The season is upon us. Football is back and it kicked off with the Green Bay Packers versus the Chicago Bears. The Packers have an organization-defining season this year. This season will determine if they can have continued success for years to come, or if this is the beginning of the end of an era. The defense looked great and the offense is growing. So after their week one win against the Bears here is a week-by-week season outlook for the Packers.
Season Outlook of the Green Bay Packers After Week 1
Chicago Bears (Weeks 1 [already a win] and 15)
The Bears are the toughest matchup in the division for the Packers. Mitchell Trubisky has multiple weapons around him in Allen Robinson and Trey Burton. Plus, the Bears are in love with draft pick David Montgomery as their new threat in the backfield. On the defensive side, players such as Akiem Hicks, Kyle Fuller, and Khalil Mack pose a massive threat for Aaron Rodgers and his brand new offense. The Bears defense comes in this season ranked first in the NFL. However, the Bears have the worst luck with kickers since their playoff game in 2018 so closing games could be really tough for Chicago. Both Green Bay and Chicago are going to be battling it out for the divisional crown all season. The Packers will also win late in the season back in Green Bay.
Minnesota Vikings (Weeks 2 and 16)
The Minnesota Vikings have been trying to play catch up with the Bears and Packers for the past four years. Their defense is above average but getting older with players such as Xavier Rhodes and Anthony Barr. They spent their past few off-seasons building their offense by signing quarterback Kirk Cousins to a fully guaranteed $84 million contract. Wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen are exceptional talents and running back Dalvin Cook gives them a nice punch in the running game. Cousins has yet to prove himself as a player that can win big games so the prediction is the Packers win the week two match up at Green Bay but they will come up short in the late-season matchup on the road.
Denver Broncos (Week 3)
The Denver Broncos have absolutely no identity. Nobody knows if this team is trying to build an intimidating defense or a high-flying offense. Adding Joe Flacco wasn’t the best get as he hasn’t had a brilliant season since the Super Bowl against the Niners. But, the defense is already scary enough with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. The offense has nice pieces with Phillip Lindsay and Emmanuel Sanders. The Broncos sneak out a win by a field goal.
Philadelphia Eagles (Week 4)
This game will be a dog fight. The Philadelphia Eagles have the best roster in the NFL, in my opinion. However, they will be traveling to Green Bay, which gives the Packers home-field advantage. But that can only do so much. The Packers are young, while the Eagles have proven veterans that are gearing up for another run at a Super Bowl. With Carson Wentz healthy, the Eagles will be a tough team to beat each week. Alshon Jeffery is a solid receiver and a platoon of running backs gives Wentz some breathing room. Don’t forget his security blanket, tight end Zach Ertz. Sadly, the Packers are outmatched and will lose this game but not by much.
Dallas Cowboys (Week 5)
The Dallas Cowboys are starting to put it all together. They extended Jaylon Smith, Amari Cooper, and Ezekiel Elliot in the off-season and still need to pay Dak Prescott. This team is going to win games, especially in a division where they get to beat up on the Giants and Redskins twice this year. With Green Bay making a trip to Dallas, the Cowboys will want to prove to their fans that they have it right by beating a contender in the NFC. Don’t expect that to happen. The Packers have been quietly building relationships within the locker room and are young and ready to go out and show people they are here to throw some punches with the big boys. The Packers win this game by 10 points and use it as a major confidence booster.
Detroit Lions (Week 6 and 17)
The Detroit Lions are not set up for success. They lost a preseason game by 34 points and look completely lost. Injuries are already piling up and it seems like the locker room isn’t fully on board with Matt Patricia as head coach. A house divided can not stand. The Packers will win both of these games with ease. More talent and more unity.
Oakland Raiders (Week 7)
The Oakland Raiders are in a similar boat as the Lions. They volunteered to be on Hard Knocks, which no NFL team ever does, and the drama with Antonio Brown has completely engulfed this team and now reached a breaking point with the team cutting him just days ago. They’ll win football games, but against an NFC contender? No chance. The Packers will win this game in a blowout.
Kansas City Chiefs (Week 8)
This is a tough game to get in the middle of the season. The Kansas City Chiefs are near-unanimous favorites in the AFC besides the New England Patriots. The Chiefs have the most explosive offense in the league and Patrick Mahomes will only get better. They improved on the defensive front and will be a very tough team to handle. Again, the Packers will try to stay in the game, but will eventually just be tired chasing all the Chiefs’ receivers all over the field. The Packers will lose this game on the road.
Los Angeles Chargers (Week 9)
The Los Angeles Chargers would normally be a team that would give Green Bay a run for their money, but with Melvin Gordon holding out, they will lack the running game to keep the Packers on their toes. They will be forced to throw the ball and eventually, throwing too much leads to interceptions. The Packers have one of the best young secondaries in the league and will be able to pick apart Philip Rivers over the course of the game. The Packers will win this game in a close contest.
Carolina Panthers (Week 10)
The Carolina Panthers have a very young offense. The only proven offensive weapon is Christian McCaffrey. I think Cam Newton will be forced to run too much and try to create heroic moments which will lead to him getting hit and he is injury prone. The Packers have two new young, big-hitting linebackers that are eager for a shot at Newton. They will win this game comfortably
San Francisco 49ers (Week 12)
The San Francisco 49ers are still trying to show the league they are the new Los Angeles Rams. They want to be the next McVay/Goff connection so desperately. However, they have the same problem Carolina has; no proven wide receivers. The defense has improved, but not enough to stop a healthy Rodgers. San Francisco is a few years away from competing with the big boys of the NFC. The Packers will run away with this one.
New York Giants (Week 13)
The New York Giants are one, star running back away from being the Raiders of the east coast. Drama has been looming over this team ever since they traded Odell Beckham Jr. and it has not let up. The owner coming out and saying he hopes Daniel Jones never plays all year was a big red flag for me. As a rookie, those can be demoralizing words that could ruin your confidence. Saquon Barkley will be tough to handle, but the Packers should have no trouble blowing these guys out.
Washington Redskins (Week 14)
The Washington Redskins are slowly building themselves back up again. Dwayne Haskins needs time to improve and draft picks will be used to assemble a formidable offensive attack. However, the defense looks much improved and could be a force in the NFC. The Redskins may not make the playoffs, but they sure could cause problems for Green Bay late in the season. Green Bay wins this one on a field goal.
Packers Season Outlook
For the season, I have the Packers going 12-4 and making the playoffs. A massive improvement from last year. I think Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers will get along just fine and new minds in this offense will help create new schemes and a beautiful balance with the passing and running game. The front office spent big bucks on the defense in the off-season and it will pay off immensely. The Green Bay Packers are on the rise.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
