Season Recap - 2010 Green Bay Packers

Final Record: 10-6 (4-0)

Finished: 2^nd Place in the NFC North; Super Bowl XLV Champions

2011 Draft Position: 32^nd

Preseason Ranking:   5
Preseason Letter of Misfortune:

Last season Green Bay got everything they could ever hope for from the 2009 Favre-led Vikings (aside from the two losses to Minnesota). A 6-10 record for Minnesota really wouldn’t have done anything for the Packer faithful. They witnessed instead what they should have been hoping for all along - a heart-breaking, season-ending defeat Minnesota fans optimistically denied would happen again, despite having lost multiple Super Bowls and Championship games in the past, all because Favre decided to switch colors.

Packer fans could have only found truly legitimate satisfaction when Favre finished the Vikings’ season with an interception in the NFC Championship Game in the final minutes as he did against New Orleans. The only better situation would have been for the interception to come in the waning seconds of the Super Bowl, but there’s no need to get greedy.

This year, however, things are different. Favre once again played his diva card with all the “will he or won’t he” talk. Favre deciding to play for Minnesota is no longer the feel good story of the NFL. Teams annoyed by his antics will be gunning for him and Green Bay will be no exception. This year no Packer fan in their right mind would want to see Minnesota in the playoffs.

Green Bay is ready to take back control of the NFC North. They are stacked on offense, powerful on defense and have a chip on their shoulder to prove once and for all that Favre may have been great, but he is no longer the Hall of Fame quarterback he used to be. The two bitter contests with Minnesota this year will decide the division and the Vikings no longer can be considered favorites in both those games.

The Packers are a team to be reckoned with in 2010. They will remind the Vikings what it takes for a franchise to not only make it to the Super Bowl, but also win the game. They are tired of hearing about Brett Favre. They are tired of hearing the Vikings named as Super Bowl contenders. They are tired of losing the division to a swell of Purple Pride.

This season, the Packers have every reason in the world to rise up and knock Minnesota down. They will only have themselves to blame if they fall short and once again toil in the shadow of the Vikings and the great Brett Favre.

Week 1: Defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-20

Ranked – 1

Grant now out for the season, the rest of the offense better step up and keep firing on all cylinders, otherwise the Pack will be one and done as Misfortune's #1 team.

Week 2: Defeated the Buffalo Bills, 34-7

Ranked – 1

Dominating teams beat the good teams and crush the weak teams, especially at home. You crushed a weak team on Sunday, as you should have. A win on the road at Chicago next Monday adds fuel to the Packers Super Bowl fire.

Week 3: Lost at Chicago Bears, 20-17

Ranked – 4

A tough loss on Monday Night made worse by far too many mistakes and careless play. Maybe the Bears are actually good this year, but in the long run the Packers will be better. No team can stay ranked #1 after making too many inexcusable errors under primetime lights.

Week 4: Defeated the Detroit Lions, 28-26

Ranked – 2

Barely escaping Detroit is better than losing to Detroit. The game at Washington this week will confirm whether the Packers are solid contenders or just passing pretenders.

Week 5: Lost at Washington Redskins, 16-13

Ranked – 15

The injuries continue to mount for this strong preseason favorite.

Week 6: Lost to Miami Dolphins, 23-20

Ranked – 13

A tough overtime loss at home sends this preseason Super Bowl favorite falling to a .500 record. Injuries continue to take their toll.

Week 7: Defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 28-24

Ranked – 13

The Packers were sooo close to blowing another game at home. If two feet touched down, Favre would have broken Green Bay's heart all over again.

Week 8: Defeated the New York Jets, 9-0

Ranked – 8

Shutting out the Jets on the road, the Packers now become the team to beat in the NFC, though injuries still hang like a dark cloud over the rest of their season.

Week 9: Defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 45-7

Ranked – 6

Nothing helps you feel healthy like crushing a team that has quit on their season in front of the home crowd.

Week 10: BYE WEEK

Ranked – 4

The Vikings are close to imploding and the Packers have had one extra week to prepare for their big game in the Minneapolis. If Green Bay loses, they don't deserve to be division champions.

