The Green Bay Packers have always been a standard of excellence in football. The franchise from a small, quaint market and no principal owner has gone on to become one of the most iconic teams in all of professional sports. They can now be considered one of the best in terms of postseason play at the moment. Following the snapping of a famous streak in the NHL, the Packers now have the second-longest active playoff streak in North American professional sports.
Amazing playoff streak
The Packers assumed their new spot in the playoff pantheon after a loss eliminated the Detroit Red Wings from the postseason race in the NHL.
With that, their streak of 25 straight appearances in the postseason, an incredible mark of stability and longevity, was snapped. The next longest streak belongs to the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, at 20 consecutive years.
The Packers aren't alone in the NFL in terms of their playoff streak, though. The New England Patriots, like their NFC North counterpart, have been to the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons. The Patriots have a bit more success during that run, winning two Super Bowls (including last year's) to just one for Green Bay. They may also have the ability to maintain a longer run of success.
End of the streak could be near
Eight consecutive years of playoff football is a great accomplishment for a team and a joy for a fanbase.
As the Red Wings can attest to, however, the era of winning can't go on forever. The Packers have some real concerns going into the next season that draw to mind questions about whether their streak can persist for another year.
The Packers have to deal with the crumbling of their offensive line in free agency, a lack of a true threat at running back once more, and the emergence of more questions than answers on defense.
Additionally, most of their counterparts in the division improved this offseason. Come this time next year, the Patriots could very well stand alone on the list of longest-active playoff streaks in the NFL.
