The Green Bay Packers impressed everyone in 2023-24 by earning a wild card spot and winning, all to the divisional round before they eventually would fall to the San Francisco 49ers. They also hold the 25th overall draft pick in this upcoming draft and they will have a few spots to fill once free agency is done. Most notably, they will need to fill a massive hole in the offensive line left by the David Bahktiari, assuming they cut him to save cap space.
With a lot of those that make up the offense returning, it’s time to look at the 2024 schedule and see what record will be moving forward.
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The Green Bay Packers will of course, take on the NFC North: Detroit Lions, the Chicago Bears, and the Minnesota Vikings (1 home and 1 away per usual.)
The NFC North is by no means an easy division to play in. However, the last decade and a half, the Packers have ruled it. But the last few years, things have changed. Two years ago, the Vikings won it. This year, the Lions won it. Occasionally, the Bears get involved and have played spoiler for whoever was hot at the time as well.
With these making up 6 of the 17 matchups next year, the Green Bay Packers should win four of these matchups. Firstly, regardless of what the Bears do in the draft, the Packers should sweep them in 2024, new quarterback or not. They are still quite a few steps behind the Packers. They will have built some chemistry and whether it is in Lambeau or in Soldier Field, the Packers have proven their dominance over their Bears in past years.
For the Vikings, they are coming off a 7-10 season. However, the year before, they won the division with 13 wins. The Vikings are in a weird state where they aren’t good but they aren’t necessarily bad. They could pull off some wins that are unexpected next year but the Packers should be able to win both games.
The only foes that the Green Bay Packers will struggle against in the division is the Detroit Lions. The Lions slowly have built up a team of strong team who in just three years went from winning just a couple of wins to playing in the NFC Championship and nearly making it to the Super Bowl (it would have been their first). They also won their first NFC North division title. The expectation here is that the Packers will drop both of these games as the Lions will be even better than last year.
The Packers will be 4-2 after division games.
The Green Bay Packers take on all four of the NFC West teams.
The Green Bay Packers will face off against the NFC Champion, San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field. Many Packers fans will be dreading this game while others will be looking at it for revenge. However, the 49ers will not be losing much sleep. Their team won’t be losing too many players and they are coming off a Super Bowl appearance. While this game will be competitive, the 49ers will be too much for the Packers. Packers fans will have to wait for the playoffs if they really want revenge.
Final Score: San Francisco 31, Green Bay 21
The other NFC West home game will bring the Arizona Cardinals to town. While the Cardinals are definitely headed in a better direction and will likely land Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers, whomever the Bears make the mistake of not going after (if they choose to keep Fields.) Regardless of what happens in the draft, the Packers are a year ahead of the Cardinals and should be able to win confidentially at home.
Final Score: Green Bay 27, Arizona 13
The first NFC West away game is the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams are similar to the Vikings in the sense that they just were successful and won the Super Bowl in 2021. In 2022, they regressed and didn’t make it far in 2022. In 2023, they were a first-round exit at the hands of the Lions and former quarterback, Jared Goff, whom they traded away.
While the game will be away, the Rams are a shell of the team that won the Super Bowl in 2021. Only a few players still remain from then and they are getting older every year. While it is away, SOFI Stadium has also been a hub for away teams and their fans, especially the Chargers, who also share the stadium with the Rams. This could be an extra home game for the Packers considering how well Packers fans travel. With that, the Packers should win.
Final Score: Green Bay 31, L.A. Rams 17
The final team to in the NFC West is the Seattle Seahawks. Unlike the Rams, the culture of the Seahawks is strong. The Packers and Seahawks have also clashed multiple times in the NFC Playoffs including the NFC Championship game. However, that was when the Seahawks had Russell Wilson. Now, the quarterback is Geno Smith. While he isn’t bad, Russell Wilson during his 2013-2014 seasons was way better than Geno Smith was just a year ago. Jordan Love and his receivers should be able to rip apart the Seattle defense even though it is in Seattle.
Final Score: Green Bay 24, Seattle 17
The Green Bay Packers will also face all four AFC South teams.
