One might expect that an NFL team that has the fewest losses in its conference and currently holds the #1 seed would inspire plenty of confidence in their fans and in the broader NFL community. For the Green
Bay Packers, however, that is not yet the case.
To be sure, the Packers have been inconsistent through their first six games. Their offense is efficient but often flows in fits and starts. Their defense, while capable of making big plays, also allows them to the opposition too often and has yet to find its groove in forcing turnovers.
Plus, after their first two games — big wins over playoff teams from a year ago — they dropped a frustrating loss to the lowly Cleveland Browns before a tie in Dallas.
Two wins coming out of the bye week weren’t enough to push Packers fans to truly believe in this team yet. According to our Reacts surveys, fewer than two-thirds of them, 64 percent to be exact, believe that the Packers are headed in the right direction.
Is that a function of the first two wins creating elevated expectations? Perhaps. It may also be a result of injuries that continue to affect the team’s on field performance.
Whatever the reason, NFL fans broadly still see the Packers as big underdogs in the NFC North division, despite their win and lead over the Detroit Lions. Only 14 percent of fans surveyed picked the Packers to win the division this year, compared to 76 percent for Detroit.
Still, football fans don’t see the Packers as likely to fall off a cliff this week. A majority of SB Nation readers surveyed picked the Packers to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football in week 8. The Packers are favored by 3 points as of Sunday morning, according to Fanduel sportsbook, though they have failed to cover in any of their last four games.
Regardless of covering, a win tonight would keep Green Bay ahead of Detroit for at least one more week, and it would deny Aaron Rodgers a bit of revenge on the team that drafted him.
Tune in tonight to see if fans are right in that prediction.
