awesome... only thing is i was assuming your heart would 16-0, Super Bowl Champions ... i know mine does

Wow, what a great article. It puts things into perspective. We really are that good, and better than the rest of the NFL, regardless of what anyone else is saying.

Heart 14-2 Superbowl Champs.
Head 11-5 NFC champs.

Can't quite get my head to see a repeat,but then my head didn't see us win 3 on the road to reach the Superbowl last year..

Couple of random thoughts-was interesting reading last years article and comments and reflecting how the secondary and the D in general went from a perceived Achilles heel (a perception I shared) to a great strength last year...

Secondly how lucky was the Green pick up for both us and him. If Ryan doesn't make the macho decision to cut him knowing we'd pick him up does he play so well in his first game and carve out a niche for himself ? Fate moves in mysterious ways...

IMO, the only thing that can trip this team up is the usual slow start at the beginning of the season. I'm paranoid that this team will limp out to 3-3 and end up scrapping for a playoff spot.

Self confidence was a huge contributor to last year's run, so hopefully they still all realize how good they can truly be. And hopefully that means they show it right away and roll to 13-3.

I have to work through the first 3 quarters tomorrow night, so Cheers to everybody on the live blog in advance.

Go Pack Go!

When Capers got here and demonstrated his magic it was - "in Dom we trust". After last year it is now - "in McCarthy we trust, in Thompson we trust and in Dom we trust".
Not since since the days of Fritz Shurmur, Holmgren and Wolfe have the Packers had all 3 phases supporting the team with the talent to back it up.
So now the heart and head can be one, as are the Packers!

I'm saying 12-4 just to be different. Mentally, I'm preparing for one of the Packers' four losses this year to come on Thursday. Overall I just look at the schedule and I think, "who are they going to trip against?" I don't think, "boy, they'll have a hard time against THAT team." The exception will be the Detriot games where our interior OL is going to have its work cut out for it. But we don't see Detriot until late in the season, and Lang will have plenty of reps in by then. I guess we'll find out if the Packers made the right move in dumping Colledge or not - I think they did. Overall, though, this schedule just does not look scary. Carolina, Denver, Oakland, and Minnesota twice? It's hard to tremble about Chicago or Atlanta after last January. There are some decent teams elsewhere on the schedule, but, really, who scares you? Nobody. Just pray for Clifton, Matthews and Rodgers to stay healthy, sit back, and enjoy the show.

Let's get it!

I think dumping Colledge was a mistake. And no, not just because I like the guy. But I definitely hope I am very, very wrong.

I think a cold day in Hell has arrived - Nagler's optimistic and I'm cynical. But I sure hope you're right, Aaron.

On a somewhat unrelated note.... The Head and the Heart is a pretty catchy band.

The biggest question mark I have for this team is; how will the o-line perform? With an aging Clifton, new guy at LG and not much depth the ultimate prize, the SB trophy, will be decided by them.

The Packers have the best QB in football. In case you haven't noticed he has a cannon arm, unbelievable accuracy and a nimble mind as well feet. He will have his tough times, as all QB's do, but if he puts it together at the end of the season, like last year, there will be little anyone can do to stop him. IMO he is the single most dominate player in the NFL. He and Finley have the ability to redefine their positions. If he stays healthy he might be able to overcome even mediocre line play.

I believe the window of opportunity is as large for the Packers as it has been for any team in the last 40 years. They once again are among the youngest teams in the league, with a cache of blue-chip players already on the roster and quite a few others with large upsides. They are financially sound both on the salary level and on the organizational level. They will lock-up their blue-chip players and build around them. Both the GM and coaching staff are top notch.

So on the eve of the Packers next season I'm predicting an 15-4 season (including play-offs) and a spot in SB XLVI. Teams just don't repeat anymore people say, but what the Pack did last year as a sixth seed was never done before. Therefore SB 2012 prediction from both the heart and head GB 35 - NE 23

It is glorious to have the head and heart in concert -- and that's what having a team like this can do for fans.

14-2. Super Bowl champs in a rematch of XLV against Pittsburgh.

(One of those two losses may come tomorrow - not feeling great about this one).

Lace em up!

"Thompson is never going to bring in the free agents you see listed when major outlets like ESPN or SI do their lists of "Top 50 Free Agents."

Umm, Charles Woodson? Anthony Smith?

Okay, that second one was in jest, Smith was on no one's Top 50 list. But Smith can truthfully claim to be a two-time Super Bowl Champion.

Now you are talking nagler. Hope the record matches the heart but I'll take either end result... wait their the same. winning!

GBP 4 LIFE

I predict the two big Packers stories for 2011 will be 1) the no huddle and 2) james starks. Rodgers has always had the cannon arm, nimble feet and pinpoint accuracy, but I think last year he took the next step mentally. he was able to read defenses with that Peyton/Brady intelligence, spot the mismatch, and exploit it. Now, with Finley back in the mix, I feel this ability becomes absolutely deadly. Look at how teams, very good teams, with great defenses (Bears, Eagles, Steelers) were picked apart by Rodgers. Now add Finley. Now add a no-huddle. Dios mio. Obviously, I'm not the first to highlight Finley as a potential game-changer in 2012, but I really think he makes this offense virtually unstoppable. And if it were even possible to make matters worse for opposing defenses, well, guess what? It is....add James Starks, who, I feel has the talent to be an elite back. I'm talking top 5, elite. I think Grant is in the picture because 1) he's good 2) the team wants to make sure Starks is over his injury spell. However, over the course off the season I expect the majority of the carries to move in Starks's favor, and with defenses continually playing back on their heels, nervous about the passing attack, and exhausted from the no-huddle, Starks will break off big run after big run. The guy is explosive, fast, powerful. He has "it", the "x-factor" whatever you want to call it. The tape doesn't lie.

It's a long season, and as we know from last year, health plays a big role, so anything can happen. But if we stay healthy, I really don't see anyone who can keep up outside of (maybe) the Patriots.

So fired up. GO PACK GO!

You're such a good writer. Even if you'd said my favorite team was going to go winless, your eloquence would've softened the blow. Great work, Aaron. Thanks for all the effort.