year so I look for Rodgers to be aggressive throwing the ball down the field to Greg Jennings.  Jordy Nelson and James Jones will also likely have big games for the Packers this Sunday afternoon.  Brandon Jackson will likely get some carries and passes out of the backfield just to keep the 49ers honest.

When the 49ers have the ball:  The Packers are going to have to tighten up the chinstraps on D as the Niners are going to run the ball.  Brian Westbrook & Anthony Dixon are going to challenge the Packers’ front seven as the Packers are giving up 112.5 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry.  The Packers will put a lot of pressure on Troy Smith when he drops back to pass to try to force him into making some big mistakes.

PREDICTION:  PACKERS 31, 49ERS 13

This is going to be a war this Sunday afternoon in the Georgia Dome.  The Packers have won four games in a row by a combined score of 113-34!  The Falcons are also on a 4 game winning streak and they are 5-0 at home this year where they have outscored teams 149-95.  Falcons’ QB Matt Ryan has only lost 1 game that he has started at home in his first three years in the NFL.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Packers have the ball:  The Packers’ strength on offense (the passing game) matches up well with the weakness of the Falcons’ D as they are allowing 244.1 yards passing per game.  If Rodgers has time to throw the ball he’s going to have fun playing catch with Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones and Jordy Nelson this weekend.  The Falcons are only giving up 95.4 yards rushing per game this year so I don’t look for the Packers to be feeding the rock to Brandon Jackson and Dimitri Nance in this game.

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Falcons are going to come out running the ball with Michael Turner & Jason Snelling against a Packers’ D that is allowing 112.1 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry.  If the Falcons get a running game going it will set up play action passes for Matt Ryan which he’s really good at.  The key will be the O-Line of the Falcons giving him time to throw the ball as the Packers have 29 sacks already this year led by LB Clay Matthews.  While the Packers are confident that either Charles Woodson or Tramon Williams can handle Roddy White, they will likely have safety help.  But, the safeties also have to be concerned with TE Tony Gonzalez.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 27, PACKERS 24

The Packers are on a roll right now as they have won 3 games in a row outscoring the competition 82-31!  They are also coming off a bye week giving them two weeks to prepare for Brett Favre and the Vikings.  This isn’t going to be easy though as the Vikings are 3-1 at home this year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Packers have the ball:  The Packers are going to come out of the locker room passing this Sunday.  The Vikings only have 13 sacks this year so Aaron Rodgers should have plenty of time to scan the field and decide where to go with the football.  He will also likely have Donald Driver back giving him another weapon to team with Greg Jennings, James Jones and Jordy Nelson.  I don’t see the Packers running much this week as the Vikings only allow 3.7 yards per carry and you can never count out Brett Favre in a game like this one.

When the Vikings have the ball:  If the Vikings were smart they would just keep feeding the rock to Adrian Peterson, but, Brad Childress is the head coach.  That means the Vikings will likely be balanced on offense which could be a good thing for the Packers.  Brett Favre has thrown 16 interceptions this season and he has lost five fumbles so the Packers will be sending the dogs after him.  For some reason though I think he still has one big game in him.

PREDICTION:  VIKINGS 27, PACKERS 24

The Packers are getting back into a good groove as they have won 2 games in a row.  They have been solid at home this year where they are 3-1 having outscored the opposition 110-80!   The Cowboys have lost four games in a row as it looks like Head Coach Wade Phillips has lost his team.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Packers have the ball:  Opposing QBs have a 105.4 QB Rating against the Cowboys so far this year so I see Aaron Rodgers coming after them big time on Sunday Night.  Look for Rodgers to spread the field with WRs Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones and TE Andrew Quarless.  Look for the Packers to also use Brandon Jackson & John Kuhn a tad on the ground just to keep the Cowboys’ D honest.

When the Cowboys have the ball:  If the Cowboys were smart (and they are not) they would run the ball against the Packers.  But instead they will challenge the Packers’ secondary with Roy Williams, Jason Witten, Dez Bryant and Miles Austin.  The problem with that is the Packers have 12 interceptions and 24 sacks already this year and Jon Kitna is very mistake prone.

PREDICTION:  PACKERS 34, COWBOYS 10

The Packers are banged up right now and they will be heading to New Jersey to deal with the Jets who were on a bye last week.  The rested Jets are going to try to be bullies this Sunday.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Packers have the football:  The Jets have been cutting down on the blitzing which means they will likely have a nickel back on the field most of this game.  The Packers will still come out throwing the ball though as the Jets are allowing 229.0 yards passing per game this year.  Donald Driver is still a tad gimpy so look for Aaron Rodgers to keep Jordy Nelson & James Jones heavily involved in the offense.  But when Aaron Rodgers wants to go deep he’s going to be looking Greg Jennings’ way.  Anything that Brandon Jackson or John Kuhn give the Packers on the ground will be a bonus.

When the Jets have the football:  The Packers are allowing 124.3 yards rushing and 4.7 yards per carry so I anticipate that the Jets are going to come out running the ball with LaDainian Tomlinson & Shonn Greene.  Also look for Brad Smith to be under center quite a bit in this game as the Wildcat QB.  The Packers have 22 sacks this year so I look for the Jets to keep the passing game short.  This is the kind of game that Mark Sanchez will want to check down and go with Dustin Keller in the passing game so he can stay away from the ballhawking corners of the Packers.

PREDICTION:  JETS 24, PACKERS 20