Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson (21) celebrates with teammates after intercepting a pass during the second half of their NFL game against the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday in Minneapolis. The Packers won 33-27 and remain unbeaten with a 7-0 record. Andy King / Associated Press

Green Bay faces a fight against history to repeat as NFL champion

They are unbeaten, their quarterback probably is playing better than any other signal-caller in the NFL, and now they have a bye week to get healthier. Yes, life is good for the Green Bay Packers after they held off the Minnesota Vikings 33-27 last Sunday with a clinical four-minute drive to close out the game.

It was a satisfying finish for the huge contingent of Packers fans at Minnesota's Metrodome, which saw the team hold off a surprisingly aggressive passing game led by the Viking's rookie quarterback Christian Ponder, chosen to replace ineffective veteran Donovan McNabb only a week ago.

"I've never been 7-0 in this league," veteran cornerback Charles Woodson said of the Packers' start. "I've been in the league 14 years and that's never happened. So it's really a big deal. Everybody in this locker room wants to continue that. It's all about focus even through the bye week and coming back next week ready to work and go to 8-0."

The 2011 Packers are the fifth team in franchise history to hit 7-0. Each of the first four times they did so, they went on to win the NFL championship: 1929, 1930, 1931 and 1962. The team record for wins to start the season is 10, set in 1929 and equaled in 1962.

That is good omen for the NFL's lone perfect team at the halfway point of the season. Even better, the bye week allows the growing infirmary of players to nurse their assortment of nicks and tears back to health, good news for key guys such as Woodson (foot, knee), LB Clay Matthews (quad), WR Greg Jennings (hand) and CB Tramon Williams (shoulder).

But are they a true favorite to repeat as Super Bowl champions, considering their penchant to give up lots of yards, and their lack of productivity in the running game? In the history of the league, lots of teams have gone 7-0 to begin seasons, but not so many have reached the double-digit mark in victories before their first loss. As for those who made it to 10-0, a majority of them ran out of steam in the post-season, with seven winning the championship and eight failing to do so.

The Packers would need to defeat San Diego on the road, Tampa Bay at Lambeau Field and Minnesota at home to even reach that mark of 10-0. The schedule doesn't get any easier in the last third of the regular season, facing the high-flying offense of the Lions twice, and potential shootouts with aggressive teams including the Giants and the Raiders.

The Packers can ill-afford to allow a stalwart defensive team to stop their world-beating offense, particularly in a playoff game. Of the eight 10-0 teams before them that didn't win the Super Bowl, three of them had larger margins of victory than the current Packers team. In fact, Rodgers and company do not have to go that far back to find an example: the 2007 New England Patriots, who famously went 16-0 in the regular season, lost Super Bowl XLII - particularly because of a Giants team that figured out how to stop Tom Brady and his passing game.

Secondly, the odds are against the Packers if they cannot excel in all areas of their game - meaning they either need improvements in their weaknesses or an incredible level of productivity in what they do best.

China daily

NOTES:

NFL games broadcast live next week (all beijing time):

* Monday, Oct 31, 8:20 am

Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles

Guangdong Sports Channel, Shanghai Great Sports, QQ Sports

* Tuesday, Nov 1, 8:30 am

San Diego Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs

Guangdong Sports Channel, Sina Sports