Not since Aaron Rodgers’ first season as a starting NFL quarterback eight years ago have the Packers played a stretch of football as bad as what they’ve had over the past month.

We’ve heard about all the reasons – injuries, a stale offense, lack of a running game because of no running backs, a suddenly awful defense because of a decimated secondary, slow starts and a lack of energy, special teams meltdowns, other injuries, questionable coaching and game management, a poorly constructed roster, more injuries – and there’s certainly reasonable logic suggesting Green Bay’s four-game losing streak will continue Monday in Philadelphia.

The Eagles are 4-0 at home, where they’ve outscored opponents 108-38 this season, with the kind of proficient rushing offense and stingy defense that has given the Packers problems recently. Another loss, which would drop its record to 4-7 and put the team three games out of first place in the NFC North and into a tie for 13th place in the conference, would effectively end Green Bay’s hope for an eighth straight playoff appearance.

But there is also cause for optimism. The depleted roster has slowly gotten healthier (look for an impact from Clay Matthews tonight), a new and somewhat-proven running back could boost the ground game and the Packers will be playing desperate and determined.

Green Bay plays at Philadelphia on Monday Night Football (ESPN) at 7:30 p.m. Here are five reasons the Packers will win:

1. They play better as underdogs

From the organizational identity as the league’s authentically old-fashioned sanctuary of small-town values and a blue-collar work ethic to the head coach who was the son of a Pittsburgh police officer and worked his way up from Baker University tight end to Green Bay to the quarterback who became a superstar by turning every doubting slight into motivational fuel, the Packers are a better football team when they are playing as the little guys instead of the favorites.

Take, for example, the 2010 Super Bowl season. Green Bay placed 17 players on injured reserve and was among the league leaders in starter games missed due to injuries, made the playoffs as a 10-6 Wild Card team and then rolled to an unpredicted championship. The next year, as favorites to repeat, the Packers started out 13-0, finished 15-1 and then collapsed in their first postseason game. Since 2011, arrogance and stubbornness – in the front office, the locker room and on the field – have created a sense of superiority that, given an 8-20 record over the past 20 regular-season games, simply isn’t deserved anymore.

Their backs are firmly up against the wall now. If there is any fire to be found among the players, and creativity remaining among the coaches, this is the time for it to show. The Packers are four-point underdogs. Expect – or rather hope – them to start fast and play angry; it will be a nice change of pace to see.

2. The secondary won't be as awful

After weeks of getting torched by opposing offenses – they gave up 1,683 yards and at least 30 points over their last four games – and an especially embarrassing display of breakdowns and inability against Washington, the Packers’ deficient defensive backfield might finally get a reprieve in Philadelphia.

The Eagles’ wide receivers are among the league’s least imposing groups. Their passing attack ranks 25th in the NFL; rookie quarterback Carson Wentz has recently come back down to earth and his weapons don’t scare you. Speedy Jordan Matthews is the best wideout of the bunch, but he’s prone to drops; Nelson Agholor and Dorial Green-Beckham aren’t special. Tight end Zach Ertz and running back Darren Sproles could give Green Bay problems as pass-catchers, but they won’t be the cornerbacks’ responsibility.

And speaking of cornerbacks, it’s likely the Packers will finally have back Damarious Randall, last year’s first-round draft pick, to go with Quinten Rollins and LaDarius Gunter. Defensive back Micah Hyde practiced all week and is expected to play, as well. The secondary should be improved, and could gain a lot of confidence with a respectable performance against the Eagles on national television.

3. Rodgers is still really good

Aaron Rodgers is not in a slump; he really hasn’t been since the bye week, despite the hand-wringing narratives that were slightly more appropriate the first month of the year. Over his last six games, Rodgers has completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,885 yards (314.2 per contest) with 16 touchdowns to four interceptions and a 101.4 average passer rating. Those are all excellent numbers, and last week's connections showed he has a promising rapport with tight end Jared Cook.

Earlier this week, the ever-confident quarterback said, "I feel like we can run the table, I really do" and believed the offense is starting to groove. Although the Eagles are allowing opponents to score just 9.5 points per game at home and have the NFL’s best red-zone defense overall (73.3 percent scoring efficiency), this is the kind of game where – in past years – Rodgers would will the Packers to a victory with his elite talent and hyper-competitive spirit. We’ll see if he’s still able to do that.

It should help that Green Bay may finally have some offensive balance, with at least some semblance of a rushing attack. Which brings us to …

4. Christine Michael!

Since losing Eddie Lacy to an ankle injury in Week 6, the Packers offense has struggled with being inconsistent and underproductive. It didn’t help that backup running back James Starks was also out for a month after having knee surgery. Green Bay tried to get by with mildly innovative backfield packages featuring Ty Montgomery and Randall Cobb, and gave fullback Aaron Ripkowski more carries than he deserved, too, but this week the team might actually have a real running game.

Starks is healthy – he’s caught two touchdown passes in the last two games – and Michael, whom Green Bay signed last week and now knows the playbook enough to contribute in a game, will be ready. Released by the Seahawks and scooped up by general manager Ted Thompson, Michael instantly becomes the Packers’ leading rusher despite not yet having touched the ball for them, with 117 attempts for 469 yards (4.0 average) and six touchdowns. He should provide a spark, and can also catch the ball well out of the backfield (20 receptions for 96 yards and a score this season).

Trading for Knile Davis was a fail; promoting Don Jackson from the practice squad didn’t work; using Montgomery, Cobb and Ripkowski was ineffective; having Rodgers run so often for first downs and touchdowns is risky. A backfield tandem of Starks and Michael could be just what Green Bay’s offense needs to be dynamic again.

5. They’re due

C'mon. They’re not going to lose again, right? This is the Green Bay Packers we're talking about. They'll get it figured out! It’s time for a win, right? Right??