Five Predictions After Deciphering The Green Bay Packers’ Schedule

The Green Bay Packers’ schedule was released Thursday night, and it’s certainly a challenging slate. Here are five things I believe will happen to the Packers in 2020.

1. The Packers will be 4-4 at midseason

The first half of Green Bay’s schedule is brutal.

Five of the Packers’ first eight games are against 2019 playoff teams, including NFC champion San Francisco and divisional champions New Orleans and Houston.

The Packers also have five road games in their first eight contests, including four games against teams that made the playoffs a year ago. The only non-playoff team in that group is Tampa Bay, which has added six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady and future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The Packers figure to be strong favorites in their three first half home games against Detroit, Atlanta and Minnesota. But the road slate could put the Packers behind the 8-ball heading to the second half of the year.

2. Green Bay will win 5 straight games late in the year

The second half of the Packers’ schedule is more than manageable.

Green Bay has five home games in its final eight contests. The only 2019 playoff teams the Packers meet in the second half are Philadelphia and Tennessee, and both of those games are at Lambeau Field.

Green Bay’s three second half road games are against teams that were a combined 18-29-1 in 2019 (.385). And three of Green Bay’s final eight opponents finished last in their division in 2019.

At some point during this stretch packed with cupcakes, the Packers will get red hot.

3. The 49ers will continue to frustrate Aaron Rodgers

Much has been made of Rodgers — the Packers’ quarterback — feeling slighted when San Francisco selected Alex Smith with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft. Despite taking that snub personally, Rodgers is just 4-6 in his career against the 49ers and only 2-6 in his last eight starts against San Francisco.

Rodgers is 0-3 against the 49ers in the playoffs, including an ugly loss to San Francisco in the 2019 NFC Championship Game. And in the Packers’ two losses at San Francisco last year, they trailed by a collective score of 50-0 at halftime.

This year, Green Bay travels to San Francisco in Week 9 to play on a Thursday night. Not only will the Packers be playing on a short week, they’ll have to travel roughly 2,200 miles for the game.

That’s a terrible combination for the Packers — and their quarterback who suddenly can’t beat the team that snubbed him.

4. The Packers will lose two divisional games

One reason the Packers went 13-3 last season and won the NFC North was they were a perfect 6-0 in the division. Amazingly, though, five of those contests were one score games — and Green Bay prevailed in every one of them.

In the Packers’ two wins over Detroit last year, they didn’t lead for one second of regulation. But Green Bay won both games when Mason Crosby kicked game-winning field goals as time expired.

The Packers edged Chicago by seven and eight points. And the Packers defeated Minnesota, 21-16, in Week 2.

Green Bay’s only “comfortable” win was a 23-10 victory over the Vikings in Week 16 when Minnesota standout running back Dalvin Cook didn’t play.

The law of probability says Green Bay’s good fortune in one-score games is set to expire. If it does, the rest of the NFC North will be anxious to take advantage.

5. Green Bay will win the NFC North in Week 17

In 2013, the Packers traveled to Chicago in Week 17 for a “winner takes the division” contest.

Green Bay trailed, 28-27, with 46 seconds left and faced a fourth-and-8 from Chicago’s 48-yard line. The Bears rushed seven, the Packers blocked with just six, and Aaron Rodgers narrowly escaped Bears hard-charging right end Julius Peppers.

Downfield, Bears safety Chris Conte let wideout Randall Cobb slip behind him. And when quarterback Aaron Rodgers delivered a strike to Cobb, the shifty receiver raced home for a remarkable 48-yard touchdown that gave the Packers a stunning 33-28 win.

Don’t be surprised to see similar drama in the NFC North this year.

The Packers finish the year in Chicago again. And if the Bears get serviceable quarterbacking play from Nick Foles, they’ll be in the hunt until the end.

Rodgers has dominated the Bears throughout his career, though, going 19-5 against Chicago. The guess here is he’ll do it again in Week 17 to help the Packers win the NFC North with an 11-5 record.