There are two ways the average NFL fan can look at Tony Romo choosing the Green Bay Packers as the NFL's “team to beat” in 2018.

  1. He truly believes this is the case.
  2. He went with the next best thing after the Philadelphia Eagles, a team he won't label due to his former ties with America's Team.

In any event, the CBS Sports color man went with Aaron Rodgers's club as the team to beat and sites the acquisition of tight end Jimmy Graham has a top reason, via Today's TMJ4.

“I think the Packers probably got better more than any team I saw this offseason,” Romo told reporters during his youth camp in Burlington, Wis. “It's early and injuries happen, but right now, they're right at the top for me as far as a team you wouldn't want to see in the playoffs.”

“The Jimmy Graham thing is a big deal, people don't understand. You're going to see old school Jimmy Graham. You pair him with Aaron Rodgers, you're going to see a little bit of a different animal. In the red zone, that will be almost unstoppable. If the secondary is a little bit better, I think they're the team to beat this year.”

What Romo dives into pertaining to Graham and the Packers offense in the red zone is quite simple.

Think of a regular Cover 2 or single-high safety look. Where that strong safety plays dictates so much of what the offense decides to do, especially by way of run or pass. In the red zone, when Mike McCarthy decides to line Graham out wide to the left (as an example), he'll keep a second tight end in and on the line on the right side.

Where the safety decides to line up (strong side to close-in tight end or unnaturally on the left side to double-team Graham) will allow Aaron Rodgers a strategic advantage that'll scare the living stuff out of defensive coordinators.

Still, Graham must remain healthy.

Tony Romo is now prepping for his second season as the No. 1 color man for CBS Sports alongside play-by-play veteran Jim Nantz.