Week 11: Defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 31-3

Ranked – 4

Two straight games, two blow-out victories and two fired coaches. That trend ends this week when the Pack travel to Atlanta.

Week 12: Lost at Atlanta Falcons, 20-17

Ranked – 8

Ain't no shame losing to the best team in the NFC on the road.

Week 13: Defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 34-16

Ranked – 7 (ROCKY WEEK!)

            Packer Fans: Hey, Aaron. 

            Aaron Rodgers: Hey. 

            Packer Fans: Can we come up? 

            Aaron Rodgers: Yeah, sure. 

            Packer Fans: Some weather we're having here huh? 

            Aaron Rodgers: Yeah, it's pretty rough. 

            Packer Fans: But it's perfect for what you gotta do. It's good. Toughen you up. 

            Aaron Rodgers: I guess.

            Packer Fans: I know you think you're gonna have to do everything by yourself, but you know we'll be with you. 

            Aaron Rodgers: Yeah.

            Packer Fans: Favre was like a son to us. We raised him. And when he donned the Purple, a part of us died. But now you're the one. You're the one that's gonna keep our spirit alive. You're the one that's gonna make sure that he didn't leave for nothing. Now you're gonna have to go through hell. Worse than any nightmare you ever dreamed. But in the end, we know you'll be the one standing. 

            Aaron Rodgers: I'll try. 

            Packer Fans: You know what you have to do. Do it. Do it.

Week 14: Lost at Detroit Lions, 7-3

Ranked – 10

Even without Aaron Rodgers, the Packers should be good enough to score more than 3 points against the Detroit Lions.

Week 15: Lost at New England Patriots, 31-27

Ranked – 12

Great start, Matt Flynn. Aside from the final play of the game, quite an impressive effort. With only a Wild Card spot possible, the Packers must defeat the Giants on Sunday if they want to have any chance of making a February trip to Dallas.

Week 16: Defeated the New York Giants, 45-17

Ranked – 9

All the Pack have to do is beat the Bears.

Week 17: Defeated the Chicago Bears, 10-3

Ranked – 7

The Wild Card team nobody wants to face has been in survival mode for weeks now. Scary.

Wild Card Game: Defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 21-16

Ranked – 6

The kids nobody wanted in the dance have already ruined Philadelphia's season. Atlanta's magical run is next on the chopping block as the Packers try to become only the second 6th seed to win a Super Bowl in NFL history.

Divisional Game: Defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 48-21

Ranked – 1

The Bears may very well rue their week 17 loss to the Packers. Green Bay has already completely outclassed two elite NFC division champions and the Packers are quite familiar with Da Bears. Despite being on the road, Green Bay will be favored by most, including Creative Misfortune, to make another appearance in the Super Bowl.

Championship Game: Defeated the Chicago Bears, 21-14

Ranked – 2

Green Bay made the Bears pay for not knocking the Packers out of the playoffs back in Week 17 when they had a chance. Despite looking brilliant, both offensively and defensively, against Atlanta and Philadelphia, the Packers came back to earth against their rivals. With Chicago reduced to back-up quarterbacks in the second half, Green Bay could not put them away. Had they blown out the Bears 35-7, they might have remained Creative Misfortune's favorite.

Super Bowl XLV: Defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-25

Final Rank - 1

            It wasn't one of the greatest Super Bowls I have ever seen, but the Green Bay Packers, and young quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, took a huge step forward with their solid victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The offense moved the ball when they had to. The defense won the game with their superior play. The pick-6 by Nick Collins in the first quarter set the stage for the rest of the game. Clay Matthews added a game-changing hit in the second half that forced Rashard Mendenhall to cough up the ball when all the momentum had shifted Pittsburgh's way and the Steelers were driving for a touchdown to take the lead.

Enjoy this, Packers fans. Your team has definitely made you proud. With the crowning of the Green Bay Packers as Super Bowl Champions, the lights have finally turned out on the 2010 NFL season…

Check back tomorrow for Creative Misfortune’s next feature – the Madness will not just be limited to March…