By Dan Shouse
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Perhaps the biggest story of the NFL season has been the play of the ageless Brett Favre. What's not to like? Favre has been outstanding, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 26 TDs. He should be the league MVP, leading the Vikings to a 10-2 record thus far.
Overlooked in the Brett Favre saga however, has been the story of the man who replaced Favre at QB in Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers has had a career year himself, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 22 TDs in leading the Pack to a 7-4 record.
There is no doubt that Rodgers is the new face of the Packers organization, but Favre's shadow is still cast over Green Bay. As good as Rodgers has been, he will not get the credit he deserves until he can beat Favre and the Vikings. The only way this will happen is if the Packers can get into the playoffs as a wild card. A win over the Ravens at Lambeau will go a long way to securing the Packers a spot in the post season, and perhaps getting the Packers one more shot at Favre and the Vikings.
Think of Rodgers as a the NFL's version of Luke Skywalker. Luke was not able to become a Jedi until he beat Darth Vader. Favre is Aaron Rodgers' version of Darth Vader. Rodgers must beat Favre to truly cement his place as the leader of the Pack. With a win on MNF over the Ravens, Rodgers may well be on his way to seeing Favre once again this year. If you thought the regular season match ups against the Vikings were huge, imagine the hype if these teams meet in the playoffs.
The Packers appear to be playing their best ball of the year, and are peaking at the right time. A win over the Ravens on Monday night will be four straight wins for Green Bay. You want to be playing your best football late in the year, and the Pack have been doing that the past few weeks.
If the Packers are playing their best, then the Ravens have been inconsistent at best. The defense has started to turn things around, allowing just 12 points per game over the past five contests, but the real problem for the Ravens has been on offense.
Ray Rice has been a stud at running back for the Ravens, but QB Joe Flacco has come back down to earth a bit. After a hot start to the year, Flacco has thrown just one TD over the past four games. The Ravens have not been able to put back to back wins together since September. If current patterns hold, the Ravens will have an off week.
Even thought both teams have a lot on the line, the Packers have just been a better, more consistent team all year. Throw in a Monday night crowd at Lambeau, a potential rematch against Farve and the Vikings looming in the playoffs, and Green Bay gets the nod for a win on MNF.
Prediction: Packers 23 Ravens 17
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