The Packers' Place in SI's Crystal Ball

SI.com has just released its experts' predictions for the 2009 NFL season. Fascinating stuff. Here's the link to the whole story: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/09/08/crystalball2/index.html?eref=sihpT1

Of particular interest to us are these tidbits...

• 1 of their 9 experts picks the Bears to miss the playoffs. He says the NFC North won't send 3 teams and the Bears will be the one to miss out.
• 4 of the 9 believe the Lions will have the worst record in the league (again).
• 3 of 9 expect Favre to be the star that has a sub-par season.
• 2 of 9 pick Packers (WRs Finley and Jennings) to be the non-stars that have breakout seasons.
• 5 of 9 say Favre won't be back next season.
• 5 of 9 pick a Packer game as the "Game I'm Looking Forward To Most."
• And 4 of 9 pick Green Bay to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl (though against 3 different AFC teams, and none of them pick Green Bay to win).

Finally, Rodgers, McCarthy, and Kampman are occasionally predicted to win some of the end-of-the-year individual awards.

I can't imagine that Green Bay would have gotten so much love if these guys had made their predictions back in July. Did anyone really expect the Packers to turn around so quickly and dramatically from their 6-10 season last year? And so I suspect that all these great expectations are rooted in our very impressive preseason display. Is that enough to go on? No. But we don't have to go on it for long -- our season starts this Sunday!