When Green Bay annihilated Oakland 46-16 to finish off a 13-0 start in 2011, talk turned to whether or not the Packers could complete a perfect season. But then they lost two of their last four games, including a whitewashing in the playoffs at the hands of the New York Giants.

Still, the Packers finished with a 15-1 regular season record and they remain one of the league’s most talented teams. So what happened at the end of the season? And how do the Packers stay on track toward making another deep run in the playoffs in 2012? Brandon Benson, lead writer and founding editor of the Acme Packing Company blog shared his thoughts with Zoneblitz.

Zoneblitz: Aaron Rodgers had a great season and is one of the top couple quarterbacks in the league. With Matt Flynn likely moving on, how are the Packers set for depth at the position?

Brandon Benson: They’re not well positioned. They recently signed another QB, Nick Hill, who’s been playing in the Arena League since he failed to earn a roster spot with the Bears as an undrafted free agent back in 2008. Graham Harrell’s been a nice QB who they’ve been able to stash on the practice squad at times over the past couple seasons, but it’s not clear he’s ready to be the backup. Knowing the Packers, this is probably something they’ll address through the draft, but they might show interest in a younger veteran who’s still got some ability and willing to play for cheap ($1 million or less).

Zoneblitz: Chad Clifton has been mentioned as a likely cut and there are rumblings that Scott Wells could be a free agency target. What is your assessment of the offensive line and its ability to withstand the loss of one or both?

Benson: Clifton hasn’t been cut yet, and because they’re under the cap and not likely to make a move in free agency, they might wait to see how he recovers following offseason back surgery. But they won’t pay him $5 million next season if he doesn’t win the starting job. Even if Clifton doesn’t return, they’ve got young tackles Derek Sherrod and Marshall Newhouse to compete for his job, or they can move Bryan Bulaga over from right tackle.

I hope they keep Scott Wells, but they’d probably like to re-sign T.J. Lang after next season, and Lang, Wells, and Sitton could become very expensive in a year or two. They don’t have a center of the future on the roster, and they’ve been trying to re-sign Wells. If Wells did leave, they’d probably plug backup Evan Dietrich-Smith (the guy who Ndamukong Suh stomped last season) in at center, and add someone in the draft.

Zoneblitz: The run game never seemed to come together in 2011. Is there a feature running back on the roster or is the position in need of an overhaul?

Benson: Probably not. They’re a pass-first offense, and not likely to feature any running back as the centerpiece of their offense. They drafted Alex Green, who is currently rehabbing from a torn ACL, and they have James Starks to battle for the starting job. They might re-sign Ryan Grant, or they might again look to the draft. As an additional point, as I mention all these needs in the draft, the Packers should have an extra four compensatory draft picks for all the free agents they lost last season. With 11 draft picks in hand, they’ll be looking to add a lot of players just through the draft.

Zoneblitz: With Jermichael Finley re-signed, what is your assessment of the Packers’ skill players on offense and what does the depth mean for the future of long-timer Donald Driver?

Benson: They have a lot of weapons on offense, but there’s no one like Finley, who’s a matchup problem for any team with his size and speed. None of the Packers other tight ends have his ability. I thought Driver might have been a cap casualty before the start of the 2011 season, so he’s living somewhat on borrowed time. With James Jones and Jordy Nelson re-signed last season, and Randall Cobb drafted in 2011, there doesn’t seem to be any room for Driver, but he played well last season and he’s still here. He would probably need to take a pay cut if the Packers do keep him.

Zoneblitz: What do you think of Tom Clements as the new offensive coordinator and how big a loss is Joe Philbin from that role?

Benson: There shouldn’t be much of a change. This is Mike McCarthy’s offense, and Aaron Rodgers calls his own plays during the two-minute/hurry-up offense. Clements will fill the same role as Philbin did; the manager who puts together the offensive plan each week within the structure of McCarthy’s offense. That allows McCarthy to oversee the entire team, but that shouldn’t mean Clements will be making any significant changes.

Zoneblitz: For a 15-1 team, there were many problems on defense throughout the season. What happened and what can be done to correct them?

Benson: The loss of Nick Collins was huge; Charlie Peprah was a significant downgrade. The corners struggled. Tramon Williams was limited by a shoulder injury and Sam Shields had a sophomore slump. But nothing was a bigger problem than the lack of depth on the defensive line. They let Cullen Jenkins leave in free agency, and his replacements were a big, fat zero on the field. Other than B.J. Raji, who struggled with all the double teams, and Ryan Pickett, who’s still a useful run defender, everyone else should be forced to battle for their job next season. They need some fresh blood on the line.

Zoneblitz: Clay Matthews Jr. regressed slightly in 2011. Was that due to him or to the inability to find a complementary pass rusher?

Benson: Both Matthews and Raji struggled because there was little rush from the other players. Matthews still did create pressure; it was only his sack total that was down. Adding another option at outside linebacker is a need, and A.J. Hawk had a down year as he struggled to make tackles and cover receivers.

Zoneblitz: What is the status of Nick Collins and what is your assessment of the Packers’ secondary?
Benson: Collins underwent the same spinal fusion as Peyton Manning. It’s up to the doctors, who will be meeting with him at some point in March, to let him know whether he can resume his NFL career. If Collins does return and Tramon Williams returns healthy, it will be the same group that was very effective in 2010, and hopefully they can bounce back.

Zoneblitz: While Green Bay had a great season, the Packers appeared to peak a little early in 2011. What happened in the playoff game against New York and do you agree with Coach McCarthy’s decision to rest guys in week 17?

Benson: I didn’t recognize the Packer team that lost in the playoffs. They lost six fumbles during the regular season and three in that playoff game. Aaron Rodgers was missing receivers. The interior offensive linemen weren’t blocking. The same defensive problems reared their head again, but the offensive efficiency that carried them through the regular season vanished. Unfortunately, they just played their worst game of the season at the worst time of the year. Unless they want to blow up the offense over one bad game, and I don’t think they should, there’s not much to do about it. The offense has to avoid turnovers, and play more efficiently, next year in the playoffs.

Zoneblitz: Detroit is on the rise and Chicago was 7-3 before Jay Cutler got hurt. How far above the competition in the NFC North are the Packers and how are they set for another deep playoff run in 2012?

Benson: They’re the defending NFC North champs, and the division title should run through them. They’ll make the playoffs again, and the Bears and Lions appear to have more questions (how will the Lions keep their team intact and under the cap, can the Bears provide Cutler with an offensive line and at least one quality receiver?) than the Packers.

Zoneblitz: What would you like to see the Packers do in free agency and the draft?

Benson: Unfortunately, the reality is that they’re not going to be very aggressive. And maybe that’s a good thing. There are a lot of bad contracts handed out each year in free agency. They probably need to focus on the offensive and defensive lines in the draft, but with 11 picks next April, they should be adding depth all over the roster, which is what they usually do.

Follow Acme Packing Company on Twitter at: @acmepackingco
Follow Zoneblitz.com on Twitter at: @zoneblitzcom

Previous In Depth: New Orleans Saints
Next In Depth: Baltimore Ravens