During July, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be analyzing the schedules of every team in the NFL and ranking each game in order of difficulty (with one being the most difficult). This series will be split up into the eight most difficult games (ranked 1-8) and the eight easiest games (ranked 9-16) for each team. In this article, the Green Bay Packers easiest games are the focus.
Green Bay Packers Easiest Games in 2016
9. Week 11 at Redskins
Last year, the Redskins hosted Green Bay in the wild card round. However, the Redskins did not beat a single team with a winning record last year. Washington needs to show more before they can be put ahead of some of the other teams. Kirk Cousins had a pretty good season, the offense will be better, and the defense will improve, but can they win against good teams?
10. Week 8 at Falcons
Matt Ryan is one of the better quarterbacks in this league, but he does not have an offensive line to speak of. The Packers’ pass rush will get to the Falcons quarterback. Devonta Freeman came out like a gangbuster, but as the season progressed, he took a step back. Will he look more like the player he was in the early or later stage of the season? Julio Jones will torch the defensive backs because he will do that to most, if not all, defensive backs, but Jones is not enough to threaten the Packers.
11. Week 17 at Lions
This can be a tough game with playoff implications depending on how the Lions season goes. Detroit could be 12-4 as easily as 4-12. Their success is solely based on Matthew Stafford‘s performance. In the first half of last season Stafford was a turnover machine, but in the latter part, he was playing at a high level. Coincidentally, the Lions were winning. They started 1-6, but finished the season 6-3.
12. Week 15 at Bears
Aaron Rodgers is 13-3 against the Bears. Regardless of whether the game is in Lambeau or at Soldier Field, the Pack will be favored to win, and probably will. Chicago’s defense has improved under John Fox, but it won’t be enough to stop the Packers offense.
13. Week 10 at Titans
The Titans have a dynamic playmaker at quarterback in Marcus Mariota, and some athletic young playmakers on the outside in Kendall Wright, Dorial Green-Beckham, and tight end Delanie Walker. The Titans will have a powerful running game with Derrick Henry and DeMarco Murray. Dick LeBeau will once again be the Titans defensive play caller, but they are a young team climbing the ladder.
14. Week 3 vs Lions
The defense will improve vastly because DeAndre Levy will be back from injury. Levy is one of the better linebackers in the NFL. And Ezekiel Ansah is becoming a force of nature on the defensive line. But at home, the Packers will handle the Lions.
15. Week 12 at Eagles
The Eagles have questions just about everywhere you look. Fans might be calling for Sam Bradford’s head by the time this game rolls around, their running backs have a lot to prove, and their receiving corps raises eyebrows. The defense will be very good under Jim Schwartz, but not good enough to scare Aaron Rodgers and company.
16. Week 7 vs Bears
This is the easiest game because it is at home, and Cutler now has a 2-11 record against the Pack. Cutler improved with Adam Gase as his offensive coordinator, but will he still be as efficient and protect the football as well as he did last year now that Gase is in Miami? Another tough question is will Alshon Jeffrey play the entire season and will he be able to make plays as the Bears primary receiver? Kevin White has not played a game yet, so the jury is still out on him.
Check out the eight toughest games here.