The Green Bay Packers will face the AFC South Champions at home in 2024 in the Houston Texans. While it doesn’t happen often, I believe that Houston get’s the job looking at the way they dominated the regular season. Not only did C.J. Stroud play like a top pick (he was number 2), but also he and Will Anderson were both rookies of the year for their respective sides of the year.
The Texans will still have Nico Collins and a healthy Tank Dell should be scary enough, not to mention whoever else the Texans sign in the offseason. While the Packers will be competitive in this, the defense is not a question for the Texans unlike Green Bay.
Final Score: Houston 35, Green Bay 20
The other AFC home game for the Packers is the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts like the Texans, drafted a quarterback named Anthony Richardson. Unfortunately for them, he was injured midway through the season and was out for the remainder of the year.As he returns for his second year, it would be surprising for him to not come out, guns ablazing after the strong start that he had last year.
The matchup will be a difficult for the Packers as Richardson is one of the fastest quarterbacks, but he also has a cannon of an arm, something he really didn’t get to display in his first season. I think depending on where this is in the schedule, this can be an upset if Richardson is healthy.
Final Score: Indianapolis 24, Green Bay 21
The first of the AFC South away games is the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars have not been particularly good and lost several games towards the end of the year that prevented them getting in the playoffs. Due to this, both their offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator were fired. Head coach Doug Pederson was retained however. The Green Bay Packers should be good as long as they shut down the offense of Jacksonville which is pretty easy considering they haven’t had a good offense in years.
If they can exploit the defense, the Green Bay Packers will win the game. The Jaguars have gotten rid of the defense that had so much defined the “Sacksonville” defense. It seems like it be awhile for Jacksonville will be good again.
Final Score: Green Bay 31, Jacksonville 10
The Tennessee Titans are the other AFC South away game. The Titans made a grave mistake after the end of the 2023 season in which they fired their head coach, Mike Vrabel. While being at the bottom of one of the weakest divisions is not where they would want to be, he was working with a rookie quarterback that was tossed in the deep end due to their starter being injured.
They now, no longer will have their star running back Derrick Henry who still has some years on him as well as star wide receiver Deandre Hopkins who can still play the game. On top of that, Nashville is not a place that players want to go to play football. It is almost certain that the Titans will be at the bottom of the NFL next year, not just AFC South. The Green Bay Packers, who will be building on the success of this year, should absolutely have a field day in Nashville. We may even see Sean Clifford in this game.
Final Score: Green Bay 45, Tennessee 0
The Miscellaneous Teams: New Orleans, Miami, @Philadelphia
Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Green Bay Packers will have three different opponents that are not from any of the divisions mentions above. Firstly, there will be a rematch with the New Orleans Saints in Green Bay. The Saints seem to be in the NFL’s no man’s land as the team continues to get older and Derek Carr isn’t the most convincing when it comes to the quarterback play, especially when it comes to his price tag. The Packers should be able to win this easily as their future is not only brighter, but the Saints are coming off multiple years without a playoff berth.
Final Score: Green Bay 27, New Orleans 10
They will also take on the AFC East’s Miami Dolphins in Green Bay. The Dolphins are coming off a season where they made the playoffs. However, they were eliminated by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs in the 4th coldest game in NFL history. The Dolphins will be able to keep most of its players depending when this game is played, they may not be as frozen. I’d expect a close Dolphins win.
Final Score: Miami 27, Green Bay 20
The final game the Packers will play is at Philadelphia. With the way that the Eagles ended their season, it leads me to think that Packers can go into Philly and get a win. Though, it will not be easy. It is not certain if Center Jason Kelce is returning and if he doesn’t, that does eliminate one of the biggest plays for the Eagles, “the Tush Push”. If all goes well, the Packers can steal one here.
Final Score: Green Bay 24, Philadelphia 21
If this prediction were to be correct (and it most likely won’t be), the Green Bay Packers will be 11-6 after the regular season and will definitely make the playoffs. The real question is whether they are division champions or they are a 5-seed with the Lions winning the division again. Judging by the prediction, I would assume the latter and the Packers are on the road for their playoff games next season.
If the Packers make a run like they did last year, they could get even further and push themselves back into the Super Bowl and perhaps even win it.
