Pack Leaves Nfl Pack For Greener Pastures

They were billed during the preseason as a serious Super Bowl contender, another team that was finally on a par with the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. Now that the Green Bay Packers have completely dismantled two opponents in the first two weeks of the National Football League season, it might be time to start believing the hype.

The Packers have scored 73 points on offense and yielded only 16 on defense. Quarterback Brett Favre has thrown seven touchdowns and no interceptions in the two games.

With Favre working over the Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary on Monday night, lobbing perfect passes to receiver Robert Brooks, Lambeau Field began to look like the front yard of the Kennedy compound at Hyannisport on a lazy summer afternoon.

“I can get better,” Favre said. “We all can get better. It’s a scary thought. We could have gone out there and scored 50 points. I know we could have.”

Of course, he is right. The Packers beat the Eagles 39-13, but take away the three field goals by Chris Jacke and turn them into touchdowns and extra points and you get 51 points.

Packers coach Mike Holmgren was asked if there is a concern the Packers will succumb to overconfidence based on the ease of their first two victories.

“I don’t think so, but that’s part of my whole thing about taking one game at a time,” Holmgren said. “When we look at the film, there will be enough things to be critical of, and that’s enough to bring guys back down to earth.”

The Packers will play host to the San Diego Chargers on Sunday at Lambeau Field, which has turned into a formidable fortress for the Packers. They are enjoying the same kind of edge the Denver Broncos savor at Mile High Stadium.

Since 1993, the Packers have won 17 of 18 games at Lambeau Field. The 60,666 fans in attendance on Monday night were so noisy that they disrupted the Eagle offense.

Holmgren wants to build the same aura of invincibility at Lambeau Field that the Cowboys and the 49ers have had at their respective home stadiums during their Super Bowl runs. He is convinced that the key to winning the National Conference championship is having the home-field advantage during the playoffs.

Another tactic Holmgren is using to keep his team on track is to work them hard leading up to the games.

“Our practices are so much harder than the games,” said Brooks, who caught five passes for 130 yards against the Eagles. “We go against our defense every day. Can you imagine what that’s like?”

And just how good are the Packers based on their 2-0 start?

“We’ve still got a long way to go with 14 more games to play,” defensive end Reggie White said. “But we feel like we can line up and beat anybody.”