I'm not one of those people who blows off losses and skips on my merry way if the game is close. I'm also not one of those people who is ready to bury the Packers because they lost in overtime on the road to the only undefeated team in the NFL. The answer is somewhere in between, kind of like the Packers 4-4 record.

Here's the reality. The Packers are going to have to win the NFC North to get into the playoffs. The best way to do that is to win the next two weeks against the Vikings and the Bears. If the Packers win at Minnesota Sunday and the Bears lose to the Titans, the Packers will be back tied for first place and have the Bears coming into Lambeau the following week. That's hardly a scenario to wring your hands about.

Certainly, the Packers squandered several opportunities to win at Tennessee. They could have recorded a signature road win and blinked. They also got an up-close view of the model that the Packers can still use to get to the playoffs and make some noise. The Titans know their weaknesses and play to their strengths. They're a smart team that does just enough to win. There's northing wrong with that.

The timing is unfortunate that Aaron Rodgers made some costly mistakes in his first game since signing the $65 million extension. But I liked the way he took the arrows after the game. I would have liked to have seen him get a chance in overtime, but in all honesty the Titans should have won in regulation.

So, I'm not hysterical about the loss to the Titans. But if the Packers lose to the Vikings Sunday...

If I had to pick the best team in the NFC (and maybe in the NFL) right now, it would be the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants. The Packers are in a bunch in the middle right now that could go either way. They're certainly a candidate to win the NFC North and peak in the playoffs. They're also a candidate to succumb to a difficult schedule and miss the playoffs. The injury to Tony Romo and the shaky status of the Dallas Cowboys, the disappointment of the Minnesota Vikings and the swift decline of the Seattle Seahawks all combine to make for an uncertain NFC.

At 6-2, Washington and Carolina have emerged as serious contenders. Dallas and Tampa Bay are both 5-3 but one of them would miss the playoffs if the season ended today. It seems a safe bet that the NFC North will only have one playoff representative. That means the Packers, Bears and Vikings will likely be scuffling for one spot. The Bears could easily be 7-0. Their losses have been by 3, 3 and 2 points. Kyle Orton has played well and if Chicago's defense can get it together, they will give the Packers a tough battle for the division title. I don't think Minnesota has the right people at head coach or quarterback and those are two pretty important pieces for a winning franchise.

My biggest concern about the Packers for the rest of the season is simple: RUN DEFENSE. If they don't get better in that area, they could be sitting home in January watching the playoffs on television. Special teams have not been as good as expected. I'm still waiting to see if the running game can become consistent. Aaron Rodgers has been playoff-caliber, Greg Jennings has become a star and the secondary has weathered some significant injuries. There's reason to believe the Packers can make the playoffs. There are also enough concerns to make the next nine games fascinating.

If you're expecting me to spend this space talking about Brett Favre, I politely refuse. The last thing that is worth talking about after the Packers rout of the Colts is their former quarterback's phone friends. The Packers made the Colts look like a bad team. Tony Dungy called it the sloppiest effort of his team since he took over in Indianapolis. The Packers relished seeing Peyton Manning get frustrated as the game went on. If you had told me before the season that the Packers would be 4-3 at the bye, I certainly would have taken it. They didn't get there the way I would have expected, but that doesn't matter. I wouldn't have predicted a loss to Atlanta. But I also wouldn't have thought the Seahawks would get so bad and that the Packers would beat the Colts. Convincingly, at that.

Aaron Rodgers has exceeded my expectations. He has been smart, poised and tough enough to play through a painful shoulder injury. Greg Jennings has become a star. The offensive line and Ryan Grant are just starting to mesh. The defense is not perfect, but you have to salute what they've done in the secondary despite significant injuries to Al Harris and Atari Bigby. If Charles Woodson isn't in the Pro Bowl, why even play the fgame? Special teams have been up-and-down but should benefit from a healthier roster.

Certainly, the Packers have flaws. In case you haven't noticed, so does everyone else in the NFC--and the NFL. The schedule is challenging the rest of the way. But the Packers are tied for the division lead and show flashes of being a very good team. That's more important to me than who Brett Favre is talking to on the phone.